Talon vs Graves
Skill matchup
Build vs Graves
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Talon: Umbral Glaive, Bastionbreaker, Voltaic Cyclosword, Boots of Swiftness, Edge of Night, Lord Dominik's Regards, Serpent's Fang, Youmuu's Ghostblade.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Graves's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Graves' shotgun has some unique properties. He must reload when he runs out of ammo. Attacks fire 4 bullets, which cannot pass through units. Non-champions struck by multiple bullets are knocked back.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 13s | 26s | 16s | – |
| 6 | 9.5s | 26s | 16s | 1m40 |
| 9 | 6s | 24s | 16s | 1m40 |
| 11 | 6s | 22s | 16s | 1m20 |
| 16 | 6s | 18s | 14s | 1m |
| 18 | 6s | 18s | 12s | 1m |
Playing as Talon
Tips to maximize your impact
- Three spells, then an auto
Apply three Blade's End (passive) stacks by hitting with your spells, then strike with an auto: the target starts bleeding and takes heavy damage over time.
- Use Noxian Diplomacy up close
Cast Noxian Diplomacy (Q) in melee range when you can: instead of the leap, it lands a critical strike. If it kills, it heals you and comes back faster.
- Bring your blades back on your target
During Shadow Assault (R), break invisibility with an auto or Noxian Diplomacy (Q): the blades then converge on your target instead of coming back to you.
- Push, then roam over the walls
Push your wave, then roam by vaulting walls with Assassin's Path (E): the spell comes back fast, but you can only cross the same wall again after a long delay.
Playing against Graves
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Keep units between you and him
Stay behind your minions or your frontline: the 4 bullets of each New Destiny (passive) auto can't pass through units.
- Hit him from outside his range
If you're ranged, hit him from a distance: his autos only reach 425, and New Destiny (passive) forces him to reload when his shotgun is empty.
- Get out of his smoke
Leave Smoke Screen (W) quickly rather than fighting inside it: the smoke slows you and cuts off all vision outside it.
- Drag the game out
If your team scales better over time, play for time: Graves is strongest in the early and mid game.
Other Talon matchups
Patch 16.21.1