She has a lot of disruption and is a slippery support with a lot of crowd control. She can destroy your shields and can make it hard for you to stick to the enemy carry
Blitzcrank
If your ADC is good at dodging this isn't as bad. But you should be careful not to tank too many hooks, especially after level 6. He has a lot of disruption and completely removes the shields from Thick Skin and Devour with his ultimate.
Tristana
Take Exhaust and save it for when she jumps in. She won't be able to kill you early if you play it smart. If it gets to late game and she's fed it'll be impossible to stop her.
Soraka
Kind of annoying. She can never kill you, just prevent you from wearing down the enemy ADC. If she's not bad, her Starfall will always hit you, and she can silence your W channel. Not as bad as she used to be.
Alistar
He's good at peeling, but you can poke him down gradually, even through his passive. His engages are always shut down because of Devour, as long as you space properly and don't get knocked up alongside his intended target.
Amumu
If your ADC doesn't eat a million stuns (and doesn't force you to do it for them), this lane is fine. His engage is shut down through Devour. Rush Mercs in this matchup.
Aphelios
A good Aphelios can mop the floor with you. Be aware of what guns he has equipped, if he plays around his turret it's hard to land Q.
Bard
Depends on who your ADC/enemy ADC is. If your ADC loses vs the enemy, just play passively as the double stun can continuously get you both killed. You can poke him down, but he is the king of roam and will most likely be away from lane.
Braum
He is good at disruption, and it all comes down to the 2v2 matchup. You can poke him down, but if he's good he will look for frequent all-ins if they have the advantage. Mercs help, but only if you find yourself being focused first.
Annie
Uncommon support pick, but her burst is countered by Guardian + Devour. Rush Mercs.
Ashe
Ashe is an easy matchup, her Volley is on a long cooldown and she's immobile. Once you hit a Q, dive onto her. Depending on enemy comp, Swifties are preferred, but Mercs are good too. Rush boots in this matchup if you're struggling.
Brand
Immobile mages are your favourite matchups. He can't do anything early, look for Q's and all in him once he gets hit.
Caitlyn
Can be annoying, but just look for Q's and use brush to dive onto her. Her E won't cast in time if she doesn't see it coming but by then it will be too late.
Draven
If he's smart, he'll save his E for your Dive animation. His movement is predictable, and you can poke him down early. This lane becomes harder if a champ like Nautilus is his support. I would take Exhaust here if they have a strong all in.
Ezreal
Built-in flash, annoying for a lot of supports. Depending on his reaction time, this lane you have to go even. He pretty much decides how the lane will play out.
Heimerdinger
This dude really irks me. His turrets don't die to one of your Tongue Lashes and they make it impossible for you to land it. You will be pushed in, and trying to dive on to him is a grey screen, since he will stun you. Minimize and hopefully your jungler will come help you. Thankfully, he's an uncommon support pick.
Janna
Not as bad as you might think. Her shield has a long cooldown early on and her tornado is weak if not charged up. You can get the jump on her by playing around brush and force her to ult for herself.
Jhin
He has range and his traps can be annoying, especially depending on his support. Mid to late game he will be too fast to lock down yourself, so look for any opportunities to kill him in his weak early game.
Jinx
She isn't really a problem, her weak early game speaks for itself if you manage to land an Abyssal Dive on her. If she starts snowballing and the enemy comp peels her well, that's your only downfall.
Kai'Sa
She's annoying, but can be dealt with. She's strong right now and is slippery, but you can lock her down through Hail of Blades early on. If you lose 2v2, take Guardian and just try to poke from safety. If you go even and don't let her snowball, you come out ahead.
Kalista
Uncommon pick, but still problematic. She's mobile and hard to land Q's on. I would take Hail of Blades here and look for all in's early.
Karma
Her poke can be annoying, but she's immobile. Once you land a Q, instantly cast your W for a knockup. Her speed boost won't get her away fast enough and she'll be forced to Flash.
