Kench is a great hero to learn top lane for due to his tank-like stats of base Health 600 – 2300,Armor 47 – 106.5 and Magic resist 32.1 – 53.35.
The thing is with kench is he does not have many counters against him and can bully most champions early game. This allows him to be a very easy champion to play and can help you climb the ranks of the low-end side.

A lot of players underestimate Kench in the early game and try to 1v1 him, which is great because it gives you the early kill due to his passive and Q early can stun the enemy leading to their death.

One thing with kench is that you are not unkillable... however you are able to make more mistakes with him early game compared to other champions due to his tank stats and his health regen build.

I recommend you try this build and have fun! please note this is only for low elo players so matchups can differ depending on the champion if the guy is mechanically smarter. So please do not hate if threats are not with the top ranks - should not be too different though.

An Acquired Taste

Tahm Kench's basic attacks deal 4% of Tahm Kench's maximum health as bonus magic damage and apply a stack of An Acquired Taste to enemy champions for 5 seconds (stacks 3 times).
Landing a Q on a 3 stack passive will stun the target
Landing a W on a 3 stack passive will Swallow the target

(For the swallow it is very useful if your enemy is low while on the run to his turret. You are able to put him behind you so you can land more hits as he still tries to run.)

Tongue lash (Q)

Kench briefly roots himself to launch his tongue at the direction you have chosen.
The Attack stops once it hits a target (INCLUDING MINIONS), dealing 80 / 130 / 180 / 230 / 280 (+70% of ability power) magic damage and slowing whatever he hits by 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70% for 3 seconds.

(Players can play safe against you by walking around their minions dodging your Q, the fun fact is you can Q then click W straight after to swallow the Q target minion)

Devour(W)

Kench swallows a nearby targeted unit, placing them in stasis for 4 seconds this can be an enemy minion, your ally, neutral monster or (enemy champion - when 3 stack is up). If Kench swallows an allied or enemy champion, he is grounded and slowed by 95% for the duration of 4s and 2s.

Kench gains the ability to recast Devour, spitting out the swallowed target damaging for 60 / 105 / 150 / 195 / 240 (+11% (+2% per 100 AP) of target's maximum health) magic damage which is good for farming.

You can also use the Devour to cancel certain champions abilities.

Thick Skin(E)

LOL, your extra health bar.
45 / 50 / 55 / 60 / 65% of damage Tahm Kench takes is turned into grey health. you click e that grey health turns into a shield for 2s. if he doesn't use the shield E the grey health falls off, healing him for 30-100% of the amount of grey health he has earned (depending on level)

Abyssal Voyage(R)

your free teleport.

Kench opens his mouth for 6s if you click R... during this, you can select a position on the map within his radius (depending on level). A player has the option to join you (most don't). You can select R again to TP to that location

Recommend avoiding the R level up at Lvl 6... it has been nerfed to hell making it useless and would recommend following the ability order to know when to level R.

Kench is a very slow champion meaning he can be easily ganked by jungle so placing wards in your river is vital when pushing the lane. I recommend buying Control wards after your second back to base, this improves your gameplay vision management which is important and can save your life as well as help your jungle make decisions....gaining the advantage over his enemy on the other side. only cost 75 Gold.

To play top you want to play closer to your bush side as this can be great for losing minion aggro quicker if a trade happens. Kench does have a ridiculous health regen but playing closer to bushes allows you to play safer against any champion but mostly range as they can not target you without placing a ward. A lot of Low Elo players make that mistake with Kench early game by thinking they can bully you early. Your Q is very powerful with your passive which will destroy every champion foolish enough to trade with you (Also do not always feel the need to hold your Q for your passive as the slow is equally powerful for gap closing.)
(note that most champions early game like Nasus you can walk up to and bully them off minions.... and some like Vayne you can not go near.)

This image shows where the typical spots for wards should be... Yellow dots are only for late game spots on either side or if the tower is destroyed. Your Jungler should honor you if you place wards constantly to help.

I want to mention one massive mistake players make when going top lane and a nice spot to catch out A topside jungle leash. A lot of Low elo players miss the opportunity for an early lead due to a leash top coming into lane last without punishment as seen here.


The Vayne has top side leashed and is making her way to the lane. The biggest mistake is she decides to go through the river instead of the side closer to her turret. Please remember as this can get you killed if the player is smart. You can also be smart. depending on which side you are against... Placing yourself in these areas(yellow dot) will grant you either a great trade for Kench or an early kill as a lot of low elo players do not expect this.

