Riot has finally revealed the full champion detail for its next playable character, Taliyah, after teasing us with a short video and lore story these past days. As it turns out, she happens to be unique aside from the fact that earth-type champions are very rare in League of Legends.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2DhKexy_Pw]
With earth-shattering powers, Taliyah is a control mage who can weave the ground beneath her into a deadly weapon. These are her in-game abilities:
PASSIVE: ROCK SURFING
When out of combat and walking near a wall, she will pick up movement speed by jumping onto a rock and surf to her destination.
Q: THREADED VOLLEY
ACTIVE: Upon pressing Q, Taliyah rips out the ground beneath her, firing five stone shards in the targeted direction while moving freely. Casting Threaded Volley converts an area into a worked ground. Additional Threaded Volley casts over worked ground can only yield just one projectile.
PASSIVE: Walking on the worked ground will increase Taliyah’s movement speed.
W: SEISMIC SHOVE
Taliyah disrupts enemy movement by knocking up and damaging all enemies in a small targeted location by causing the ground to erupt. Taliyah can recast Seismic Shove to throw her target enemies to the direction she wants.
E: UNRAVELED EARTH
Taliyah scatters a bunch of explosive boulders on the ground. The boulders will act like landmines, exploding when an enemy walks over them. Any untouched boulders will eventually explode over time.
R: WEAVER’S WALL
Taliyah summons a massive wall of spiraling rocks that tears through the Rift in a target direction. Taliyah can knock enemies using this skill, disrupt a clash, or ride on the wall to get somewhere fast. If damaged by an enemy or controlled to move in any direction will cut her ride short.
Taliyah is all about control. Learning how to use her skills at the right time and way can make life difficult for your opponent. Her area of effect abilities also gives her a masterful power over her enemies positioning. She can initially initiate a clash by her Seismic Shove or disrupt a clash using her Weaver’s Wall.
According to Taliyah’s character page on the League’s official site, Riot suggests pairing her with Taliyah, Lee Sin or Poppy, while pointing to LeBlanc, Zed, and Malphite as her strong counters. Riot has not yet announced when Taliyah will be playable, but chances are that she’ll show up on the public beta server soon, so be ready to update your Garena on your gaming laptop.