Talon/Background

Lore
Talon's earliest memories are the darkness of Noxus' underground passages and the reassuring steel of a blade. He remembers no family, warmth, or kindness. Instead, the clink of stolen gold and the security of a wall at his back are all the kinship he has ever craved. Kept alive only by his quick wits and deft thievery, Talon scraped out a living in the seedy underbelly of Noxus. His mastery of the blade quickly marked him as a threat, and Noxian guilds sent assassins to him with a demand: join their ranks or be killed. He left the bodies of his pursuers dumped in Noxus' moat as his response.

The assassination attempts grew increasingly dangerous until one assailant met Talon blade-for-blade in a match of strength. To his surprise, Talon was disarmed and facing down his executioner's sword when the assassin revealed himself to be General Du Couteau. The General offered Talon the choice between death at his hand, or life as an agent of the Noxian High Command. Talon chose life, on the condition that his service was to Du Couteau alone, for the only type of orders he could respect were from one he could not defeat. Talon remained in the shadows, carrying out secret missions on Du Couteau's orders that took him from the frigid lands of Freljord to the inner sanctums of Bandle City. When the general vanished, Talon considered reclaiming his freedom, but he had gained immense respect from Du Couteau after years in his service. He became obsessed with tracking down the general's whereabouts. Talon's suspicions led him to the doors of the Institute of War, where he joined the League of Legends in order to find those responsible for Du Couteau's disappearance.

"The three deadliest blademasters in all of Valoran are bound to the house of Du Couteau: my father, myself, and Talon. Challenge us, if you dare." 

Quotes

 * Upon selection
 * "Live and die by the blade."


 * Attacking
 * "This blade's my favorite."
 * "This is no challenge."
 * "Pathetic!"
 * "Enjoy the taste of steel."
 * "Another body for the gutter."
 * "Their bones will whet my blade."


 * Movement
 * "Your allegiances mean nothing to me."
 * "Only fools pledge life to honor."
 * "There's nowhere to hide."
 * "They won't survive."
 * "Don't cross me."
 * "I never compromise."
 * "Let's finish this quickly."
 * "On the razor's edge."


 * Taunt
 * "Have you anything to offer but weakness?!"
 * "Eventually, my blades will find their way into your heart."


 * Joke
 * "Ugh, I've lost another blade. I wonder who it's in this time."
 * "The worst part about losing a blade is trying to trace back all my stabbings."

Development

 * Talon was designed by Ziegler.

Champion Sneak Peek
Announcement made in the Sneak Peek by Average Gatsby:

''It takes a truly resourceful gentleman to seamlessly combine function and style, particularly on the battlefield. It should come as no surprise, then, that the upcoming champion of the League is a man of both utility and flair.

''Allow me to introduce Talon, the Blade's Shadow. In addition to looking every bit the part of the cloaked and cowled assassin that he is, Talon's cloak of blades makes him a dangerous and terrifying presence on the battlefield. It's probably best to steer clear of this cloaked and dangerous champion on the Field of Justice, or he won't be the only one pulling a disappearing act.

Mechanics Preview
Announcement made in the Sneak Peek by Morello: ''Greetings, Summoners!

''Today we wanted to bring you a peek into the mechanics behind Talon, the Blade's Shadow, the new assassin that's joining the League!

''Talon, the Blade's Shadow, is a physical damage assassin who specializes in high-mobility, high-risk, high-reward gameplay. Our goal with Talon was to create a powerful but fragile melee character with specialized tools to make him both deadly and evasive. As a result, what Talon lacks in durability and sustain, he dishes out in mobility and power.

''The driving force behind Talon's gameplay is the way that he engages and disengages from combat using his four abilities:


 * ''Cutthroat: An ability that allows Talon to catch his enemies by surprise. Talon leaps behind his target and silences them for a short duration, amplifying the damage of any of his follow up attacks and abilities.
 * ''Noxian Diplomacy: Talon viciously stabs his enemy, dealing heavy physical damage and causing them to leave a blood trail that Talon can use to track them.
 * ''Rake: Talon fans out three blades in front of him that quickly return to him, dealing damage and slowing any target hit in either direction.
 * ''Shadow Assault (Ultimate): Talon enters stealth for a short duration, gaining a movement speed boost and sending blades that deal damage to all enemies in their path flying in every direction. Once the blades reach a certain distance, they pause and form a circle. When Talon reappears from stealth, the blades return to him, once again dealing damage to any opponent they pass through.
 * ''Mercy (Innate): Talon's auto-attacks deal additional damage to a target that is under the influence of any crowd control effect.

''Playing Talon effectively is all about reading the situation and reacting strategically to your target. Shadow Assault can be either your saving grace or your deadliest advance. Using it to disappear can sting your target and leave them chasing ghosts. But if it's a fight you want, using it to initiate in conjuction with Cutthroat, Noxian Diplomacy, and Mercy can deal significant burst damage.

''To sum up, Talon's a mean, shadowy, vicious assassin... and we're excited to see him join the League soon. And as a side note, his mobility and elusiveness makes him a very good pick on Dominion!