Talon can crit an opponent’s board into oblivion with his revival in the TFT Patch 11.6 meta

April 2023 · 3 minute read

Riot Games released Teamfight Tactics Patch 11.6 today, elevating an Assassin favorite back into S-plus tier status. 

Patch 11.6 is the second-to-last update prior to the TFT Fates World Championship, scheduled to take place from April 7 to 9. The patch notes yesterday revealed mostly minor tweaks across the board, with the exception of two buffs to Talon. The Enlightened Assassin had his attack damage increased by five and his spell’s base damage increased at one and two-star.

Talon disappeared from the TFT Set 4.5 meta following adjustments that were needed due to his previous dominance. But over the course of several patches, the balance team has been buffing the Assassin in hopes of putting him in a good spot. And now, with an increase to his True Strike spell damage at one and two-star, Talon is right where he should be. 

Talon, in conjunction with four Syphoners, creates a powerful synergy that may consistently hit top-four via the ranked ladder and at Worlds. A Chosen Talon Enlightened or Morgana Enlightened or Syphoner is optimal. Re-roll options are also viable—three-starring Nasus Chosen Syphoner, Vladimir Chosen Syphoner, or Janna Chosen Enlightened. 

Some of the items that are typically best-in-slot for Talon include Guardian Angel, Giant Slayer, and Infinity Edge. Pairing Talon with Syphoners provides healing for Talon as he bounces around the battlefield, making Quicksilver Slash a better option over GA in some lobbies. Jeweled Gauntlet and Infinity Edge also pair nicely together, prompting Talon with enough critical strike to take down even the beefiest frontline units. 

Other items will vary depending on the Chosen and what others are playing within a lobby. Morellonomicon is still a must-have on Morgana and utility items like Chalice of Power or Locket of the Iron Solari will help players win-streak through the mid game.

Prior to hitting Swain as the fourth Syphoner when running a Chosen Enlightened comp, slotting in Shen Adept at level seven will help players cruise to a level eight roll-down. Pairing Pyke with Talon is also another viable option, gaining even more crit bonus off the Assassin synergy.

Playing Talon won’t land you lobby wins every time but it can place top-four consistently via good positioning and a strong early to mid-game start. Players can roll on six to stabilize early if necessary, but a fast eight strategy is likely the most optimal. 

The final patch prior to Worlds will be released on March 31. No B-patch is expected to take place in between TFT Patches 11.6 and 11.7 unless an outlier champion or trait appears.

ncG1vNJzZmicn6mytLzOq6usZpOkunDAxa1mp52nqHy1rcuopWabkaN6pL7IrWSapl2kvbG7zZ6lratdl7yivsNmoKesn2K8o7jIr6Copl2strW0jKGgrGWimsOqwsClZKKmXam1pnnTn6tmqJGpsKl5kGpkb2WdmsGi