Hello, my name is Blue Swimmer and I am a Taliyah main that can rock the world of my opponents! I started playing Taliyah soon after she came out and I have never put her down since due to how amazing she is as a champion. Many people may not think she is worth investing time into but I assure you that dedicating yourself to the earthbender and her weaving ways will pay off in the long run! From her powerful zoning to her roaming potential, Taliyah offers so much in-lane control as well as control of the map. If you like champions that can solo carry a game consistently, Taliyah is definitely one of the best once you master her (or become really good with her I should say). Without further ado, let us begin on what it takes to play Taliyah.

*Note: If you want to see a summary of everything I will explain, scroll down to "The Pattern in the Weave".

As a control mage, Taliyah's spells are focused around forcing her opponent or opponents into precarious positions they otherwise would not be in. There are three focus points that must be practiced and mastered as much as possible to play effectively with Taliyah:

*Note: Check "notes" next to "Ability Sequence" for sequence explanation.

1. Abilities/Combos
All of Taliyah's abilities are very flexible and can provide more uses than simply being used together.

A. Threaded Volley (Q) should be used to kite her opponent and poke them down as much as possible (it is her main damage source). The Worked Ground passive from casting can also be used to dodge skillshots or to place Taliyah in a more effective position due to its movement speed buff. Keep in mind that you can only cast one stone from your (Q) when standing on it so try to weave and bob on and off of it.

B. Unraveled Earth (E) is arguably one of the best zoning abilities in the game as it damages upon cast , damages after a delay, damages anyone who dashes through it, provides an aoe slow, and can be used with Seismic Shove (W) or any other champion's abilities that displace enemies to proc the earth and damage them.

C. Seismic Shove (W) is also a very underrated ability as it is a 360° displacement that can be used to "wombo combo" with other abilities as well as providing excellent disengage and engage potential (it is also aoe so multiple targets can be hit simultaneously).

D. Weaver's Wall (R) is a massive game changing ability that can make or break a game. Learning where and when to start the wall, whether to ride it or not, and what can be gained from using it comes with practice, however the most practical use for it is to trap your opponents and force them to use abilities or summoner spells to escape. The best way to use it though is to zone them from escaping when they have no options to get over the wall. Other ways are using the wall to simply close the gap between yourself and your opponents to get on top of them or near them to rock and roll your way into a teamfight or skirmish or to stop them from running your teammates down by placing the wall between your allies and the enemy team.


2. Zoning
I have played against a decent number of Taliyahs that do not understand how prevent me from accessing them. As I mentioned before, Seismic Shove (W) and Unraveled Earth (E) provide incredible zoning potential in lane or in a teamfight when utilized properly. High mobility champs can be stopped in their tracks in the presence of those abilities and low mobility champs are very susceptible to them as they have limited options to escape. Something to keep in mind is that zoning is not just about protecting yourself, it is also about suppressing your opponent through non-aggressive pressure. Just the fact you have your abilities at your disposal is often enough to suede your opponent into submission, denying them farm in the process.


3. Wave Control
Kills in lane are not everything, especially with Taliyah (most people are going to pick champs that counter you in an attempt to limit the reach of your influence over the game). Focus on controlling the wave in different ways that depend on the situation to gain "invisible" leads.

A. Assassins are hard to shove under tower as pushing up leaves you vulnerable: counter this by freezing the wave and denying cs closer to your tower until you are ready to roam.

B. Poke champions tend to have decent wave-clear but also can have mana issues if they spam. Force them to focus the wave with their abilities by shoving (pun intended) them under tower.

C. Control mages almost always can wave-clear forever. To negate this, call for ganks from your jungler to force them to cs slowly and/or under their turret to deny them cs and so you can roam.

Summoner Spells can have a heavy impact on the outcome of the game and this applies to any champion. In Taliyah's case, these will help determine the effectiveness of your abilities as well as your positioning in teamfights and in lane. Here is the breakdown of Summoner Spells for clarification:
*Note: Runes are explained in the "notes" section next to them.

1. Heal over Barrier
I personally think both spells can be effective, however I think Heal is a more flexible spell. Barrier only prevents damage when it is active, which may stop an assault but most likely will only prolong it. Heal on the other hand provides a boost of movement speed and can be used while taking damage or after depending on the situation. It also can be used to protect your teammates as the the healing can extend to one ally. The only drawback to taking heal over barrier is a longer cooldown but with cdr from your runes and items, the cooldown window is not much longer anyway.

2. Ignite
This spell has one use: kill pressure. Take this spell with precaution as you will have less defensive options in fights and it might put you in the hot seat to be focused down. However, in match-ups that are advantageous to you or the enemy has sustain options (such as Vladimir or Ahri), Ignite can secure a snowball lead and help you close out a game.

