Tank Tahm Kench Build

Tank Tahm Kench Build.

Tank Tahm Kench build with runes and items. Tank Tahm Kench guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Tank Tahm Kench build in League of Legends Patch 26.4!

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Guardian's Horn should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Tahm Kench ability Tongue Lash should be leveled first.
Q
Tahm Kench ability Abyssal Dive should be leveled second.
W
Tahm Kench ability Thick Skin should be leveled third.
E
Final items
Mercury's Treads should be final item in your build.
Jak'Sho, The Protean should be final item in your build.
Hollow Radiance should be final item in your build.
Spirit Visage should be final item in your build.
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Unending Despair should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Grasp of the Undying from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Tank Tahm Kench Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching rune.
Precision
Precision minor tree Absorb Life rune.
Precision minor tree Triumph rune.
Precision minor tree Presence of Mind rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Alacrity rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Haste rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Bloodline rune.
Precision minor tree Coup de Grace rune.
Precision minor tree Cut Down rune.
Precision minor tree Last Stand rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

Optional Summoner Spells

Ghost

Ghost

Ghost for extra and mobility and chasing and disruptive running around in fights. Good alternative if you want to stay close to enemies.

Exhaust

Exhaust

Defensive option. Exhaust for peeling against enemy divers and assassins and protecting your carries.

Ignite

Ignite

Offensive option if you are feeling spicy. Grievous Wounds + some damage. Good in early fights and you can score some kills, but reduces your going-in potential. Especially later.

Optional Runes

Presence of Mind

Presence of Mind

Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.

Demolish

Demolish

If you are into taking objectives, you can consider taking Demolish rune. Usually it is worth it and lets you push turrets quicker. Utility slash team oriented option.

Looking for another tank build? Check this:
HeartsteelTahm Kench

How it works

  1. You play as a Tank.
  2. Your job is to soak damage, disrupt fights, protect your team, and be a pain in the neck for the enemy.

Playstyle

  1. 🛡️

    Be the frontline. Soak damage, disrupt enemies, protect your carries.

  2. 💪

    Jak'Sho rewards you for staying in fights.

  3. 🧰

    Adapt your items to counter the enemy team.

How to play

Getting started

  1. Start with Guardian's Horn. Rush #1 Armor item if enemy is heavy on AD, or MR item if heavy on AP. Get Jak'Sho as #2.
  2. Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for very long time (or even have it as 6th item).

During fights

  1. Your goal is to be in the middle of fights as long as possible - Jak'Sho stacks up with combat seconds.

Adapting

  1. You need to adapt your items to the game. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR. They heavy on AD? Buy Armor. You need some damage? Well buy that.
  2. You can use Bandlepipes to give your whole team an attack speed boost whenever you CC enemies. Great synergy with auto attackers.

Runes

  1. Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.
  2. Remember to consume your Grasp of the Undying procs!

Tips and Tricks

Champion

Abyssal Dive (W)

  1. Want to hit Abyssal Dive (W)? Face the other direction to mislead the enemy. They won't expect you using W on them.
  2. You can cancel your Abyssal Dive (W) with Flash in case of emergency.
  3. Hit Tongue Lash (Q) for slow or for stun first, then use Abyssal Dive (W) right away for certain hit.

Thick Skin (E)

  1. If you know you will get alive, don't use Thick Skin (E). Let it heal you instead.

Devour (R)

  1. Just ate enemy player? Don't spit him out immediately. Wait for your cooldown, your allies and their cooldowns as well. Ping them if needed.

Tahm Kench Combos

  1. Combo #1: Tongue Lash (Q) + Devour (R) combo. If you have three stacks of your An Acquired Taste (Passive) on your target, you can eat them from a distance. During Tongue Lash (Q) animation use Devour (R).

Riot

  1. Your most important function as a support is to keep fragile allies safe. Keep Devour's range and cooldown in mind and position accordingly!
  2. Consider carefully when to use Thick Skin's active. Sometimes shielding early to avoid further damage is good, but sometimes the healing is more beneficial.

Skill Order

  • Tahm Kench [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Tongue Lash
  • Tahm Kench [object Object] ability.
    W
    Abyssal Dive
  • Tahm Kench [object Object] ability.
    E
    Thick Skin
  • Tahm Kench [object Object] ability.
    R
    Devour

Items

Starting items
Guardian's Horn item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Boots
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Plated Steelcaps item.
Mercury's Treads item.
Good tank items
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Protoplasm Harness item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Good MR items
Force of Nature item.
Spirit Visage item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Good Armor items
Frozen Heart item.
Unending Despair item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Thornmail item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Situational items
Bandlepipes item.
Trailblazer item.
Knight's Vow item.
Zeke's Convergence item.
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
Situational DMG items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Liandry's Torment item.
Zhonya's Hourglass item.
Overlord's Bloodmail item.
Titanic Hydra item.
Wit's End item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Example final build
Mercury's Treads item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Spirit Visage item.
Thornmail item.
Unending Despair item.