League of Legends: Talon Guide

Talon is currently one of the most dominant mid-lane champions in League of Legends. Known for his incredible burst damage and unmatched mobility, Talon is a menace in ranked games, excelling in almost every composition. His versatile kit allows him to thrive in various situations, making him a favorite for high-elo players and one-trick enthusiasts alike.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about Talon, including his best build, optimal items, runes, and pro tips to master his playstyle. Let’s dive into how to make the most of Talon and dominate your games!

Talon Overview

Talon’s kit is built for quick engagements, devastating bursts, and swift escapes, making him one of the most dangerous assassins in the game. Here’s a breakdown of his abilities:

• Passive - Blade’s End
Talon’s abilities wound champions and monsters, stacking up to three times. Attacking an enemy with three stacks deals massive bleed damage over time.
• Q - Noxian Diplomacy
Talon dashes to a target, dealing critical damage. If cast in melee range, the ability deals bonus critical damage. Landing the killing blow heals Talon.
• W - Rake
Talon throws a volley of blades forward, which return to him after a short delay. Enemies hit twice take significant damage and are slowed.
• E - Assassin’s Path
Talon’s signature ability lets him vault over terrain. This has a cooldown per unique wall, giving Talon unmatched map mobility.
• R - Shadow Assault
Talon becomes invisible and throws blades in all directions. The blades return to him after a brief delay, dealing damage both ways. This is perfect for escapes or high-damage burst combos.

Talon excels at roaming, bursting down priority targets, and applying constant map pressure. His abilities reward players who can plan fights carefully and take advantage of his mobility and assassination potential.

Best Talon Build

Talon thrives on burst damage and mobility, making his build heavily focused on lethality and cooldown reduction. Below is an optimized build for Talon to dominate in both mid-lane and jungle roles:

Core Items

• Duskblade of Draktharr: This is the best Mythic item for Talon, offering lethality, attack damage, and ability haste. Its passive grants invisibility after a takedown, allowing for clean resets and quick escapes.
• Ionian Boots of Lucidity: Cooldown reduction is vital for Talon to spam his abilities effectively. These boots help with both ability haste and summoner spell cooldowns. Against crowd control-heavy teams, Mercury’s Treads are a viable alternative.
• The Collector: Increases Talon’s damage output significantly while offering gold generation for kills. The execute passive is perfect for finishing low-health enemies.

Core Damage Items

• Edge of Night: Provides a spell shield that helps Talon avoid critical crowd control, making his engages safer.
• Serylda’s Grudge: Grants armor penetration and slows enemies hit by abilities, ensuring Talon’s damage sticks, even against tankier targets.
• Youmuu’s Ghostblade: Boosts lethality and offers a movement speed bonus, enabling Talon to roam and chase down targets more effectively.

Situational Items

• Maw of Malmortius: A lifesaver against heavy magic damage, providing a shield when Talon drops to low health.
• Black Cleaver: Useful against armor-stacking opponents, shredding their defenses while granting additional ability haste.
• Guardian Angel: Adds a layer of survivability by reviving Talon after being taken down, perfect for late-game team fights.
• Axiom Arc: Resets your ultimate’s cooldown after a takedown, synergizing well with Talon’s playstyle of chaining kills in team fights.

This build ensures Talon’s burst potential is maximized, while also offering tools to adapt to various enemy team compositions. Remember to adjust based on the threats in your match!

Best Talon Runes

Talon thrives on burst damage and mobility, and the right rune setup ensures he can dominate the early and mid-game while maintaining impact in the late game. Below is the best rune setup tailored for Talon in League of Legends.

Primary Tree: Domination
• Electrocute: Provides strong burst damage when Talon lands three separate attacks or abilities on a target within a short time, synergizing perfectly with his assassination playstyle.
• Sudden Impact: Grants bonus lethality after Talon uses his parkour or ultimate, enhancing his damage output during engagements.
• Eyeball Collection: Accumulates bonus attack damage as Talon scores takedowns, allowing him to scale better into the mid and late game.
• Treasure Hunter: Earns bonus gold for takedowns, accelerating Talon’s item purchases and snowballing potential.