3. Ghost
Ghost is one of the best spells for Taliyah in terms of synergizing with her kit. Ghost can be used to escape when you are in a situation that has a high probability of resulting in your death or to engage when you are far from a teamfight as it provides a lot of movement speed. Ghost can also help secure kills as your opponents will have a harder time dodging your abilities and Ghost can neutralize zoning during a gank as you will be able to dodge skill-shots more effectively. Keep in mind that Ghost has to rev up over the course of two seconds so do not expect immediate use!

4. Cleanse
This spell is very situational and is often not what you want to take. However, in match-ups where avoiding cc can mean the difference between life and death, it can be a must-have. Against champions like Syndra or Twisted Fate, their hard cc is perfect for setting up ganks (and in Syndra's case, she has the potential to completely kill you by herself). It is important to note that this spell becomes less effective the more cc the enemy team has so most of the time it is more effective to build items such as Banshee's Veil or Zhonya's Hourglass over taking Cleanse. Use at your own discretion.

5. Teleport
Much like Cleanse, this spell is very situational and does not generally provide much use. Due to your passive Rock Surfing and your Weaver's Wall (R), you generally will have plenty of ganking potential inherently. Plus, Teleport has the longest cooldown (along with Flash) and does not provide any utility for you or your team at all. Typically, Teleport is better for low mobility midlaners who need more options to assist them at showing up for teamfights and objective control. Luckily, Taliyah is not one those champions thanks to her kit and with the correct runes (and items like Luden's Echo) Taliyah should have no issue moving between lanes and participating with the team.

I contemplated if this needed its own section but I think it definitely does. Although farming is part of wave control, knowing how to farm is key to controlling the lane denying your opponent experience and gold. Here, I will break down the ways to use each of her abilities to secure farm and how to use them together.

A. Threaded Volley (Q) and Worked Ground
As your number one poke option, be careful when casting this ability to wave clear. It creates Worked Ground and this will limit how many rocks you can weave while you stand on it (5 rocks -> 1 rock) (also, it costs a hefty amount of mana if you spam it so limit your usage). Usually, you want to use this ability on caster minions unless you can line up the entire wave to be hit at once. This will help you save mana by not having to use it as often.

B. Seismic Shove (W)and Unraveled Earth (E)
Seismic Shove (W) alone does not help you clear waves but when paired with Unraveled Earth (E), the minions (especially caster minions) will melt easily. Position your (E) over the entire wave or a portion of the wave while facing it. Then, cast (W) under the target minions (caster or melee) in the direction that provides the most damage (they fly over the most rocks). *Note: The direction of the shove is determined by re-casting your (W) towards your cursor. It will take time to develop the finesse for it.

C. Abilities and Passive
When used together, Taliyah's shoving (pun always intended) power is rarely matched. Although many different approaches can be taken to clear a wave, I will provide a standard step-by-step example that works well in general:

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Step 1: Face the minion wave and cast (E)
Step 2: Place (W) under the melee minions and shove them away from you towards the end of your (E). If it is a cannon wave, try to incorporate the cannon minion as well.
Step 3: In the midst of performing Step 2, press (Q) in the direction of the wave. Try to time it to when all of the minions are clumped together to gain maximum damage. *Note: You can move while casting all three of these abilities. Move while casting (Q) when necessary to continue to hit the minions.
Step 4: If necessary, recast (Q) on your Worked Ground (1 rock) towards leftover minions to finish them off without expending as much mana as you would on fresh ground. You may even have to resort to auto attacks to ensure you last hit them.

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*Overall Note: All of your abilities are aoe to some extent so clumping minions (or champions) can be invaluable targets!

Taliyah is one of the best champions at controlling the entire map at once. With her passive Rock Surfing and her Weaver's Wall (R), not many champions can match or even come close to her ganking potential. There are a couple things that must be considered to "play the map" and not just sit in lane:

1. Vision
This is an obvious one but the most critical to mention. Vision controls the effectiveness of your ganking and whether or not you can at all. Taliyah is a champion that can go even or even play from behind, but she is particularly potent when ahead. Roaming is how you will establish a lead with her for the most part and vision secures that route to success. Make sure to place wards and to buy Control Wards often to create a path you can take to gank. Clearing enemy vision is also very important so they do not see you coming from a mile away. You may have bonus movement speed and a long wall to your advantage but diving a turret to secure a kill is less effective than performing the gank in the middle of the lane or closer to your team's turrets.

2. Objective Control
I could have included this under "Abilities and Control" but I feel it fits better here because of the game-wide impact of objectives. When you combine Taliyah's roaming and zoning potential, it is easy to say she is unmatched. Weaver's Wall (R) is an ability that does not fit exactly "cookie cutter" into your kit but learning how to incorporate it and how to maximize its usage is key to heavily increasing the chances of securing towers, Dragons, Rift Herald, and Baron. Cutting off the enemy team while destroying a tower or sealing them in the Baron pit are two examples of the usefulness of the wall. It is hard to deal with terrain that can just pop up out of what seems like nowhere you know!