Karthus
Uncommon pick in lower elo, but you will most often end up trading kills if you try to all-in Karthus. Best bet is to wait for the jungler, unless your laner is Draven or Tristana.
Kog'Maw
Anti-tank champ with mixed damage and range, your nightmare. Only upside is that he's immobile. Fish for Q's and all-in him once his W is on cooldown. Playing around his W cooldown window is how you win this lane.
Leona
Her stuns are low cooldown but her ult is basically non-existent thanks to Devour. Her ult comes up sooner than yours early, so you will need to play around cooldowns here. Otherwise, this matchup is fine. Rushing Mercs is a good idea.
Lucian
Most often he will use his dash offensively, which sets him up to be killed through Q into W. Only dive onto him if he doesn't have his dash up.
Lulu
Not a huge problem, her shield cooldown is long early on and it costs a lot of mana compared to Tongue Lash. You can wear her down gradually, then look for an all-in.
Lux
Control mage, yuck. If she hits her snares she can be a problem. Her E scouts bushes too, so it's hard for you to sneak a W. But once you get the jump on her, she's not a problem
Maokai
He has sustain and crowd control, just like you. But he can also scout bushes. Pre 6 he can lock down your ADC and you can't do much. You can wait for the jungler for help, but play passively until level 6, unless your ADC wins the matchup.
Milio
You will rarely ever use Devour on enemies, so his ultimate won't be very helpful in lane. He's immobile and his abilities are telegraphed. Wait until he throws his ball then all-in him.
Miss Fortune
I have seen good MF's, and bad ones. Her spacing wins her the lane, since you can't get rid of her Strut outside of Ignite. She's fast, which makes it hard to all-in. If your ADC knocks her strut off, then you can look for a play.
Morgana
Morgana isn't a hard champion. Spell shield negates your knockup and slows, so you have to play this lane smart. Thankfully, she only looks for picks, and if you stand behind minions, you're fine. If she tries to all-in (and ults both of you), let your ADC tank the root and Devour them just before her ult stun goes off. Other than that, this lane will be a skill matchup. Rush Mercs.
Nami
If her spacing is good, she's hard to kill and she pokes you early. I rush Swifties if I can to lock her down and dodge her Q's, while reducing the effects of her E.
Nautilus
I only put Nautilus here in the case that his ally is Draven. That's a deadly combo that you MUST respect, where I take Exhaust. He also has huge setup for jungle ganks, and your peel won't be enough to get away. Other than that, his ult is negated through Devour.
Neeko
Not bad, just rush Mercs and watch for extra minions. Stand outside her ult when she casts it and Devour your ally if they get caught.
Nilah
Her dodge spell can be annoying, but just kite it out with Q and wait for it to end before all-inning her. Her passive means the enemy bot will be ahead in experience, just don't get baited by an unexpected level 6 level up.
Pantheon
Play very safe early on, his levels 1-5 are very strong. Once you hit 6 you can look to all in him and the ADC, since you'll have ability advantage. If he stuns you, kite back and let your laner hit him for free.
Pyke
Slippery, but your ult prevents him from cleaning your team in teamfights. Hard to poke him down because of his passive, but if he all ins you, you can most of the time trade kills, since he's so squishy.
Rakan
Not bad. Rush mercs to dodge his W. Try to get charmed first so when he runs at your carry you can Devour them.
Renata Glasc
In close fights this can be a bad matchup, her kit gives her carry a second chance. If she's missing everything, then you can tell if she's bad and look for an all-in without worry.
Samira
She needs to get into range to be effective, this is where I take Hail of Blades. Stack your passive then wait for her to ult to stun her out of it. Save your Devour for her engage on your teammate and you'll be fine.
Senna
One of your easiest matchups, if she gets hit by Q she can't escape. Dive onto her as much as you can. This lane is unplayable for her, she attacks too slow and you're too tanky.
