Ive been playing Talon since he came out and I do enjoy his playstyle. He isnt the usual AD carry.

He is the perfect assassin. If you touch him, his dead. If he touches you, youre dead. Im going to get right to the point because I'm going to assume you know how to last hit. You know why Talon is good, and why he's bad. You know what kind of damage he does(durr physical).

There isnt a specific set of runes you should be getting for Talon.

Sometimes it even depends on the enemies team composition. But Armor penetration runes are always great. They are the best rune for him. Dont bother with mana runes or AP runes or crit chance or flat AD. You arent a sustained fighter. You are the shadow. See that Caitlyn over there? Farming minions she is. Well in about 0.23 seconds, she will be dead. And she will never see it coming. That's the beauty of Talon.

Masteries, I usually go 21-6-3

Get the usual 21 in offence.
Dont get Burning Embers. But get 1 in Archmage's Savvy just because you have to.

Flash is obviously essential.
I like to get ignite to add to my combo and kill them if they are left on a small bit of health.

Your job is to get in, then get out.
Early Game: Level 1: Rake : Very useful for a number of reasons. Deals damage/soft CC/Low cooldown/low Mana cost. Your job is to farm or harass with this spell until you can burst them down, or until you can burst them down. Its great for clearing minion waves at about level 3 of Rake, where you can essentially 1 shot minions.

The great thing about this spell is that the hitbox it shows is actually slightly smaller than the actual range of Rake. So even if they are not in the range, you will still hit them for the damage. But it is optimal to have them inside the range so your Rake deals double damage.

I get Cutthroat at lvl 2 because its a great gap closer, and the silence is great.

Noxian Diplomacy at level 3 because this completes your early game combo. There's no reason getting rake lvl 2 unless you have been getting dominated in the lane and need the rake to last hit minions.

Now your combo at level 3 should be Cutthroat --> Rake --> Noxian Diplomacy
I prefer this way because when you rake and then attack, you are dealing an extra 10% more damage with your auto attack just before Noxian Diplomacy. Then after you pull it off, just walk away, unless they are a few more hits from death. Usually I can get any squishy down to half health with this combo. Then finish them off when cooldown resets. With ignite.

Mid Game: Now that you have your ultimate, you will do a ton of damage. Remember, Shadow Assault hits twice, so If you are 1v1ing a champion, dont be afraid to reattack straight away after using it, because then they will have almost no way to escape the second burst.

Once Again your job is to get into that Team fights, kill everyone, then get out.
CC is your biggest enemy, so always watch for the best moment to Cutthroat in. I recommend the moment after your Tank has Initiated or when you can see a squishy attacking from outside the teamfight.

Skill sequence is Cutthroat --> Rake --> Noxian Diplomacy(if youre safe) --> Shadow Assault for the escape, or for the finishing blow.

Usually at mid game, I am able to survive a bit of damage. So I usually target the middle of the teamfight to set off my ultimate, just so I can do the most damage possible and help my team win the fight. Killing the lone squishy is great, but it isnt as great as killing the 4 other players inside the teamfight. But it is a lot riskier.

Late Game: Everyone has defensive items, They know all your tricks. They always walk around together holding their hands.

Your job: Get in, kill them all, Then get out.

Late game is a lot riskier for Talon. One of the Reasons is that everyone usually has a travel buddy, and your burst isnt hitting as hard as before.

Expect to die often in this period of the game. Talon is great at Initiating fights with cutthroat and his Ultimate, just before the other team notices youre there. One thing you will be still great at is killing the squishies. Never try to stay inside the teamfight. Always try to run out and wait for your cooldowns. Auto attack damage is decent, but being such a glass cannon he is, 1 cc will mean youre pretty much finished.

I go for a Glass Cannon Build. I think this is the best way to maximise the utility of Talon, as he is great in dealing damage to single champion and to multiple champions.

First Items are Boots and 3 health potions.
Boots help you catch up after you raked them, and if they are 1 hit away from dying.
Also great for escape.
Next item is Brutalizer. Just an overall great item. Cooldown reduction, which Talon needs. Damage, which Talon needs, Armor Penetration, which Talon definitely needs.


Then I would think about upgrading boots. Boots of Swiftness are pretty great on him. Having Fast movement speed is really fun. But Mercury's Treads are also pretty great as CC is his biggest enemy. I NEVER Upgrade Brutalizer.


Next Item I get is Last Whisper. Because there's no such thing as Too much Armor Penetration.


Blood Thirster. Gives you 100AD. What more do you want?

Now after this, I would probably get Trinity Force. Its a Great item on him, it adds slight survivability, Damage, movement speed. If you are constantly being out damaged, Guardian Angel might be a decent choice, but I wouldnt recommend it. Youre an Assassin, not a sissy.

Then MOAR Bloodthirsters!

Talon's Great
Great Harass
Great Gap Closer
Great Damage
Great escape Mechanism

But he has some enemies which make crime fighting tough for him. Enemy assassins such as Kassadin or Akali are dangerous. Tanky Dps makes him cry deeply. And CC will make him wet his pants.

Remember, Get in, then Get out.

<--This Could be you