PLEASE READ THE NOTES FOR EACH SET OF ITEMS! IT WILL HELP A LOT!

Feel free to add me in-game with any questions: Zoltux, Talon Only
I'm currently in Gold, and have 75 games played with Talon. I have 54 wins and 21 losses, giving me a 72% win rate with Talon. For those games that I've lost, they were early on in the season when I was still experimenting with new builds with triforce and crit strike. In Season 3 I had 105 wins, 67 losses which gave me a 61% win rate. 10.7/game 5.1/game 7.1/game 127/game were my per game averages in Season 3, 13.5/game 6/game 8.2/game 137.1/game are my current per game averages in Season 4.

At this point in time, I've really just become bored with the champion because with this build, it's very difficult to lose lane and not carry. The only times I play Talon is if a friend needs to win a series and they want me to duo with them, or if I want to tryhard. Going into every game you can expect to win because of how fool-proof this build is and the ability to always pick up kills and roam.

Things I like to do when I'm tired of winning with Talon: Play Diana, LeBlanc, Akali, Zed, Syndra in Mid. Play Split-Push Tryndamere in Top. Jungle with Udyr, Nocturne and Evelynn.

ALL CRITICISM IS WELCOME

Talon is a high burst AD Caster with high mobility. If you are looking for a champion that will help carry your team this is the champion to do it. I play Talon much different than most other people, I just stack pure Arm. Pen on him and expect that to do the trick, and it does. The way I play Talon is very aggressive in the early game, because it'll help force the other laner out of lane which will allow you to safely farm and help you build a Brutalizer, which will most likely determine the rest of your game. Yes, the rest of your game. The way this build works is that if you don't get fed early on, you will not be able to see the full potential of the build. This build is HIGH RISK HIGH REWARD, so if you're not a fan of either of those, and enjoy playing Tanky Talon with Warmogs, Randuin's Omen, Spirit Visage, and whatever tanky items you like, back away now!

This build is dependent on snowballing, so the earlier you get your first brutalizer, the faster you get your core items.

What is Talon?

Talon as said before is an midlane AD Caster. His main goal as a champion is to get rid of the other carrys, such as the AP Carry and the ADC.

Pros to Talon:

-Long Stealth
-High Mobility
-High Burst
-High Reward if played right
-Can carry a whole team of feeders
-Can lower 200 armor to 39 with this build
-Snowballs Easily
-Many escape tools
-Silence and slow
-Gap Closer and Speed Up
-Pure AD

Cons to Talon:

Relatively Squishy early on
-Gets focused and CC'd down if isn't played correctly
-Only AD - Countered by Armor (Even though this build can reduce 200 armor to 39)
-If stunned, useless
-If they have tanks, you serve little to no purpose
-Needs to dive in to a whole team to be successful (most of the time)
-Susceptible to AOE while invisible

The reasoning behind these runes, is that it may not give you the extra AD that you want to last hit better in lane, but early on through the first early levels, you will deal true damage to the majority of mid laners. The only way to avoid this as an APC, is to buy Cloth Armor 5 pots, which forces them to itemize for you. The only really viable thing you can turn Cloth Armor into is Seeker's Armguard, which turns into Zhonyas.

In the end game this 19 Arm. Pen. helps reduce 200 Armor to 39.

The way Armor Pen. works, explained by Riot is that you apply the unique percentage first, which would be the Black Cleaver which reduced 25% or a quarter of their armor. If they start at 200 - a quarter(50) you're down to = 150. After the unique percentage you deduct the base percentage. In this case base percentage = 41% from the Last Whisper and the Masteries. 150 - 41%(62) = 88. Next you deduct the base flat armor pen, in this case that's the 49 you get from Runes(19), Ghostblade(20), and Black Cleaver(10). 88 - 49 = 39 remaining Armor.

From 200 Armor, this build will leave them with 39 Armor.

The Masteries are pretty simple, although you are able to change around the 9 points in utility any way you want. Some people prefer to go down the path to get the biscuits instead of health potions, this is viable although you won't get the extra cooldown for summoner spells.

For Summoner Spells, I go with Flash and Ignite. This is pretty standard for most assasins because the flash can help you gap close or get away from an enemy, and the Ignite gives the ability to add extra damage over time which could be the difference between a kill or them getting away.

Alternatives:

Exhaust: I've seen this on very few occasions but it is possible to be taken instead of flash. The few good things about exhaust is that if you're going to tower dive someone, you want their damage output to be as low as possible to increase the chance of you making it out alive. Exhaust also helps keep them in place by reducing their movement speed by 30%. The downsides to having exhaust is that it really isn't useful in a clean escape, it requires you to get into spell distance to slow, and if you get that close you might as well Rake them. The other thing it prevents is being able to Flash>E>Combo, without being able to do that combo, you lose a lot of kill potential, and the enemy is able to play more risky knowing that you don't have a second gap closer.