Kench is a pretty easy champion to use by learning the mechanics of top... you will climb easy.

-Tahm Kench is not the best at ganking.... till he gets Lvl 6... However, Tahm can surprise laners (top lane) with a Lvl 3 gank. recommend Red, Blue then wolves to start.

-Your best weapon is your Q during ganks if you hit the enemy a flash or a kill is a job well done. Tahm is much better during his Lvl 6 phase you are able to teleport on top of players and HOB rune will allow you to instantly stack your passive.

-Please take note he is not the ideal jungler.... and can easily fall behind.... he is very fun tho :) no one expects the Kench

-Also note he can 1v1 most champs in the jungle but disengage when need be, you can end up getting caught if you are too greedy.

-Avoid doing raptors till you get your first few ganks as you can a lot of damage from them. Invade if need be.

Overall Tahm is an ok but fun jungle. Worth your time.

Tahm kench changes in the future???


Kench is a simple hero that can offer you a fun experience especially since most do not know how to fight him. He does not have a good carry potential compared to other champs but this should not be a problem playing him. Kench can bully nearly all top early game making him a deadly pick in low elo. His mid is not as impactful so focus on farming to build your core items or try roaming with your R...

Kench with items can be situational depending on the team you face which makes it fun. His kit straight forward and does not take any skill to master... which is why I am writing it. Kench is a surprise for your enemy top laner which can grant you some easy kills taking the lead early if they are silly enough to 1v1.

Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy :)

kind regards
Ace

26th - added Jungle aspect updated to 10.13
10th - UPDATED FOR 10.12 - Runes added, Items, Summon spell, Threats updated, grammar fixes.
3rd - Updated Items and Runes
2nd - Updated Threats and Syn
30th - Added imagery and Tips on top
29th - Added Update on patch history
28th - Release...

