Game patch 26.20Data Dragon 16.20.1

Reference patch 16.20.1

Talon

the Blade's Shadow

Talon is a burst-focused champion who looks for a reachable priority target and a route back out. This overview keeps the explanation practical and leaves patch-sensitive numbers to Riot's structured data and the current in-game tooltip.

MidMostly physical damageMelee attacks

Open matchup guide Find counters Status effects

Usual roleMid

ClassAssassin

DifficultyMedium · 7/10

Basic attacksMeleeMelee basic attacks · 125 range.

Damage profileMostly physical damageMost normal kit pressure is physical. Armour may help, but check whether attacks or abilities are the main source.

Reference patch16.20.1

Strengths and limits

What Talon does well, and what can go wrong

These are kit-level patterns, not a promise that every lane or matchup plays the same way.

Good patterns

Threatens reachable priority targets through burst, mobility or an unusual angle.
Rewards using the kit's main range, timing and target pattern deliberately.

Limits to respect

A failed commitment can leave no clean exit and little value until cooldowns return.
Basic attacks require close access, so enemy range, slows and displacement can deny a clean trade.

Riot ally tips

Use these while learning the champion

You can use Assassin's Path to get behind the enemy and set up for Noxian Diplomacy's melee attack.

Shadow Assault is a powerful escape tool, but can also be offensively used to assault a group.

Remember to pick your target before the fight. Focusing all of Talon's abilities on one target can be very rewarding, but splitting them up between many may leave you helpless.

Riot opponent tips

What an opponent is told to watch for

Talon's attacks are all physical damage. Build armor early to counter his burst damage.

Talon is heavily reliant on Shadow Assault to escape a fight. When it is down he's significantly more vulnerable.

Talon has unrivaled roaming ability. Make sure to keep track of his position or force him to stay in lane by pushing aggressively.

Practical champion reading

How to read Talon in a real fight

Use these patterns to ask better questions before choosing an item, target or commitment. They describe the kit, not a guaranteed result.

Damage delivery

Primarily physical pressure

Armour can reduce the broad physical profile. Separate basic attacks from physical abilities before relying on an item passive that only affects attacks.

Fight rhythm

One short window carries much of the threat

Track the key setup and highest-impact cooldown. A missed or blocked opening can create a safer window before the full rotation returns.

Range and access

Needs close access for basic attacks

Range, slows, displacement and terrain can deny the clean contact this champion wants. Plan the route in as carefully as the damage after arrival.

Typical team job

Threaten a reachable priority target

A clean angle matters more than attacking the nearest unit immediately. Keep an exit, reset or follow-up route in mind before committing.

Control check

Identify the exact movement restriction

Tenacity can shorten only eligible control. Displacements, airborne effects and repeated slows need their own positioning, blocking or movement answer.

Protection and sustain

Check whether recovery changes the fight

Anti-heal or anti-shielding is situational. Buy it only when the effect is materially protecting targets and your champion can apply the answer reliably.

Resource pattern

Mana and cooldowns both matter

A spell being available does not mean the complete sequence is sustainable. Watch the resource bar as well as the setup and escape cooldowns.

Defensive item reference

What can help against Talon?

Start with the threat that is actually affecting the match. These are conditional comparisons, not an automatic counter build.

Pre-game choices

DEFENSIVE BOOTS

Neither pair is automatic

This champion is not cleanly answered by the passive on either defensive pair.

Use Plated Steelcaps for meaningful basic attacks, Mercury's Treads for magic damage or reducible control, or keep the build's normal Boots.

SlowsHealing or sustain

PHYSICAL DEFENCE

Physical defence

Armour · health · role-appropriate defence

Armour can reduce physical damage, but Plated Steelcaps' passive is specific to attacks.

Match the item to attacks, critical strikes or ability burst rather than buying armour from the label alone.

REPEATED SLOWS

Repeated slows

Boots of Swiftness

Slow resistance can be more useful than Tenacity when repeated slowing strength is the main problem.

It gives no armour or magic resistance, so compare the rest of the opposing team.

MEANINGFUL HEALING

Meaningful healing

Bramble Vest or Thornmail · Morellonomicon · Mortal Reminder

A role-appropriate Grievous Wounds item can reduce healing.

Buy it only when healing is materially changing fights and your champion can apply it reliably.

BURST WINDOW

Burst window

Zhonya's Hourglass · Banshee's Veil · Edge of Night

Stasis or a spell shield can deny one decisive engage or spell when the item fits the build.

