Despite being one of the least played champions in League of Legends as of this writing, Taliyah has just received a spotlight role in the newest Season 12 cinematic, which has slightly reignited the player interest in the Stoneweaver. Although many Summoners are unsatisfied with her kit, the small percentage of players who still pick her are perfectly aware just how dominant this champion can be, if executed correctly.
With regards to the current meta, which has experienced a surge in Bruiser and Tank pick rate, Taliyah may just very well be the perfect tool to shut these champions down, as her AP burst-oriented kit can shred through the HP bar of most enemies. This is largely thanks to her ability to kite and to continuously dish out damage, combined with some of the Tank-shredding items which have just recently been introduced or reworked in the game.
The Stoneweaver was initially thought to have been designed as a heavy burst AP Mid Laner, but the League community was swift to figure out just how effective her kit is in the Jungle, with a high mobility Passive, burst-oriented basic abilities and an Ultimate which could basically seal off lanes, limiting her targets escape options.
In an effort to support the potential for Taliyah becoming a mainstream pick, we are here to bring you the ultimate Jungle clearing route and pathing guide, first walking you through the essential Summoner Spells, Runes and items, before dissecting the best Jungle routes and strategies for the Stoneweaver!
Enjoy!
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Summoner Spells
Flash / Ghost + Smite
Taliyah’s ideal Summoner Spells are quite standard, as Flash’s uncontested versatility can help her to both initiate and flee combat, especially when considering her Ultimate ability which creates terrain.
Ghost is perhaps the only other viable option, as players with plenty of experience with AP casters can tell, yet even for those players, picking Ghost is mostly a matter of personal preference.
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Taliyah Runes
Despite being an AP Caster, the Stoneweaver’s kit works extremely well with the Domination Rune tree, namely with the Dark Harvest / Electrocute Keystones, with the rest of the ideal Runes being Cheap Shot, Zombie Ward and Ultimate or Relentless Hunter.
For the secondary options, players should opt for Celerity and Waterwalking, in order to further enhance Taliyah’s passive movement speed bonus while near terrain.
Alternatively
Based on personal preference, players can also switch up the primary and secondary Rune paths, going with Phase Rush, Manaflow Band, Celerity and Waterwalking / Gathering Storm as their primary picks, leaving Cheap Shot and Relentless or Ultimate Hunter as their complementary options.
Taliyah Items
Starting Items: Hailblade + Refillable Potion
Mythic Item: Luden’s Tempest / Liandry’s Anguish
Core Items: Sorcerer’s Shoes, Cosmic Drive, Horizon Focus, Rabadon’s Deathcap
Finishing Options: Zhonya’s Hourglass, Morellonomicon, Demonic Embrace, Void Staff
Even as a Jungler, Taliyah’s build is the go-to standard for most Mages, focusing mostly on mechanisms to burst down Tanks with, either through raw magic penetration or through percentage Health damage.
When it comes to choosing between Mythic items, players should assess the number of sturdy, Bruiser or Tank champions from the enemy team. If your opponents have three or more squishy targets, Luden’s Tempest, Cosmic Drive and Void Staff are going to be your core items, allowing you to essentially delete the enemy carries in one combo, somewhat early into the game.
Otherwise, go for Liandry’s Anguish and perhaps even a Demonic Embrace, combined with a Void Staff, which are going to enable you to absolutely destroy the enemy frontline and skirmishers.
The Best Skill Order for Taliyah
Q > E > W > R
In the Jungle, Taliyah players need to constantly monitor the “Worked Ground” mechanic on Taliyah’s Threaded Volley (Q) ability, as it can both help and cripple players who forget about paying attention to the central mechanic surrounding her core ability.
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The Best Jungle Paths for Taliyah
As a Jungler, the Stoneweaver can find perfect balance when it comes to clearing camps, as her Q works wonderfully against solo mobs, such as the primary Buffs, Gromp and the Scuttler, while her E is quite an effective tool when it comes to clearing the multi-mob camps.
We are going to cover the most advantageous starts from each side, but players should keep a few factors in mind when deciding upon where their Jungle pathing should start. These are:
- Which laners are going to provide more help in clearing the first camp?
- Counter-jungle opportunities, based on where the enemy Jungler is likely to start.
- Which lane would you like to gank first, depending on both the allied and enemy champions.
Taliyah’s basic ganks require her to land Seismic Shove (W) in order to cut off enemies, pushing them away from safety, while also landing Unraveled Earth for extra damage and slow. Q is her core damaging ability, which players can continuously poke with.
Red Side, Red Clear
Our first starting position takes place at the Red Side’s Red Buff, where Taliyah players start off by slaying Red using repeated casts of Q, making sure not to use the ability over Worked Ground, in order to maximize their damage output.
Second on the list are the Raptors, which will now fall with the help of E and repeated Qs. Importantly, make sure to keep the Raptors in E’s boulders, as after 4 second they’ll explode, dealing their initial damage once again.
For the third camp, head towards the Wolves and clear them using the same strategy as with the Raptors, relying on E’s repeating AOE damage and Q’s short cooldown, with considerable damage output.
