In this Champion Build Guide, we take a look at Taliyah, the Stoneweaver. How do you play her as a support?
So you want to play support, but are sick and tired of the usual champions? You don’t feel like being a frontline engage champion or a squishy enchanter? Well, then this champions guide is the right one for you because we’re going off-meta and checking out support-Taliyah!
The Taliyah support build we’re going to introduce to you in this Taliyah champion guide was pioneered by A high elo grandmaster support player in Korea named PMD91. If you follow this champion build and guide, you’ll be sure to increase your KDA and win rate on Taliyah.
Taliyah Build: Runes and Items
The best rune to pick is Dark Harvest, since you’ll be skirmishing 2v2 quite often in the bot lane. This way, you can get your Dark Harvest stacks with ease. Thanks to the rune, you’ll be able to play the lane aggressively and get ahead quickly.
Other runes from the Domination Path you should choose are Cheap Shot for added burst and depending on how you want to play, you can pick Eyeball Collection or Zombie Ward. The fourth slot is up to you, but we suggest Ravenous Hunter for that Omnivamp.
- Taliyah isn't the only champion we've written guides for. Check out our Ashe Guide, maybe you found the perfect synergy?
The strongest mythic for support Taliyah is definitely Luden’s Tempest. It seems a bit aggressive, but that’s how you’ll want to play this bot lane. If the enemy team is full of squishy champions, you’ll be a blood-thirsty support who one-shots anyone. If the opposing team has a lot of tanks, then go for Liandrys instead.
Building Zhonya’s is also a must for Taliyah support. This keeps you safe in case you do get collapsed down upon. You’ll be able to live through fights you have no business surviving. Other than that, go for the standard burst build with Rabadan’s and Void Staff.
Taliyah Support Guide: Early Game
The way to play the early game depends on your match-up, but since Taliyah’s Q is one of the best in the game at level 1, you’ll want to try and push and be aggressive alongside your ADC. When you’re level 2, it might be a bit weird not having the whole W>E>Q combo, so wait until your level 3 for any all-in attempt.
Once you hit level 4 and 5, you’ll want to start roaming. Make sure your ADC is in a decent state and then try heading toward the mid lane. Using W, Seismic Shove, out of vision will give no indicator of where it’s placed, which is great for ganks.
Taliyah Support Guide: Mid Game
This is when you start to roam even more. You want to play around vision – which is where the Zombie Ward rune comes into play as well, which we mentioned earlier in our Taliyah Support Build. If you see an opposing champion clearing your vision, you’ll be able to rush there to try and get a pick on them – Taliyah’s passive Rock Surfing is great for this!
- Since you'll be roaming a lot in the mid game, check out our Sylas guide since you'll probably roam into his lane often.
If you aren’t crazy ahead after the lane phase, then you’ll want to play a bit more passive and use your abilities to set up kills. Seismic Shove is great for that! You can also use your ultimate to wall off single targets from their team, or to help you disengage from a disadvantageous fight.
Taliyah Support Guide: Late Game
In the late game, you’re quite squishy, so make sure you don’t get locked down by any opposing players. You’ll be burst down before you even think of pressing any keys. That’s why it’s important to stick to your team and play with them.
It might be difficult to communicate in solo queue where and when to use your ultimate, but if you want, you can use it to take out unsuspecting split pushers or to try and get a good angle on someone who is caught out.
Taliyah Support Guide: Good and Bad Matchups
Bullying immobile champions is the way to play Taliyah, which is why she is a great pocket-pick in the bot lane as a support. Most ADCs aren’t the most mobile, which means she’s great into champions like Kog’Maw, Swain and Miss Fortune.
What could be a difficult matchup for her is when she is outranged. This means champions like Varus and Caitlyn aren’t the best matchups for Taliyah. Also, enchanter supports with a lot of range like Janna or Morgana won’t be much fun to play against.
We hope you learned something in our Taliyah Champion Build and Guide. Will you test out Support Taliyah before the end of the season? We totally suggest it since she is lots of fun! Practice and practice, and you’ll be getting some insane results!
You're interested in more Champion Guides? Check out our Guide Section, and you'll learn how to play champions in the mid lane like Sett or even junglers like Amumu.