Tahm Kench Build Guide by Noah211Gaming

Introduction

This is my guide for the tanky champion Tahm Kench. My name is Noah, this is my first season playing League of Legends so I'm a relatively new player but I want to keep getting better and improve others as well. I prefer to play Tahm Kench jungle rather than support but he can go either way. I am still working on this guide so if you have any questions, want to leave feedback, or have advice please leave a comment. Thank you for taking your time to read my guide and good luck on The Fields of Justice.

Contact Me

• Summoner Name: Noah211
• YouTube Channel: Noah211Gaming
• Twitter: Noah211Gaming
• Twitch: Noah211Gaming
• PSN ID: Noah211Gaming

Abilities

• An Acquired Taste - Acts like Braum's passive Concussive Blows except only Tahm Kench applies stacks not allies. Once you have applied 3 stacks to an enemy champion the fish icon next to them turns red. This means that you can now stun or swallow that target.
• Tongue Lash - Great for harassing, slowing enemies, and provides some extra damage towards monsters in the jungle. If you have applied 3 stacks of your passive An Acquired Taste on an enemy champion you can now stun them. You can even swallow minions from a distance using Tongue Lash combo'd with Devour.
• Devour - This is Tahm Kench's main ability. You can swallow up allies and run away so that they can escape. You can also swallow allies and charge towards enemies so that your teammate can get up close and personal. Or you can swallow an enemy champion once you have applied 3 stacks of your passive An Acquired Taste on them for some high damage and preventing their escape. You can even swallow minions and spit them back out for some harass and CS. You can even swallow minions from a distance using Tongue Lash combo'd with Devour. WARNING: If you use Devour to harass make sure you and your ADC play safe until it is off cooldown because you wont be able to rescue them or lock down an enemy target.
• Abyssal Voyage - Passively your basic attacks deal bonus magic damage. Active: This ultimate allows Tahm Kench and an ally to arrive at a team-fight quickly. You could also gank someone from behind with an ally instantly putting them at a disadvantage. THIS ABILITY DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO TELEPORT ANYWHERE ON THE MAP! The range is not very far until it is maxed out.

Summoner Spells

- Flash is necessary because it allows you to engage and escape. Even with an ally.

- A must have if you are jungling.

- Take this if you are playing support as it allows your team to secure a kill or slow down a pursuer.

- Take only if you are playing top.

Items

Armor

Magic Resist

Health

Ability Power

Jungle Runes

- Attack Speed Marks to apply your passive An Acquired Taste faster.

- Armor Seals for less damage from monsters while jungling and Tankiness in general.

- Scaling Magic Resist Glyphs for less damage from Ability Power Carries late game.

- Movement Speed Quintessences since Tahm Kench is a fairly slow champion.

Jungle Masteries

Masteries

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3/5

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OFFENSE TREE 4 Points into Fury to increase our attack speed to apply our passive An Acquired Taste faster. Also since were Jungling we take Butcher to do more damage to monsters and minions. 3 Points into Mental Force to increase our ability power. We take Arcane Mastery to increase our ability power.

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DEFENSE TREE 2 Points into Swiftness so that you can engage and retreat more efficiently. 2 Points into Tough Skin to take less damage from monsters. This improves our sustain in the jungle. 3 Points into Veteran Scars to increase our health. We take Bladed Armor to cause monsters bleed which allows us to kill them faster. We take Juggernaut to increase our health. 3 Points into Hardiness to increase our armor. This is to take less damage from monsters and attack damage in general. 3 Points into Resistance to increase our magic resist. This is to help us late game against enemy APC'S. 3 Points into Perseverance to increase our health regen. We take Second Wind to increase our health regen when we have low health. We take Legendary Guardian to increase our armor and magic resist in teamfights.

Jungling

I prefer to get Devour at Level 1 and start at Gromp . Once he spawns swallow him and spit him right back out for some quick damage. Basic attack him until your allies stop leashing. Then smite him and move on to blue buff. Get your tongue lash at level 2 for some extra damage to blue. Devour one of his sentries and spit him right back out. Finish him and his buddy off and keep attacking blue with basic attacks and tongue lash. Remember you cant swallow the Blue Sentinel . Now move onto the wolves, swallow the Giant Wolf and throw him at his pack. Smite him and keep tongue lashing, devouring and basic attacking the wolves till their all dead. Now you can go to base, get your Stalker's Blade and some health pots if you can afford them. Now you can keep farming your jungle or gank whichever lane needs it the most. From here on out do what you would do as any other jungler.

Support Runes

- Attack Speed Marks to apply your passive An Acquired Taste faster.

- Armor Seals for less damage from monsters while jungling and Tankiness in general.

- Magic Resist Glyphs for less damage from Ability Power.

- Movement Speed Quintessences since Tahm Kench is a fairly slow champion.

Support Masteries

• 4 Points into Fury to increase our attack speed to apply our passive An Acquired Taste faster.