Seraphine
Can get annoying if she spaces well, but I've only ever faced one that's given me problems. Depends on her ally and if she can root you from afar.
Taric
He excels in extended fights and his ultimate is one of the best in the game. Do not be fooled by his damage and ability to heal, he will win long trades.
Thresh
Poke him down and disengage with Devour if he all-ins. The only thing that is in his favour is that he can disengage thanks to his lantern and save his teammates if you engage.
Sett
Haven't faced this matchup much, just throw out Q's onto the enemy ADC and look to all-in them.
Shaco
Just don't run into boxes and this is fine, he's just annoying to lane against.
Sivir
She can push you in, but I've only ever struggled against her when has Yuumi. Make her waste Spell Shield then go all-in.
Sona
Not a problem, she is immobile and easily dive-able. Land Q's and look for all-in's whenever possible.
Swain
Punish him before level 6 because he excels at long fights in his ultimate. He is immobile and will be easily killable thanks to your slows.
Twitch
Depends on his support. He's immobile and weak early, but his support can set him up to be a nightmare. If you're against Twitch supp just dive him over and over.
Varus
He outranges you past mid game and can be a bully based on the 2v2 matchup. If your ADC is aggressive then look for all-ins.
Vayne
Only the most skilled Vaynes are a nightmare to deal with. % max health true damage on top of dashes and invisibility make her the Queen of tank shredding. Thankfully, her short range and weak early game make her manageable. Look for Q poke and all-in once her dash is on cooldown.
Veigar
If he traps you in his cage, just dive out of it. You can negate his burst through Devour, but if your ADC is bad this lane becomes hard.
Vel'Koz
He has very long range, if he spaces properly you can't touch him. Once he steps up though, look for an all-in opportunity.
Xayah
She is great at self-peeling, so killing her after level 6 will be a challenge. If you can get her to blow her ult early, she becomes easier to lock down. Take Hail of Blades if you need to lock her down with Devour, otherwise stick with Guardian.
Xerath
He is no match for Tahm's all-in. Just play around vision in brush and look for surprise engages with W when he least expects it. He can't do anything thanks to your sustain.
Yasuo
Uncommon pick in lower elo, but his dashes can be tricky to deal with if you're inexperienced. You can take Hail of Blades for an easier time, and Exhaust to shut him down completely if you're not confident.
Yuumi
After the nerfs she's not really a problem anymore. She is strong when paired with Sivir or Zeri, but even then, it's just another 300 gold waiting for your carry.
Zac
Don't stand on your carry and you're fine. Spread out so he can't knock bot of you up. If he hits his Q on one of you, be weary of his cooldowns and prepare for the all-in by preemptively Devouring your teammate. Other than that, it's not too bad.
Zeri
She's fast and hard to lock down, you have to get lucky with a Q to be able to stop her.
Ziggs
Don't see him much, but he has big range. He is immobile though, so just look for him to step out of line.
Zilean
His bombs don't hurt that much since he's supporting and his slows are nullified by rushing Swifties. He's easy to poke down with Q and force out of lane, and when he ults, time your W to hit the target after they res.
Zyra
Her plants make her hard to lock down and poke with Q. If you can time her cooldowns and plant placement, this matchup becomes more manageable. Rush Mercs or Swifties here.
Aphelios
Falls in the middle, if he's not first timing Aphelios, communicate and be aware of when he wants to go in, as it can boost his snowball potential.
Ashe
Not my favourite, her DPS is lackluster when you try to all in and peeling for Ashe isn't worth it. She's not in a good spot.
Caitlyn
She can trap under whoever you knock up for a guaranteed root. Kind of like Ashe, as she takes awhile to get rolling and isn't the greatest DPS at the moment.
Draven
One of the best lane partners, his damage is insane early and you can lock down the enemy laners for him to cash in on.
Ezreal
His range can help you poke down the enemies and he can follow up on your all-ins fairly nicely.
Jhin
He can follow up on your engage with his root and burst low health enemies. He can struggle in tougher matchups that makes laning unbearable.
