Locke vs Taliyah
Skill matchup
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Taliyah
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Locke: Lich Bane, Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, Sorcerer's Shoes, Dark Seal, Rabadon's Deathcap, Stormsurge, Mejai's Soulstealer.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Taliyah's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Taliyah gains Move Speed near walls.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7s | 14s | 14s | – |
| 6 | 5s | 14s | 14s | 3m |
| 9 | 3s | 12.5s | 14s | 3m |
| 11 | 3s | 11s | 14s | 2m30 |
| 16 | 3s | 8s | 14s | 2m |
| 18 | 3s | 8s | 14s | 2m |
Playing as Locke
Tips to maximize your impact
- Nails first, then Pursuit
Cast Ritual Nails (Q) before Ashen Pursuit (E): your hits consume the nails stuck in the target, and each extra nail adds damage.
- Finish them with autos
Finish off wounded targets with autos: Silver Stake (passive) adds magic damage that grows with their missing health.
- Activate W as the trade starts
Activate Soul Ignition (W) at the start of a trade: it costs you health, but at the end, you heal back part of the last damage taken, plus more based on your missing health.
- Save E for a kill or a gank
Save Ashen Pursuit (E) for a sure kill or to escape a gank: it's your only instant movement, it has a 10-second cooldown, and only a takedown resets it.
- Save Purgatory to finish
Save Purgatory (R) to finish: it seals marked enemies below a health threshold, and when you pick up the artifact, each sealed champion raises that threshold for good.
Playing against Taliyah
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Don't cross her minefield
When Unraveled Earth (E) is on the ground, don't cross it with a dash or get thrown through it by Seismic Shove (W): the stones explode under you and stun you.
- Engage after Seismic Shove
If you can engage, go in after Seismic Shove (W): without it, she has nothing left to push you back, and no dash to escape.
- Knock her off her wall
If you have CC, save it for Taliyah while she surfs on Weaver's Wall (R): once immobilized, she stops surfing immediately.
Other Locke matchups
Patch 16.21.1