Prepare to bend the earth with Taliyah – the latest League of Legends champion

Sheesh, do Riot Games move fast or what? Just yesterday, they released a new teaser called homecoming, which gave a very brief glimpse of the next champion coming to League of Legends. Now, they’ve officially unveiled Taliyah, and shown exactly what she’s capable of.

It’s tough being different, and Taliyah’s earth-shattering powers have always set her apart from the crowd. She’s a control mage who weaves the ground beneath her into a deadly weapon; when she sets her sights on a destination, the world itself shifts to get her there.

Based on the teaser, it’s clear that Taliyah is capable of riding around using the earth itself. What else can she do though? Let’s take a look…

Passive: Rock Surfing

When out of combat, Taliyah builds movement speed whenever traveling near walls.

Q: Threaded Volley

Passive: Taliyah gains increased movement speed when traversing worked ground.

Active: Taliyah rips up the ground around her, firing a volley of five stone shards in a target direction while moving freely. Casting Threaded Volley converts the area into worked ground for a few minutes. Additional Threaded Volley casts over worked ground will yield just one rock projectile.

W: Seismic Shove

Taliyah marks a target location. After a brief delay, the ground erupts, knocking up and damaging all enemies caught in the blast zone. Taliyah can recast Seismic Shove before it erupts to throw the victims in any targeted direction—even over walls.

E: Unraveled Earth

Taliyah scatters boulders onto the ground before her. Opponents who dash through the fractured earth take damage from an explosion. After a few seconds, any remaining rocks in the field erupt, dealing a second wave of damage.

R: Weaver’s Wall

Taliyah briefly channels before summoning a massive wall of spiralling rock that tears through the Rift in a target direction. Taliyah can reactivate Weaver’s Wall while channeling to ride atop the wall as it emerges. Taking damage or inputting a move command in any direction will cut her ride short.

As you can see, Taliyah isn’t really built for damage. Sure, she has a nuke here and there, but her real strength lies in her ability to roam around the map quickly, and her ability to disrupt enemy lines.

Her ultimate for example, encompasses both. Using Weaver’s Wall, Taliyah can traverse Summoner’s Rift very, very quickly. The wall itself can also be used to split an enemy team in half (in terms of positioning), which, in any MOBA really, is a huge deal.

Seismic Shove is also perfect for disruption. Using it, Taliyah can punch an enemy into an Unravelled Earth she may have just cast. Or, she could use it to hit an enemy out of position, whether they are on offense or defense.

I must say, I quite like all of these abilities – Taliyah looks like a pretty unique, and fun champion! She’ll be joining the League of Legends roster soon no doubt.

Last Updated: May 4, 2016