Jinx
For what she lacks in mobility, she makes up for in damage. Thankfully, you're there. If she gets fed she is a strong hypercarry to peel for.
Kai'Sa
Kai'Sa has great follow up to your engage and can provide unexpected burst. She can self-peel.. coupled with Devour she is VERY hard for enemies to lock down.
Kalista
She can throw you into enemies and act as your saviour. She is a very strong partner in the right hands.
Karthus
Not one of the good partners to have, since he's looking to die to be effective in fights. You're better off playing an engage support.
Kog'Maw
He's an insane DPS machine that needs to stay alive, and can follow up on your slows and CC, especially if he takes Ghost.
Lucian
This is an okay partner, he can be a big lane bully, but a lot of Lucian's I've played with fall off after laning is over.
Miss Fortune
She is good at poking, but her follow-up isn't as strong as other carries. She isn't bad though, if you don't hard win you can at least keep prio for your jungler.
Nilah
She can dash in and provide support through her dodge spell. Her experience bonus is nice and she outputs good damage.
Samira
Her passive synergizes very well with your knock up. Most people don't know this, but you can Devour her while she is ulting and grant her free reign to clean enemies. Samira is one of my preferred lane mates.
Senna
Senna is a strong lane mate when she is the support. Senna and Tahm cover each other's weaknesses exceptionally well. The fasting Senna strategy is still great.
Seraphine
Great lane partner if your team needs some AP damage. Her slow becomes a root once you hit your Q, and she deals surprising damage.
Sivir
Not the greatest. She can't really follow up on your engage and she pretty much peels herself. Hard to make this combo work.
Tristana
Her all-ins with her jump really punish the enemy for making mistakes. She has incredible burst damage and can take advantage of your CC.
Twitch
He can scale if you peel him, though he can't do much with you early unless you get some jungle help.
Varus
He has good burst and sustained damage. Landing your Q's can allow him to hit his own max damage Q's. His ult is great for initiation or follow up, too.
Vayne
If you can slow/stun the enemies she is great at snowballing and following up on your trades. Just watch her carefully as her range is low and she may be in range to get picked off.
Veigar
Haven't played with him much, but he takes time to become a threat. There are better partners you could have.
Xayah
If your Xayah is good and can weave her damage in to your engage, she is a good partner. Often, you can burn more than one lock down spell thanks to her ultimate and Devour.
Yasuo
Most Yasuo bot lanes aren't very good, but if he is skilled your knock ups can guarantee kills. Completely dependent on his skill.
Zeri
She is fast and can kite around while you slow and deal damage to the target. Though she is currently weak as a champion, you can definitely snowball this lane to hard carry together.
Ziggs
Long range mage that will do nothing but throw spells from afar. You're better off leaving lane, because you will get poked constantly with no chance of killing the enemy bot lane without jungle help.
Synergies
IdealStrongOkLowNone
Aphelios
Falls in the middle, if he's not first timing Aphelios, communicate and be aware of when he wants to go in, as it can boost his snowball potential.
Ashe
Not my favourite, her DPS is lackluster when you try to all in and peeling for Ashe isn't worth it. She's not in a good spot.
Caitlyn
She can trap under whoever you knock up for a guaranteed root. Kind of like Ashe, as she takes awhile to get rolling and isn't the greatest DPS at the moment.
Draven
One of the best lane partners, his damage is insane early and you can lock down the enemy laners for him to cash in on.
Ezreal
His range can help you poke down the enemies and he can follow up on your all-ins fairly nicely.
Jhin
He can follow up on your engage with his root and burst low health enemies. He can struggle in tougher matchups that makes laning unbearable.
Jinx
For what she lacks in mobility, she makes up for in damage. Thankfully, you're there. If she gets fed she is a strong hypercarry to peel for.
Kai'Sa
Kai'Sa has great follow up to your engage and can provide unexpected burst. She can self-peel.. coupled with Devour she is VERY hard for enemies to lock down.