Ghost and Teleport: Mostly the only time I use Ghost and Teleport are when I'm splitpushing, and that isn't the way to use this build. Ghost individually could help in escapes while you are stealthed with your ultimate, and it can also help close the gap between you and someone running away. Teleport isn't an awful idea just for the fact that you're able to get to lane faster and also Teleport either top or bot lane to help get a kill or an assist.

The Skill Sequence is rather simple, you just want to max your (W)Rake for poke. Early on in the game you start off with your (W)Rake, to assist you with farming and to poke the enemy laner. The next thing you could get if the champion is someone who requires auto attacks to damage the minions is your (Q)Noxian Diplomacy. This will help you with exchanges where the enemy gets too close and you're able to put a lot of damage onto them remember to Auto Attack - Q - Auto Attack!. The alternative is to go with your (E)Cutthroat. This is if you know the jungler is going to try to shut you down early, so you need a way to escape. The best way to escape a jungler ganking your lane with your (E)Cutthroat is to bait them to one side of the lane, enter the brush, wait for them to use abilities, then (E)Cutthroat back to them and go safely to your turret. The second best way to avoid a jungler is to trinket over to your wraiths if they're up and you have a trinket and just cutthroat to them. This is only if you're going to get dived or are blocked off in the direction closest to your turret.

I really explained all of the reasoning in the "+NOTES" section but incase you didn't read, here you go:

START:
The reasoning behind this start, is since you have 19 Armor Penetration in your runes, you're going to need some extra AD to actually make that go in effect. The extra 10 AD will also help with last hitting minions.

The reason to go with the two Health Potions, is to be able to have some in lane sustain. The Mana Potions help with being able to E-Q-W the enemy laner a few times, and in some situations if you're level 6, it'll give you enough mana to get a kill.

First Back (No Kill)
This is if you're struggling farming in lane, and you're getting forced out of lane easily. The extra long sword will help with last hitting, and adding that extra bit of poke onto the enemy laner.

First Back (Kill/Assist/Farm)
If you're doing very well in lane, have a good amount of farm, a kill/assist or two, this is the best thing to get. If you can get an early brutalizer, it really helps with your burst. With a brutalizer + the Arm. Pen Runes, you'll have 29|6% Arm. Pen. This is enough to do true damage to the majority of laners early on if they don't build Cloth Armor. If you do have enough money, add on a few potions and boots. The boots will help if you're looking to roam bot lane with or without your jungler. Roaming is a KEY PART of Talon(in some games, it's the only way to get gold). Roaming is the difference between a good Talon, and an incredible Talon.


Early-Middle Game
At this point in the game, their are two paths:

Success!: This is if you completely stomped your lane, you have decent CS, about 4-0, and really have just gone to town on your laner. At this point in the game you're basically just going to roam primarily to the bot lane. The reason I almost always stick on the bot lane because nowadays, the top laner is usually a tanky bruiser with CC, someone incapable of being Insta-Killed.

Defeated!: This is if your jungler hasn't ganked, have bad CS, little to no gold. At this point in the game, it's still early on so you still have a long way to go before your completely call yourself useless(Wait until 30 minutes). Something my friend Insoy (Challenger Talon Player) told me is that if things aren't going your way you always just want to CS and splitpush, or hang with your team. Splitpushing will give you the gold that you need to help snowball into mid-late game, and it'll help distract one member of the other team. If no one comes for you you just take towers. Sticking with your teamates will also help with gold, even though you may not be able to pick up CS, you can help take objectives together, and if their's a teamfight, you won't be left out and excluded from the gold from kills/assists.

AT THIS POINT: You want the Avarice Blade, because it turns into Youmuu's Ghostblade, which has 20 Armor Pen, which will significantly help you take down tankier people.


Middle Game
No matter what path you went previously, This is what you should spend your gold on. This is one of your strongest points, if you can get this early on in the game. The Ghostblade + Brutalizer + Runes will give you 49 Base Armor Pen. This is the highest your BASE Armor Pen. will ever get, your percentage will get higher with Last Whisper later on.

BOOTS: I always love going with Boots of Mobility, Their are some games I get the Homeguard attatchment 12 minutes in. The reason I go with Boots of Mobility is because personally I hate being slow in this game, that's also why I rush Homeguards. I never change my boots, even if they have a lot of CC and I need tenacity, being able to roam with the added 105 Movement Speed is incredible, and will help pick up kills, assists, and farm from lanes far away.