• 2 Points into Block to help negate harass.
• 2 points into Recovery to help negate harass.
• 2 Points into Swiftness so that you can engage and retreat more efficiently.
• We take Unyielding to take less damage from enemy champions.
• 3 Points into Veteran Scars to increase our health.
• We take Tenacious to reduce the duration enemy crowd control lasts.
• We take Juggernaut to increase our health.

• We take Phasewalker to return to base faster.
• 3 Points into Fleet of Foot to increase our movement speed]]
• 3 Points into Summoner's Insight to reduce the cooldown of summoner spells.
• We take alchemist to increase the duration of potions and elixirs.
• 3 Points into Greed to passively gain gold.
• We take Culinary Master to instantly restore a small amount of health and mana.
• We take Scavenger to passively gain gold.
• We take Wealth for more starting gold.

Supporting

When I am supporting I prefer to get my Tongue Lash at level 1. This early in the game it is mainly to harass. At level 2 I get my Devour and now u can play more offensively now that you can swallow enemies dealing massive damage and preventing their escape. Also if your ADC overextends, you guys get ganked, or the fight just goes bad, you can swallow your carry up and run back to your turret. You can now also harass even more with Devour because you can swallow up minions and spit them at enemy champions. You can even use Tongue Lash combo'd with Devour to pick up minions from a distance. WARNING: If you use Devour to harass make sure you and your ADC play safe until it is off cooldown because you wont be able to rescue them or lock down an enemy target. Get Thick Skin at level 3, this helps you negate harass, take more damage in fights, and makes turret diving a lot less risky. At this point you should have a general understanding of how to play Tahm Kench bot lane support.

Top Runes

- Attack Speed Marks to apply your passive An Acquired Taste faster.

- Scaling Armor Seals for taking less damage late game.

- Scaling Magic Resist Glyphs for less damage from Ability Power Carries late game.

- Movement Speed Quintessences since Tahm Kench is a fairly slow champion.

Top Masteries

• 4 Points into Fury to increase our attack speed to apply our passive An Acquired Taste faster.
• We take Expose Weakness to increase our allies damage to an enemy we have damaged with a spell.
• 3 Points into Mental Force to increase our ability power.
• We take Arcane Mastery to increase our ability power.

• 2 Points into Block to help negate harass.
• 2 Points into Swiftness so that you can engage and retreat more efficiently.
• We take Unyielding to reduce damage that enemy champions inflict upon us.
• 3 Points into Veteran Scars to increase our health.
• We take Tenacious to reduce the duration of enemy crowd control.
• We take Juggernaut to increase our health.
• 3 Points into Hardiness to increase our armor. This is to take less damage from monsters and attack damage in general.
• 3 Points into Resistance to increase our magic resist. This is to help us late game against enemy APC'S.
• 3 Points into Perseverance to increase our health regen.
• We take Second Wind to increase our health regen when we have low health.
• We take Legendary Guardian to increase our armor and magic resist in teamfights.

Tips & Tricks

• If an enemy Karthus uses his ultimate, swallow an ally because he will take no damage.
• If an ally is ignited swallowing them won't save them. However the Face of the Mountain will.
• You can swallow minions and monsters from a distance ff you press Q and then W before your tongue gets to its target.
• Swallowing an ally after a Thresh chain or a Blitzcrank pull may save their lives.

Tahm Kench Lore

Into a sunken town, the Handsome Gambler ran, for he owed gold and blood, and yet had none to spare. Desperate and forlorn, he was about to change his path and walk away, when he heard a song that called on him, to chance his luck again.

Now the singer was a creature, with the biggest mouth the Gambler had ever seen. "Excuse my song," the monstrous siren said. "The tune's purpose was your attention. For I knew you had troubles and I can offer absolutions."

"Can you carry me from this bind?" the youth asked.

"Boy, the world's one river, and I'm its king. Ain't no place I ain't been. Ain't no place I can't go again... And the price is a minuscule thing. See, I got hungers that ain't easily fed. But those finest tables? They ain't never got a seat for me. So I need men, like yourself, and let me in."

Now the Gambler's only hunger was dice and cards. So this bargain? It seemed too easy a price. "If you're offering a ticket," the youth finally said, "that's a deal I will take." And before another word was spoke, the monster snapped him up and fled.

To a faraway land the Gambler was conveyed. At a palace of chance, he was left.

Years passed. And love the Gambler found. His bride? a princess. And the wedding? None would miss.

Now when that hungry beast finally did arise: the family screamed and fought. And although the Gambler tried to cast him out... it ate the gifts, and house, and gold! For its hunger? Nothing satisfied.

"Please, not now, not this time!" the bride did cry.

The beast's response? To her it purred, "This hunger's a burden, but it's the last time, I swear. So please, forgive."

Now the creature's lies, so melodic and sincere, charmed that bride. And thus she failed to recognize when that demon's jaw unhinged. She screamed, just once. As I snapped her bones and crushed her limbs! Now that meal? It left me satisfied.

So cry if you want, boy, 'cause you had a chance to walk away. Instead you're the fool, the fool who let me in.