Tahm Kench vs Brand
You are stronger late game. Farm safe and avoid early trades.
Build vs Brand
The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup
Recommended items for Tahm Kench: Heartsteel, Dusk and Dawn, Thornmail, Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Hollow Radiance, Bramble Vest, Kaenic Rookern.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Brand's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Brand's spells light his targets ablaze, dealing damage over 4 seconds, stacking up to 3 times. If Brand kills an enemy while it is ablaze he regains mana. When Blaze reaches max stacks on a Champion or large monster, it becomes unstable. It detonates in 2 seconds, applying spell effects and dealing massive damage in an area around the victim.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 8s | 10s | 13s | – |
| 6 | 7s | 10s | 13s | 1m40 |
| 9 | 6s | 9.5s | 13s | 1m40 |
| 11 | 6s | 9s | 13s | 1m30 |
| 16 | 6s | 8s | 11s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 6s | 8s | 9s | 1m20 |
Playing as Tahm Kench
Tips to maximize your impact
- Three stacks, then your tongue
Stack An Acquired Taste (passive) three times on your target, then hit them with Tongue Lash (Q): they're stunned, and the stacks are consumed.
- Save Thick Skin for a burst
Only activate Thick Skin (E) to absorb a burst: otherwise, part of the damage it stores comes back to you as health once you stop taking damage.
- Engage with your dive
Engage with Abyssal Dive (W): you reappear at the target location, 1000 to 1200 range away, and hitting a champion reduces its cooldown.
- Swallow your carry to save them
Swallow your carry in danger with Devour (R): they come out with a shield, and you can take them to safety with Abyssal Dive (W).
Playing against Brand
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Dodge his Q while you burn
When you're ablaze, prioritize dodging Sear (Q): it stuns any target that's ablaze.
- Leave his pillar of flame
Leave the Pillar of Flame (W) area as soon as it appears: it lands after a short delay and hits harder if you're ablaze.
- Punish his lack of mobility
If you can engage, go in on him: his kit has no dash and no shield.
- Spread out from your allies
Spread out from your allies in teamfights: Pyroclasm (R) bounces between nearby enemies, and Blaze (passive) explodes around a target at 3 stacks.
Other Tahm Kench matchups
Patch 16.21.1