Middle-Late Game
At this point in the game you should have Ghostblade, and Black Cleaver. These two items will shred anyones armor. The next item is the Last Whisper, which helps negate 35% of the opponents armour, so on top of your Runes, you'll have 49|41% Armor Pen + 25% from Black Cleaver. The way Armor Pen. works from how Riot says is that the primary percentage in this case Black Cleaver will take down 25% of their armor. EXAMPLE: 200 Armor - 25% = 150 Remaining Armor. 150 - 41%(62) = 88 Remaining Armor. 88 - 49 = 39. So with this build, you can take down a Macho-Man Tank with 200 Armor to essentially 39, pretty OP right?


Late Game
Right after your Last Whisper, the Bloodthirster helps with sustain between fights, and if fully charged adds 100 AD. This isn't necessary, could be swapped out for a Infinity Edge, but it's nice to have sustain.

End Game
This is your end game build. If you pop your GA, you can either go for an extra Bloothirster, adding to the sustain and having an extra 100 AD, or an Infinity Edge which will add 75 AD and 25% Crit ontop of the 15% from Ghostblade. If you hit your (Q)Noxian Diplomacy and a Crit, you could produce some very high damage and possibly one hit squishier champions later on.

With this build, basically whenever you see a chance to make a good trade, you want to go for it. The combo for Talon goes like E>AutoAttack>Q>AutoAttack>W>R.

Really the whole concept of this build is to use the ability to roam to your power, and basically be involved in as many kills as you can.

-You can flash and ghost while stealthed
-If you FLASH-E-COMBO, make sure you are still walking while you flash, or else you'll stand still
-Do not double tap R too fast, or else the second proc of your ult won't show/do damage
-More to come!(Can't tell all my secrets)

Comment Tips that should be included!

The really difficult matchups for me with this build/playstyle are Morde, Lee Sin, Some Yasuo builds and Diana.

To play against Morde, you basically are going to need to get camped by your jungler, unless the Morde doesn't know how to take advantage of his shield and poke. The way to play around him is to just let it get pushed up to your tower and just last hit and Rake under the tower. Mid game you should just splitpush and try to get him out of your way and try to take money from other squishy champions.

To play against Lee Sin, you really just have to sit back and farm because once he goes in on you, you don't have too much of an escape because his Q and E both grant vision of you while you're invisible. The best time to go in on him is when you know that his Q and R are not up. His Q and R give him a lot of potential to stick on you and to peel you away. The worst thing you can do on the Lee Sin is if you go in on him close to his tower. He'll W to his minion between your tower and you, then kick you into his tower. The best way to go around this is if he ults you into turret range, E to a minion far away from their turret, then W to slow and Ult to get away. If the Lee Sin is tanky, you really won't be able to snowball from in lane so you'll have to roam with or without your jungler to preferably bot lane. If he's squishy you should be able to kill him as long as he has no Ult or Q up at that time.

To play against Yasuo, I play against Yasuo the exact same way as I play against Lee Sin, because if you get too close and they can hit a skillshot, you're practically screwed over. One thing you can't do is dive a Yasuo while they have their enhanced Q, because if you're knocked up in tower range and they press their ultimate, you can kiss your life goodbye. The best time to go in on a Yasuo is when their wind wall is down because they can negate a very good amount of damage from your W and one proc of your ult.

To play against Diana, I truthfully don't find playing against Diana too difficult, it's just she has a lot of ways to stick on you and block your poke damage. To play against Diana you really want to try and farm well because most will rush a Seeker's Armguard so you need to get early armor penetration to help take off some of the armor they have. If they have a glass cannon Diana, you want to be the first one to go in because if they have no tankyness, you can practically blow them up before they get the chance to go in on you. If the Diana is tanky with a Rod of Ages, Rylais, Zhonyas, etc. you'll want to go and roam different lanes or get help from your jungler.

Comment suggestions for how to play against certain champions!

If anyone made it this far I would just like to thank you for reading this guide, and all suggestions, tips, and other things are encouraged.

All in all, Talon is a really fun champion, and if you want the most kills, least deaths, and highest rank, In my opinion this is the best build to do it.

I know I should really add the pictures with data the BBCODE stuff, I just really wanted to get this guide out.

Feel free to add me in-game with any questions: Zoltux, Talon Only

Insoy: Someone who I learned the very specifics of Talon from, even though I completely disagree with Tiamat on Talon, he's the best Talon I've ever seen.

ThaBlackGl0ve: Was the one who pushed me over the edge and if I didn't have a conversation with him, this guide wouldn't have been made

Everyone else: This is a way to tell everyone how I play Talon and thank you for asking me countless times how I do "so well".

Thank you for reading this guide!

Feel free to add me in-game with any questions: Zoltux, Talon Only