Secondary Tree: Sorcery
• Nimbus Cloak: Provides a burst of movement speed after using summoner spells, enabling Talon to reposition quickly for kills or escapes.
• Transcendence: Grants ability haste, allowing Talon to use his skills more frequently and maintain his presence in skirmishes.

Bonus Stats
• Attack Damage: For increased early-game damage output.
• Adaptive Force: To maximize his scaling damage throughout the game.
• Armor or Magic Resist: Depending on the primary damage type of the enemy laner.

This rune setup ensures Talon has the burst damage, mobility, and scaling potential to dominate any game. Adapt the secondary tree based on team composition or personal preference for even more flexibility.

How to Play Talon

Talon is a master assassin with exceptional roaming potential and burst damage. To maximize his impact, focus on dominating the laning phase, applying pressure through roams, and executing clean teamfight plays.

Early Game

In the laning phase, Talon excels at quick trades and punishing overextensions. Use Rake (W) to poke and zone your opponent while maintaining safe positioning. Once the enemy is low on health, look for an all-in with Noxian Diplomacy (Q) and Passive - Blade’s End to secure kills. Talon thrives on early aggression, so use his superior burst to establish lane dominance. At level 3, your full combo becomes deadly, making it the perfect time to secure kills or force summoner spells.

Roaming and Mid-Game

Talon’s mobility shines in the mid-game. Use Assassin’s Path (E) to roam through walls and gank sidelanes effectively. Keep your jungle and river warded, and look for opportunities to pick off squishy targets. Prioritize objectives like dragons and Rift Heralds, as Talon’s burst can help secure early leads for your team. While roaming, ensure you clear waves efficiently with Rake (W) before leaving lane to prevent your opponent from gaining too much gold and experience.

Teamfighting and Late Game

In teamfights, Talon is an opportunist. Wait for key cooldowns from the enemy team to be burned, then dive into the backline to eliminate priority targets such as carries or supports. Use Shadow Assault (R) to both engage and escape, utilizing its invisibility to reposition or avoid crowd control. Always be mindful of your cooldowns and avoid engaging when your ultimate is unavailable.

Combos

• Basic Trade Combo: Start with Rake (W) to slow the target, follow with Noxian Diplomacy (Q), and auto-attack to trigger Blade’s End.
• All-In Combo: Engage with E (Assassin’s Path) if necessary, land Rake (W) to slow, jump in with Noxian Diplomacy (Q), auto-attack, then use Shadow Assault (R) to finish the target or escape.
• Burst Combo: Use Shadow Assault (R) to engage invisibly, hit with Rake (W) and Noxian Diplomacy (Q), then auto-attack to execute with Blade’s End.

Tips for Success

• Always keep your E (Assassin’s Path) cooldown in mind to maintain mobility across the map.
• Use the terrain to your advantage, leveraging Talon’s wall-hopping ability to outplay enemies or escape sticky situations.
• Prioritize squishy targets like ADCs and mages in fights, but don’t overextend if the enemy team has strong crowd control.
• Farm efficiently between roams to keep your gold and experience up, ensuring you remain a threat throughout the game.

By mastering Talon’s unique roaming playstyle and utilizing his explosive combos, you can carry games by creating early leads and dismantling the enemy team’s backline in crucial fights.

Conclusion

Talon is a powerful assassin who excels in dominating the mid-lane, applying map-wide pressure, and eliminating high-priority targets with precision. With the right build, runes, and an aggressive playstyle, you can consistently carry games and create a significant impact in ranked matches. Mastering Talon requires understanding his burst potential, roaming capabilities, and timing during teamfights. By perfecting his combos and utilizing his unparalleled mobility, you can turn every game into an opportunity to outsmart and outplay your opponents. Dive into the shadows, unleash the Blade’s End, and climb the ranks with Talon as your weapon of choice!