V10.8
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: Ally clones will no longer take damage from it.
V10.5
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: Cooldown is no longer halved when an allied champion stays inside his mouth for the full duration and no longer applies An Acquired Taste An Acquired Taste damage twice.
V10.4 - February 21st Hotfix
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: Now properly spits out allies in front of him.
V10.4
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: Champions will no longer be in a T-pose for the remainder of the game if they get eaten by Devour.
V9.19
Thick Skin Thick Skin
Grey health healed changed to 30% − 100% (based on level) from 75% at all levels.
V9.18
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
BUG FIX: Allies on their way to enter Abyssal Voyage will no longer be stuck when Tahm Kench is hit by an enemy.
V9.17
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: When he dies while using Devour on another unit, that unit's health can now properly go below 1 health.
V9.16
Stats
Base movement speed reduced to 335 from 345.
Thick Skin Thick Skin
Shield duration reduced to 2 seconds from 3.
V9.14 - July 18th Hotfix
An Acquired Taste An Acquired Taste
Health ratio increased to 4% of his maximum health from 2.5%.
Tongue Lash Tongue Lash
Cooldown reduced to 5 seconds at all ranks from 8 / 7.5 / 7 / 6.5 / 6.
Slow increased to 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70% from 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50%.
V9.14
An Acquired Taste An Acquired Taste
REMOVED: Abilities no longer deal bonus magic damage based on passive stacks.
REMOVED: Abilities no longer apply An Acquired Taste stacks.
Health ratio changed to 2.5% of his maximum health at any stack from 1.5 / 3 / 4.5% (based on stacks).
Tongue Lash Tongue Lash
Cooldown increased to 8 / 7.5 / 7 / 6.5 / 6 seconds from 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4.
REMOVED: No longer hits enemies in an arc in front of him on cast.
NEW EFFECT: Now consumes all stacks of An Acquired Taste An Acquired Taste upon stunning an enemy.
Slow reduced to 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50% from 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70%.
Slow duration increased to 3 seconds from 2.
Stun duration increased to 2 seconds from 1.5.
Devour Devour
REMOVED: Enemies are no longer Nearsight icon nearsighted when devoured.
NEW EFFECT: Can now devour Blue SentinelSquare Blue Sentinel and Red BramblebackSquare Red Brambleback.
Regurgitate Regurgitate
Target's health ratio changed to 11% of target's maximum health at all ranks from 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13%.
Maximum monster damage changed to 500 at all ranks from 400 / 450 / 500 / 550 / 600.
REMOVED: Enemies are no longer stunned for 0.25 seconds after being devoured.
Thick Skin Thick Skin
Damage stored as grey health reduced to 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 / 65% from 80 / 85 / 90 / 95 / 100%.
Grey health healed increased to 75% at all ranks from 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40%.
Cooldown reduced to 3 seconds from 6.
NEW EFFECT: Cooldown now starts on shield destruction or expiration from on cast.
V9.12
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: Fixed a bug where casting Tongue Lash Tongue Lash during Devour against non-champions would have no mana cost.
NEW EFFECT: Allies can no longer release themselves from Devour early while affected by immobilizing crowd control.
Regurgitate Regurgitate
Champion regurgitate lockout time after animation reduced to 0.25 seconds from 1.
Allied champion regurgitate range reduced to 250 units from 400.
Regurgitate base damage reduced to 60 / 105 / 150 / 195 / 240 from 100 / 135 / 170 / 205 / 240.
Regurgitate health ratio increased to 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13% of target's maximum health from 5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13%.
V9.10
Regurgitate Regurgitate
BUG FIX: Tooltip now properly displays its AP ratio.
V9.9
Stats
Base health increased to 600 from 540.
Health growth reduced to 100 from 102.
Base movement speed increased to 345 from 335.
An Acquired Taste An Acquired Taste
Bonus magic damage changed to 1.5% of his maximum health at all levels from 1.25 / 1.5 / 1.75% (based on level).
Tongue Lash Tongue Lash
Slow duration increased to 2 seconds from 1.5.
Cooldown changed to 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 seconds from 5 at all ranks.
Missile range increased to 900 units from 800.
Slow strength increased to 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70% from 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70%.
Devour Devour
NEW EFFECT: Now Slow icon slows for 95% and Grounded icon grounds Tahm Kench if he devours an allied champion.
NEW EFFECT: Now refunds 50% of its mana cost on devouring an enemy.
Mana cost increased to 100 from 60.
Cooldown changed to 20 seconds at all ranks from 28 / 25 / 22 / 19 / 16.
Projectile base damage reduced to 100 / 135 / 170 / 205 / 240 from 100 / 150 / 200 / 250 / 300.
Regurgitate damage changed to 100 / 135 / 170 / 205 / 240 (+ 5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13% (+ 2% per 100 AP) of target's maximum health) from 20 / 23 / 26 / 29 / 32% (+ 2% per 100 AP) of target's maximum health.
Thick Skin Thick Skin
Percent of grey health converted into healing increased to 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40% from 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 / 35%.
Damage converted to grey health increased to 80 / 85 / 90 / 95 / 100% from 70 / 75 / 80 / 85 / 90%.
Mana cost reduced to 0 from 50.
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
Range changed to 2500 / 5500 / 8500 units from 4500 / 5500 / 6500.
Cooldown increased to 140 / 130 / 120 seconds from 120 / 110 / 100.
V9.2