These do not replace positioning, vision or ordinary durability.

Normal Draft and Ranked role map

Where Talon fits on Summoner's Rift

Each lane is assessed separately. Open a role to reach its queue-specific build and matchup preparation.

TopUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Talon is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Top route. Top usually needs independent laning, durable trading or reliable side-lane pressure. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

JungleSecondary

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Talon has a secondary role listed in this historical reference. It is less common than the primary roles, but it has a recognisable role-specific plan.

Review this role Open matchup

MidPrimary role

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Talon has an established central-lane plan with access to waves, both sides of the river and meaningful pressure between objectives.

Review this role Open matchup

BotUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Talon is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Bot route. Bot usually needs dependable duo-lane scaling and sustained damage with shared early pressure. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

SupportUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Talon is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Support route. Support usually needs useful engage, peel or utility while operating on low gold income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

Kit reference

Talon abilities

Ability names, descriptions and numeric fields come from Riot Data Dragon. Practical reads are independently written; the current in-game tooltip remains authoritative.

Abilities Data Dragon 16.20.1Cooldown / Cost / Range Data Dragon 16.20.1

Passive

Blade's End

What it doesTalon'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.

Practical readBlade's End is an automatic part of the kit involving damage. Track when its condition is active instead of treating every fight the same way.

Q ability

Noxian Diplomacy

What it doesTalon 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.

Practical readNoxian Diplomacy contributes movement or repositioning and damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.

Cooldown8/7.5/7/6.5/6 secCost40Listed range575 units

Movement

The cast changes position or access. Account for where the champion finishes, not only where the ability begins.

W ability

Rake

What it doesTalon 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.

Practical readRake contributes a slowing effect and damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.

Cooldown9/8.5/8/7.5/7 secCost50/55/60/65/70Listed range650 units

E ability

Assassin's Path

What it doesTalon 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.

Practical readAssassin's Path is part of Talon's E pattern. Read its listed effect first, then track the cooldown and condition that make the next use valuable.

Listed range725 units

Ultimate

Shadow Assault

What it doesTalon 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.

Practical readShadow Assault contributes damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.

Cooldown100/80/60 secCost100Listed range550 units

Levels 1–18

Talon · Health / Mana · Abilities

Base values exclude items, runes, temporary buffs and mode-specific modifiers. Cooldowns are the listed base cooldown before ability haste.

Level 1658 Health400 Mana

Level 3819 Health455 Mana

Level 61,089 Health546 Mana

Level 111,614 Health725 Mana

Level 162,236 Health936 Mana

Level 182,511 Health1,029 Mana

Cooldown Data Dragon 16.20.1

Basic abilityNoxian Diplomacy

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Rank 18 secRank 27.5 secRank 37 secRank 46.5 secRank 56 sec

Basic abilityRake

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Rank 19 secRank 28.5 secRank 38 secRank 47.5 secRank 57 sec

Basic abilityAssassin's Path

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

CooldownRead current tooltip

UltimateShadow Assault

First rank becomes available at level 6; later ranks normally become available at levels 11 and 16.

Rank 1100 secRank 280 secRank 360 sec

Open every levelHealth and mana from level 1 to 18

Level	Health	Mana	Ability milestone
1	658	400 Mana	Choose the first basic ability
2	736	427 Mana	Add another basic ability or rank
3	819	455 Mana	Add another basic ability or rank
4	905	484 Mana	Spend one ability point
5	995	514 Mana	Spend one ability point
6	1,089	546 Mana	First ultimate rank normally available
7	1,186	579 Mana	Spend one ability point
8	1,287	614 Mana	Spend one ability point
9	1,393	649 Mana	Spend one ability point
10	1,502	686 Mana	Spend one ability point
11	1,614	725 Mana	Second ultimate rank normally available
12	1,731	764 Mana	Spend one ability point
13	1,852	805 Mana	Spend one ability point
14	1,976	847 Mana	Spend one ability point
15	2,104	891 Mana	Spend one ability point
16	2,236	936 Mana	Final ultimate rank normally available
17	2,371	982 Mana	Spend one ability point
18	2,511	1,029 Mana	Spend one ability point

Choose the next question

Turn the profile into a pre-game plan

Choose a queue-aware build, compare a lane opponent, or return to the full champion library.

Open Talon builds Prepare a matchup Browse champions