DISCLAIMER: This is not meant to be about Vapora Dark in any way. Vapora's guides are awesome.
Hi, silvers. Are you silver? I'm gold. Hello, I'm Krast666, a EUNE gold Taliyah main. I was inspired to make a guide because someone in the post-game lobby told me to.

I love playing many champions, but Taliyah, Bard and Ivern are my favourites.
I used to main many champions, mostly unpopular ones, I guess that's just my style.
I've been playing since season 9, I started as a Yuumi main, but I got into ranked in about season 11, Where I peaked silver 1 with 99LP.
Honestly, I thought Taliyah would get a HUGE nerf when the rework came out, but she was actually awesome.
The recent nerfs don't seem to be doing anything. Not to me, at least.

Taliyah is a flexible champion. She can deal a lot of damage, she can be about everywhere on the map, and she can engage and peel. Taliyah is a very reliable jungle champion who is useful in every stage of the game. She may not be for everyone, but I love playing her and I suggest you pick her up, too.
Also, many people dislike playing jungle so you might not get autofilled at all.

-Spells-

Why Challenging Smite instead of Chilling Smite?
Challenging Smite Is better than Chilling Smite because it helps you deal more damage, especially to tankier foes. It also helps you kill skinnier foes easier. I don't find Chilling Smite useful, but if you like it more you can use it

-Runes-

Why Predator and not Dark Harvest?
Predator Helps you one-shot enemies with its bonus damage, even in the earlier stages of the game. Predator gives you movement speed as long as you are moving towards an enemy champion, it can be used for chasing enemies, getting to objectives faster, or gank a lane that isn't over-extended. Dark Harvest only gives you bonus damage in the late game, when you already hit like a truck. It doesn't give you speed or anything else.

Why Ingenious Hunter? It shortens the cooldown of many of your items, including trinkets, Luden's Tempest and Predator boots. Relentless Hunter and Ultimate Hunter aren't useful in combat, they are only good for mobility on Taliyah, and it's not even in-combat mobility, unlike Luden's Tempest and Cosmic Drive

Why Absolute Focus? It helps with your clear, your ganks and your late game. I don't think you should use something else.

-Items-

You need to rush Sorcerer's Shoes or Ionian Boots of Lucidity. You have Predator, use it as early as you can! If you die early, get Ionian Boots of Lucidity so you don't miss out on your damage.

Luden's Tempest is the best mythic choice here. It gives you the mana you need, the damage you need and, most importantly, the speed you need in combat. If they have 2-3 tanks, you can also settle for Liandry's Torment or if they run you down you can get Everfrost, but I don't find them so useful.

Horizon Focus is an awesome item. All of Taliyah's abilities proc it and it massively raises your damage potential. This is your biggest powerspike and it enables you to 1-shot most mages and marksmen, along with Predator and Luden's Tempest

The image above is very handy. I find red start better, though.


Abuse jungle patience meters. Don't stay in the jungle pit for the whole time, move towards your next goal while killing the camp, but don't reset it. I suggest using the practice tool before playing actual games, Taliyah's clear isn't easy.

Try grouping jungle monsters like wolves, raptors and krugs together so you can splash them with your Threaded Volley.

Watch out for invades, your clear isn't healthy and you may die. If you get invaded, ask for help and try to stall for time

Don't always use your Seismic Shove Unraveled Earth combo. use Unraveled Earth first to slow your enemies, then Seismic Shove This is particularly useful in the early game.

Remember, Taliyah deals A LOT of damage. Your enemies will underestimate you, especially in the earlier stages of the game.

When someone says "X Flash down" or pings Flash in chat, you can go and gank there. Taliyah is awesome when enemies don't have Flash or any other Blinks, they won't be able to escape you, especially now because her Unraveled Earth stuns now.

Taliyah is not a solo champion, don't go 1v5 and expect to do something

Use your Rock Surfing to place wards more efficiently, especially in the enemy jungle. Taliyah requires practice and time, so don't expect to be good in your first game.

Your worked ground Threaded Volley is extremely good as of patch 12.9. Use it!


Don't always ride Weaver's Wall, you can use it to zone opponents, scare them, and cancel their ultimates(like Jhin's Curtain Call). Your ultimate is more than a dash.


If you have any more questions, ask in the comments, please.

Destroying the nexus means winning the game, not destroying the enemy champions, so focus on pushing turrets instead of chasing kills.

You can sacrifice dragons for something more important, like a herald, but don't give the enemy drake soul because it's very useful. You can win games without soul, so focus on that.

If you get invaded and your buff gets stolen, go to the enemy buff and take all 3 camps there, because the enemy jungler will probably only take the buff.

Focus on not dying than dying and getting kills, especially if you have split pushers in the enemy team.

Mute the toxic players in your team, they haven't ever said anything useful.
Don't argue with your own team, try calming them down if anything. You're supposed to fight the enemies, not your allies, you may even get banned. Winning the game is more important than winning an argument.

I suggest not playing at night, because there are a lot of toxic people who can't sleep on a loss and who have no motivation.

If you have any more questions, ask in the comments, please.