Players should hold on to their Smite up until this point, as it plays an important part at the camps that follow. As shown in the image, your fourth objective is going to be securing the second Buff, Blue, using all of your basic abilities in combination with Smite in order to keep the process quick and safe.
After Blue, players should shift their attention towards the Gromp, slaying it promptly using the same approach as so far, with W being cast in order to kite the monster. Following this, players are to enter the River in order to secure some additional resources and vision by slaying the Scuttler.
Simply use W to break the Scuttler’s shell, and take its HP down below 450 with a few basic attacks and Qs, before finally casting your second Smite to execute it.
From this point, players can choose to gank either Mid or Bot, depending on which lane offers the better angle for a well-positioned W.
Red Side, Blue Clear
Choosing to start from the Red Side’s stronger position, the Blue Buff, may feel a bit more empowering, as the overall pathing is much more comfortable, considering the fact that players are not obligated to hold on to their Smites for that long.
Start by securing the Blue Buff, enlisting the help of your Bot Laners in the process, which is also going to accelerate your tempo. Having obtained your first Buff and LVL 2, it is time to fight the Gromp, using repeated Qs and E to burst down its Health bar, before finally executing it with Smite.
On your way towards the Red Buff, stop and clear the multi-mob camps (Wolves and Raptors) as shown in the associated image, making the best use of your E’s AOE damage and Q’s rapid burst.
Once at the Red Buff, use all of your basic abilities in quick succession, combined with the second Smite charge, in order to finish this camp as soon as possible, allowing you to step into the River before the enemy Jungler is given the opportunity to contest.
While at the Scuttler, break its shield using W and start scouting the lanes for possible openings on Mid or Top, as your next move is going to be forcing a gank on either lane, followed by the first reset.
Blue Side, Blue Clear
Now taking a look at the Blue Side’s starting positions, let us begin with the Blue Buff start, which is more or less identical to the previously analyzed Blue start, of the Red Side.
Identically, players want to secure their first Buff with the help of their Top Laner, before turning their focus towards the Gromp, which shall be slain using the first Smite charge.
Subsequently, on your way to the Red Buff, clear both of the organically encountered camps, namely the Wolves and Raptors, using the rapid burst and reliability of your Q and E, with the Refillable Potion being available in case you drop below a certain amount of Health and start feeling unsafe.
At the Red Buff, invest your second charge of Smite and try slaying it as soon as possible, in order to get a safe window in which to secure the extra vision, gold and experience from the Scuttler, before seeking a gank on either Mid or Bot.
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Blue Side, Red Clear
And now for the final starting position, Blue Side’s Red Buff, players have the added advantage of being assisted by two allies with perhaps the toughest camp to clear.
After securing Red, shift your focus towards the multi-mob camps which are naturally encountered on the path towards the Blue Buff, clearing them without investing Smite, relying solely on the power of your Q and E abilities.
Once you reach the Blue Buff, feel free to cast the first Smite to accelerate the clearing process, before making one last stop at Gromp, slaying it naturally. The use of Smite and the healing granted by Gromp will leave you with plenty of Health to safely walk into the River with.
In the River, break the Scuttler’s shield with W and after taking it below the 450 Health threshold, cast Smite to secure it rapidly, turning your attention towards Top or Mid, for a quick gank.
The Best Tips and Tricks for Taliyah Jungle
- Taliyah’s core ability is her Threaded Volley (Q), which for some players can be difficult to land in its entirety. Try aiming it similarly to Lucian’s ultimate, with the only addition being that Taliyah’s Q is much faster, having a total cast time of 1.5 seconds for the five stone version.
- A basic combo for the Stoneweaver would be to start Q, position and land a W, flinging the opponent back towards you, and as the enemy is in mid-air, unleashing Unraveled Earth (E) for maximum damage. However, all three of Taliyah’s abilities make for amazing kiting tools, showcasing just how versatile this AP Jungler can be.
- At all times, players should try to get the most out of Rock Surfing (Passive), especially while navigating the Jungle. The bonus movement speed scales with LVL, topping off at an impressive 45% bonus movement speed, which in the late game can make a dramatic difference.
- Finally, Weaver’s Wall (R) is a truly unique ability, considering its active effect and range. It also makes for an incredible ganking tool against enemies with no Flash or mobility, as it can essentially seal off the lane you are ganking, leaving your opponents with virtually no escape route.
Finalizing Thoughts
League’s least played champion has finally had her chance for retribution, as the current meta and the items introduced over the course of the previous two Seasons can allow Taliyah to flex her incredible burst potential, even from the Jungle.
For most of the early and mid-game, the Stoneweaver is tasked with pressuring the Map, using her Passive to navigate the Jungle at nearly unparalleled speeds, being able to respond to all of the enemy Jungler’s plays.
As the game progresses however, and Taliyah finishes a few core items, her full combo is capable of essentially deleting enemy carries and tanks alike, depending on which itemization path the player took. A well-placed W can fling enemies out of position, automatically winning your team an advantage, once the enemy has been taken out. The Stoneweaver can simply stand in the backline to dish out considerable amounts of damage, or she can just as well stand in the front to fish for game-winning Ws.
These being said, we are now concluding our guide for Taliyah, the Stoneweaver, urging our readers to give League’s least played champion a chance, as many would be surprised of her true power and potential!
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