Kalista
She can throw you into enemies and act as your saviour. She is a very strong partner in the right hands.
Karthus
Not one of the good partners to have, since he's looking to die to be effective in fights. You're better off playing an engage support.
Kog'Maw
He's an insane DPS machine that needs to stay alive, and can follow up on your slows and CC, especially if he takes Ghost.
Lucian
This is an okay partner, he can be a big lane bully, but a lot of Lucian's I've played with fall off after laning is over.
Miss Fortune
She is good at poking, but her follow-up isn't as strong as other carries. She isn't bad though, if you don't hard win you can at least keep prio for your jungler.
Nilah
She can dash in and provide support through her dodge spell. Her experience bonus is nice and she outputs good damage.
Samira
Her passive synergizes very well with your knock up. Most people don't know this, but you can Devour her while she is ulting and grant her free reign to clean enemies. Samira is one of my preferred lane mates.
Senna
Senna is a strong lane mate when she is the support. Senna and Tahm cover each other's weaknesses exceptionally well. The fasting Senna strategy is still great.
Seraphine
Great lane partner if your team needs some AP damage. Her slow becomes a root once you hit your Q, and she deals surprising damage.
Sivir
Not the greatest. She can't really follow up on your engage and she pretty much peels herself. Hard to make this combo work.
Tristana
Her all-ins with her jump really punish the enemy for making mistakes. She has incredible burst damage and can take advantage of your CC.
Twitch
He can scale if you peel him, though he can't do much with you early unless you get some jungle help.
Varus
He has good burst and sustained damage. Landing your Q's can allow him to hit his own max damage Q's. His ult is great for initiation or follow up, too.
Vayne
If you can slow/stun the enemies she is great at snowballing and following up on your trades. Just watch her carefully as her range is low and she may be in range to get picked off.
Veigar
Haven't played with him much, but he takes time to become a threat. There are better partners you could have.
Xayah
If your Xayah is good and can weave her damage in to your engage, she is a good partner. Often, you can burn more than one lock down spell thanks to her ultimate and Devour.
Yasuo
Most Yasuo bot lanes aren't very good, but if he is skilled your knock ups can guarantee kills. Completely dependent on his skill.
Zeri
She is fast and can kite around while you slow and deal damage to the target. Though she is currently weak as a champion, you can definitely snowball this lane to hard carry together.
Ziggs
Long range mage that will do nothing but throw spells from afar. You're better off leaving lane, because you will get poked constantly with no chance of killing the enemy bot lane without jungle help.
Hi there! My name is IXShadow, I've recently reached low Master but have been climbing in the jungle role. I am a jungle/support main though, and my pocket pick has always been TK. I have reached rank 4 NA on TK support and would like to think I know what I'm doing.
I have been a jungler since season 10, but have been playing Tahm Kench since his release way back in 2015. I like support, as it requires good game knowledge and proper control of vision, two things I feel are the more important aspects of League.
I love everything about Tahm's lore and playstyle, acting as a warden for teammates and providing survability in a very fast-paced environment. I have played Tahm Kench top in seasons 11 and 12 with some success, but have really found his strengths in the bot lane to be exceptionally more beneficial to the team, especially after they gutted his solo power a while back.
This is my first guide and I will try to be as detailed as I can in every part of the game. This guide covers the support role only. For a more experienced take on top lane Kench, check out EUW Challenger player No Arm Whatley's spreadsheet guide here.
Why Tahm Kench?
PROS
Surprising damage
OP ultimate
Very sticky
Hard to kill
Excellent peel
Hard to dive
Strong objective fights
Forgiving for mistakes
CONS
Limited mobility
Easy to kite
Can be ignored in teamfights
Vulnerable to percentage-health damage
Can fall behind if bullied by range
Need perfect positioning
Mechanically simple but decision-heavy
Build Guide By iXShadow
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