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
NEW EFFECT: Allies in combat with enemy champions can no longer jump into Abyssal Voyage.
V8.24
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: SFX have fully been restored.
V8.19
Stats
Base health reduced to 540 from 610.
Health growth increased to 102 from 95.
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: Allies Tahm Kench has devoured will no longer sometimes be targetable when first swallowed.
V8.16
Tongue Lash Tongue Lash
Slow duration reduced to 1.5 seconds from 2.
Cooldown reduced to 5 seconds from 6.
Devour Devour
Devour duration reduced to 4 seconds at all ranks from 4 / 4.5 / 5 / 5.5 / 6.
Enemy devour duration reduced to 2 seconds at all ranks from 2 / 2.25 / 2.5 / 2.75 / 3.
Cooldown increased to 28 / 25 / 22 / 19 / 16 seconds from 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 / 10.
NEW EFFECT: Refunds 50% of its cooldown if cast against an enemy.
Mana cost reduced to 60 from 90.
V8.8
Devour Devour
REMOVED: 15 / 17.5 / 20 / 22.5 / 25% bonus movement speed with an ally in his belly when moving towards enemy champions.
Thick Skin Thick Skin
Health restored from grey health reduced to 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 / 35% from 25 / 30 / 35 / 40 / 45%.
V8.7
Tahm Kench UrfKenchCircle Urf Kench
BUG FIX: Seam lines have been minimized.
V8.3
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: Fixed a bug where it failed to make devoured targets invulnerable to minion attacks.
V7.22
Stats
Base armor increased to 47 from 27.
V7.20
An Acquired Taste An Acquired Taste
Damage per stack increased to 1.25 / 1.5 / 1.75 (based on level)% of his maximum health from 1 / 1.25 / 1.5 (based on level)%.
Devour Devour
Regurgitation lockout reduced to 1 second from 2.
BUG FIX: Fixed a bug with the Tongue Lash Tongue Lash and Devour combo where, if Tongue Lash Tongue Lash dealt enough damage to kill the target minion, regurgitating the minion wouldn't do anything.
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
REMOVED: Devour Devour being locked out for 1 second after teleporting.
V7.16
Tahm Kench MasterChefCircle Master Chef Tahm Kench
BUG FIX: Once again holds his knife and fork properly during all animations.
V7.15
Tahm Kench MasterChefCircle Master Chef Tahm Kench
BUG FIX: No longer clips through his body during several animations.
V7.12
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: Can no longer Devour a summoned Rift HeraldSquare Rift Herald.
V7.7
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: Is no longer able to Devour Red BramblebackSquare Red Brambleback or Blue SentinelSquare Blue Sentinel without first stacking his passive when enemy champions are nearby.
V6.17
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
BUG FIX: Champion Select description display
V6.13
An Acquired Taste An Acquired Taste
NEW EFFECT: Basic attacks and abilities deal 1 / 1.25 / 1.5 (based on level)% maximum health bonus magic damage, stacking up to 3 times against enemy champions
Tongue Lash Tongue Lash
Base damage increased to 80 / 130 / 180 / 230 / 280 from 80 / 125 / 170 / 215 / 260
Thick Skin Thick Skin
Grey Health generation reduced to 70 / 75 / 80 / 85 / 90% damage taken from 100 at all ranks
Heal increased to 25 / 30 / 35 / 40 / 45% Grey Health from 20 / 26 / 32 / 38 / 44
Active shield duration reduced to 3 seconds from 6
Cooldown reduced to 6 seconds at all ranks from 16 / 15 / 14 / 13 / 12
REMOVED: Shield decaying over time
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
REMOVED: Passive 2 / 4 / 6% bonus health bonus magic damage
Channel duration reduced to 6 seconds from 15
Second cast delay reduced to 0.25 seconds from 1
Warning indicator duration reduced to 1 second from 1.5
Range increased to 4500 / 5500 / 6500 from 4000 / 5000 / 6000
V6.5
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
BUG FIX: Casting while rooted
V6.4
Tongue Lash Tongue Lash
Width reduced to 70 from 90
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
NEW EFFECT: Has a 1 second delay before second cast
NEW EFFECT: Allies can still join Tahm Kench if they click him during second cast's animation
V6.2
An Acquired Taste An Acquired Taste
Stack duration reduced to 5 seconds from 7
Tongue Lash Tongue Lash
Hitbox indicator duration increased to match full animation length
Devour Devour
BUG FIX: Cooldown and cost being refunded when targeting an enemy affected by spell immunity (Black Shield Black Shield, Riposte Riposte)
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
Passive bonus damage reduced to 2 / 4 / 6% bonus health from 4 / 6 / 8
V5.24
Devour Devour
REMOVED: Granting bonus movement speed when moving away from enemy champions while Tahm Kench holds an ally in his belly
V5.23
Stats
Attack range reduced to 175 from 200
V5.22
Stats
Mana regen increased to 8 from 5.5
V5.18
Tongue Lash Tongue Lash
REMOVED: Having to select target for Devour Devour during cast time
Devour Devour
NEW EFFECT: Casting during Tongue Lash Tongue Lash causes Tahm Kench to automatically eat the target minion or monster (if hit)
Thick Skin Thick Skin
NEW EFFECT: Grey Health bar has a colorblind variant
V5.17
An Acquired Taste An Acquired Taste
Stack duration increased to 7 seconds from 5
Devour Devour
Enemy champion regurgitate range increased to 200 from 100
V5.16
Stats
Armor growth increased to 3.5 from 3
Devour Devour
NEW EFFECT: Prioritizes champions over minions
Regurgitate Regurgitate
NEW EFFECT: Spat enemies are stunned for 0.25 seconds
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
Warning particle for enemies updated to only appear during the 0.5 seconds delay
V5.14
Tongue Lash Tongue Lash
Base damage increased to 80 / 125 / 170 / 215 / 260 from 80 / 115 / 150 / 185 / 220
Abyssal Voyage Abyssal Voyage
Passive bonus damage increased to 4 / 6 / 8% bonus health from 4 / 5 / 6
Cooldown reduced to 120 / 110 / 100 seconds from 160 / 130 / 100
V5.13
Added