Talon is one of League of Legends‘ most deadly assassins, so if you’re looking to master The Blade’s Shadow here’s everything you need to know about him in Season 12; including runes, builds, tips & tricks.
Released in 2011, Talon is one of the older assassin champions on Summoner’s Rift.
Even after a rework in Season 7 that changed up his kit quite a bit, Talon has always been known for high mobility and quick burst damage.
Whether you’re a mastery 7 Talon player, or looking to pick him up for the first time, here’s everything you need to know about Talon.
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Who is Talon?
Talon is from the undercity of Noxus where he had to fight and steal in order to survive as a child.
He created a dangerous reputation for himself, and was later adopted into the Du Couteu family. Now, he serves the empire taking down anyone (including captains, leaders, and even heroes) who cross his path.
On Summoner’s Rift, Talon is an AD assassin who leaps walls and plays out of vision to take down enemies.
Talon abilities & gameplay
Talon’s kit has tons of damage and mobility with his Assassin’s Path (E) allowing him to traverse around structures on Summoner’s Rift with ease.
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His ability to parkour around the map pairs very well with his damage spells like Rake (W) which hurls a volley of daggers forward then back to Talon slowing enemies hit, and Noxian Diplomacy (Q) which has Talon stab a nearby target.
Talon’s ultimate, Shadow Assault (R), turns him completely invisible and disperses a ring of blades. After targeting an enemy champion the blades will converge on the target dealing a huge amount of damage.
Shadow Assault allows him to assassinate high-threat targets or aids him in escaping sticky situations in the blink of an eye. As a jungler, his ganking ability is top tier as he has tons of movement and damage to finish off low-health targets.
- Passive: Blade’s End – Talon’s spells Wound champions and large monsters, stacking up to 3 times. When Talon attacks a champion with 3 stacks of Wound, they bleed for heavy damage over time.
- Q: Noxian Diplomacy – Talon stabs the target unit. If they are within melee range, this attack deals critical damage. If they are outside melee range, Talon will leap at his target before stabbing them. Talon refunds some health and cooldown if this ability kills the target.
- W: Rake – Talon sends out a volley of daggers that then return back to him, dealing physical damage every time it passes through an enemy. The returning blades deal bonus damage and slow units hit.
- E: Assassin’s Path – Talon vaults over any terrain or structure, up to a max distance. This ability has a low cooldown, but puts the used terrain on a long cooldown.
- R: Shadow Assault – Talon disperses a ring of blades and becomes Invisible while gaining additional Move Speed. When Talon emerges from Invisibility, the blades converge on his location. Each time the blades move, Shadow Assault deals physical damage to enemies hit by at least one blade.
Best build for Talon
Talon is best built with heavy AD and Lethality items that allow him to one-shot targets.
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Talon’s best Mythic item by far in both the jungle and mid-lane roles is Eclipse. It grants him tons of AD and Lethality, as well as a passive shield when striking enemies in combat. The Armor Penetration Mythic passive is also a pretty swet bonus.
If you want to build a more bruiser-style Mythic on him then Goredrinker could be an option, but the item has been hit with multiple nerfs.
If you don’t want to build a Mythic item on Talon first, Youmuu’s Ghostblade is a great option as the added movement speed pairs very well with Talon’s kit.
After that, look to round out your build with items like Edge of Night, Black Cleaver, Maw of Malmortius, and Serylda’s Grudge.
Top meta builds for Talon in Season 12
- Mythic: Eclipse
- Boots: Ionian Boots of Lucidity/ Mercury’s Treads
- Youmuu’s Ghostblade
- Umbral Glaive
- Edge of Knight
- Black Cleaver
- Maw of Malmortius (into heavy AP)
- Serylda’s Grudge
- Death’s Dance
Best runes for Talon
Talon’s best runes are ones that help him deal more damage and generate more gold income. For this, look to take the First Strike rune from the Inspiration tree.
If you are playing Talon in the mid-lane, Conqueror is also an option although it isn’t going to be nearly as consistent.
After First Strike, look to take Magical Footwear, Future’s Market, and Cosmic Insight. These runes help Talon curve out in the mid-game gold-wise, so he can reach completed boots and multiple items.
For secondary runes the Domination tree is where you’ll find the best options with Zombie Ward and Relentless Hunter. Zombie Ward is good if you decide to build Umbral Glaive and can clear wards instantly, and Relentless Hunter grants extra out of combat movement speed to make traversing the map easier.
Top meta runes for Talon in Season 12
- First Strike
- Magical Footwear
- Future’s Market
- Cosmic Insight
- Zombie Ward
- Relentless Hunter
Talon skins in League of Legends
| Skin | Cost (RP) |
| Renegade Talon | 520 |
| Crimson Elite Talon | 750 |
| SSW Talon | 750 |
| Dragonblade Talon | 975 |
| Blood Moon Talon | 1350 |
| Enduring Sword Talon | 1350 |
| Talon Blackwood | 1350 |
| Withered Rose Talon | 1350 |
| High Noon Talon | 1350 |
| Prestige High Noon Talon | Special pricing |
Talon is a low difficulty character to begin playing, but mastering him will take time and dedication. Now, you have everything you need to know to dominate with The Blade’s Shadow.
Looking to decimate your foes on Summoner’s Rift? Be sure to check out our other champion guides:
Ahri guide | Akali guide | Amumu guide | Blitzcrank guide | Caitlyn guide | Camile guide | Evelynn guide | Graves Guide | Hecarim guide | Irelia guide | Karma guide | Kayn guide | Kindred guide | Lulu guide | Nami guide | Malzahar guide | Sona guide | Swain guide | Tahm Kench guide | Taliyah guide | Thresh guide | Warwick guide | Varus guide | Vex guide | Yuumi guide