3. Ganking
With your Weaver's Wall (R) and Rock Surfing, Taliyah excels that crashing into other lanes and ruining their parties. Although you do not have to ride the wall, when you do ride it you can place yourself right on top of your opponents or right next to them. This will allow you to cast your abilities automatically and this will force your opponents into the range of your spells. Without any Summoner Spells (and/or if their abilities are on cooldown), the enemy champions will be exposed to all of your damage and your crowd control.

Taliyah has great synergy with a handful of items. These items not only provide her raw stats, they also buff her kit as well. I cover the specific effects that items have on Taliyah in the notes so I will not be redundant. Here I will list them by stats so you can see a compiled version of how she is affected by her items. It will go from a part of the item to the completed version. This list will also assist you in visualizing the growth of her stats:
*Note: Item explanations are listed in the "notes" next to each item.


1. Base Stats

A. Doran's Ring: 15 AP, 60 Health, 50% Mana Regeneration

B. Lost Chapter: 25 AP, 300 Mana -> Morellonomicon: 100 AP, 400 Mana, 20% CDR

C. Haunting Guise: 25 AP, 200 Health -> Liandry's Torment: 80 AP, 300 Health

D. Needlessly Large Rod: 60 AP -> Luden's Echo: 100 AP, 10% Movement Speed

E. Blasting Wand: 40 AP -> Rabadon's Deathcap: 120 AP

F. Fiendish Codex: 30 AP -> Banshee's Veil: 70 AP, 10% CDR, 60 MR

G. Seeker's Armguard: 20 AP, 30 Armor -> Zhonya's Hourglass: 70 AP, 45 Armor, 10% CDR

H. Amplifying Tome: 20 AP -> Rylai's Crystal Scepter: 75 AP, 300 Health

I: Blasting Wand: 40 AP -> Void Staff: 80 AP

J. Catalyst of Aeons: 225 Health, 300 Mana -> Rod of Ages: 60 AP, 300 Health, 300 Mana


2. Item Actives and Passives
*These are important effects to note when purchasing items so you can maximize item effectiveness*

A. Grievous Wounds
This effect reduces the healing of the target by 40% and for Morellonomicon, it only activates when they are at 35% health or below.

B. Magic Penetration
This effect allows more of your damage to pass through their resistances. Every champion has natural magic resist and some have more in their passives and item builds. Sorcerer's Shoes, Liandry's Torment, and Void Staff provide magic penetration.

C. Others
Rylai's Crystal Scepter provides a slow, Banshee's Veil provides a spell shield, Zhonya's Hourglass provides a stasis, Luden's Echo provides a charged "critical strike", Liandry's Torment provides a burn effect (% health damage) that is enhanced on movement impaired champions, Rabadon's Deathcap provides bonus percentage AP, and Rod of Ages restores mana upon taking damage as well as restoring health when spending mana.

The build listed at the top is a list of general items and runes I tend to take when rocking the Stoneweaver on Summoner's Rift. Although there are other items and runes that can function well with her situationally (as I mentioned before), this list compiles what generally allows Taliyah to have access to success. Taliyah is a high skill cap champion that has amazing outplay potential and always provides many things for her team. I now will review the three main focus points to prove why Taliyah is such a valuable champion to pick up and main:

1. The Control Roamer
One of the major jobs of a midlaner is to control their lane and the map in order to open up options for their team. This can be done by gaining leads over your enemy laner through roaming, one of Taliyah's greatest strengths. Due to her Rock Surfing passive and her Weaver's Wall (R) ultimate, Taliyah has unmatched out-of-combat mobility.

2. In-Lane Control
Due to her waveclear abilities, Taliyah can measure and control how much of the wave she wants to clear so as to gain leads over her opponent. Whether you need to push the wave to roam or to fall back to your turret to defend, Taliyah can do it fast or slow depending on the scenario. This allows her to indirectly force her opponent to behave mechanically (they basically have very limited, predictable options).

3. Earthbending Teamfighter
All of the Stoneweaver's abilities are aoe and as a result make her teamfighting fantastic. When her Threaded Volley (Q), Seismic Shove (W), and Unraveled Earth (E) are woven together, Taliyah can burst down and obliterate enemy team members, creating number advantages and eliminating the enemy team's pressure over her team and objectives. She also can set up teamfights by cutting off opponents with her Weaver's Wall (R) and leaving them vulnerable to dying without blowing Summoner Spells and cooldowns (if those are down already, they are roasted and toasted).

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There you have it! That is the entire "Taliyah, The Stoneweavers" Guide. As a Taliyah main and an aspiring pro player, I really enjoyed making this because I got to see how much I knew off the top of my head and how much I have learned about the game. I hope this guide helps you to understand Taliyah better than you did before or to even help solidify what you already know. If you have any questions, please leave comments and I will answer them the best I can (I am learning too after all!). As a midlaner, I will make more guides in the future that center around midlane champions so please keep a look out! See you on the Rift! :)