League of Legends: Talon rules over the mid lane on Patch 10.9

Talon has secured a place in the mid lane S tier on Patch 10.9. Here’s why he currently boasts the highest win rate among mid champions and continues to get the better of his lane opponents.

The mid lane champion pool is as diverse as ever with mages, assassins, and tanks all occupying the role throughout Season 10 so far, but one champion has risen above the rest on Patch 10.9. The top four mid laners in terms of win rate are all assassins right now and at number one is Talon, the Blade’s Shadow.

Despite having a relatively low pick rate of just 5.1% (the 15th highest of all mid laners), Talon boasts the highest win rate in his role on Patch 10.9 at 53.05%. Numbers like this are enough to make players jump on the bandwagon and learn the champion immediately, but are also high enough to trigger action from the balance team.

Therefore, it would be wise to add Talon to your champion pool sooner rather than later while he’s still an unstoppable mid lane assassin and before the nerfs come to drag him down from his pedestal.

Talon has reached this position as a result of the ever-changing mid lane meta of League of Legends Season 10 as well as the ease at which assassins take over solo queue games by feeding on vulnerable ADCs.

On Patch 10.1, it was clear that 2020 was going to be the year for assassins and burst mages to make a return to the mid lane with Diana and Katarina spiking in popularity at the start of the ranked season. Since then, these champions have been nerfed and lethality items have been buffed, resulting in the rise of AD assassins and the dominance of Talon on Patch 10.9.

Talon can traverse the map in an instant with Assassin’s Path, the perfect ability to snowball a lead with.

Generally, Talon should farm up during the laning phase and wait until Serrated Dirk is complete to make any plays. However, if the opportunity presents itself to dash onto his lane opponent with Q – Noxian Diplomacy and slow them with W – Rake, then Talon should instantly pounce as the combination of Conqueror, Ignite, and the bleed effect from P – Blade’s End should be enough to chunk out any opponent and force them out of lane.

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That being said, the mid game is where Talon really thrives. Upon purchasing a Tiamat, Boots of Mobility/Swiftness, and a Duskblade of Draktharr, the Blade’s Shadow has hit his power spike and is ready to one-shot enemy squishies across the map.

To take advantage of this, push out the mid lane wave with Rake and Tiamat, then dip into the fog of war, pick out your target, and close the gap with E – Assassin’s Path. Upon reaching your target, dive onto them with Noxian Diplomacy and cast R – Shadow Assault to obliterate them with your full spell rotation. If they Flash away, they’re an easy target next time. If you secure the kill, you’re one step closer to snowballing the game into a win.

If you’re playing Talon correctly, you shouldn’t reach the late game, or you should be so far ahead that there’s no way your opponents can stage a comeback. Nevertheless, there are certain scenarios in which you’re forced into the 35+ minute mark and are well beyond your power spike.

At this point, it’s important to remain focused and look for flank opportunities ahead of team fights to jump onto the enemy backline and maximize your damage output. While Talon is majorly outscaled by most champions when it comes to providing damage, he’s still an incredible assassin if played correctly in team fights.

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League of Legends solo queue has never been so interesting and complicated for mid lane mains as their champion pools have transformed from a small collection of mages to a vast ocean of different classes over the last twelve months.

If you’re tired of the champion select headache and just want some quick wins with a strong mid laner, then Talon is the champion for you.

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