Tak - The Windswept Swordsman
Art coming soon, I promise.
Lore
Roles and lanes.
Assassin/Jungler.
Tak is an energy-based melee assassin who does especially well when the enemy is under half health. He has some small sustain from his W passive, allowing him some feasibility as a jungler.
I could see Tak being played top lane, as well. Possibly mid, though his lack of a reliable poke would make him harder to play.
Stats and Abilities
Keep in mind that these are still subject to change, and likely will in the sake of balance.
Attack - 48 + 3.3 Per level. (104.1 at 18)
Attack Speed - .675 + 2.78% per level
Attack Range - 175
Health - 440 + 74 Per level. (1698 at 18)
Mana - 200 + 0 (Energy)
Move Speed - 335
Armor - 17 + 4 Per level. (85 at 18)
Magic Resist - 30 + 0
Health Regen - 6.25 + .6 per level (16.45 at 18)
Mana Regen - 50 + 0 per level.
Passive - Relentless Gale - Enemies with less than 50% of their maximum health suffer additional effects from Tak's skills.
Tak pays no energy cost for every fourth skill.
Q - Reap the Whirlwind - 60 Energy cost - Cooldown of 7/6.5/6/5.5/5 seconds - Range 350. Deals 65/90/115/140/165 physical damage plus .6 of total AD. If Reap the Whirlwind strikes a target under 50% hp, it may be activated again with no energy cost. The second activation will spin Tak in a circle, doing 60/80/100/120/140 physical damage plus .4 of total AD to all enemies within 300 units. The same enemy cannot trigger the second activation more than once every 10 seconds.
W - Invigorating Breeze - 50 Energy cost - Cooldown of 16/15/14/13/12 seconds - Passively heals Tak for 7/8/9/10/11 health per basic attack. When activated, Tak gains 15/25/35/45/55 move speed and is not affected by unit collision for 5 seconds. If an enemy is struck by a basic attack while the active is in effect, the target is slowed by 30% for 1.5 seconds. If the enemy is under 50% health, they are stunned for 1.5 seconds instead. An enemy cannot be slowed/stunned more than once each 10 seconds.
E - Subsidence - 100 Energy Cost - Cooldown of 22/20/18/16/14 seconds - On activation shields Tak against the next basic attack or ability for the next 1.5/1.75/2/2.25/2.5 seconds and grants him 5/10/15/20/25% tenacity while the shield is active. If the attacking champion is below 50% health, Subsidence will reflect 25/35/45/55/65 percent of a basic attack, or 30/35/40/45/50 percent of an ability's damage plus .15 total AD. The shield will block champion and epic monster basic attacks, but will not block creeps.
(Still deciding on whether or not the shield will block turret shots.)
R - Tempest - No energy cost - Cooldown of 90/80/70 seconds - Range 700 - Tak dashes forward towards target location, striking enemy champions he hits on the way. The first champion struck is knocked up into the air for .75 seconds. Any champions hit afterwards are slowed by 50% for 1 second, and all champions struck are dealt 150/200/250 physical damage plus .6 AD. Tak then dashes back to his original location after .5 seconds. Champions under 50% health are slowed by 75% instead. Champions under 50% health are dealt damage a second time on the return dash if they are struck.
Rune and Item Builds
Tak would have a few rune paths to take, whether he wanted to go AD, ArP, or even attack speed. But I would always take MR blues to cover for his sub par MR scaling.
As for items building AD benefits Tak, obviously. And due to him having less health and less MR than other assassin builds, building items that cover those weakness would be ideal. But the specific items can be dependent upon the situation, leaving him with some options there as well.
Tips for using Tak and laning against him.
Playing as Tak
You are most effective when the enemy is lower than half hp.
Your shield provides tenacity as well, don't hesitate to use it if you are CC'd.
Your second activation of Reap the Whirlwind has slightly less range than the first, so use your W, you can slow/stun them for an easy second hit.
Playing against Tak
You are more vulnerable the longer you allow him to attack you. Tak has no ranged pokes, so punish him when you can when he goes to farm.
Tak is the most vulnerable after his shield is used. It has a long cooldown and a relatively short duration, so remember not to waste an ability on it.
You should never try to duel Tak alone if you are below 50% health and he has more health than you do.
--Changelog--
2/17 - Several changes, including reworking for Tak's passive, W, and E.
Art coming soon, I promise.
Lore
- Spoiler:
- Hailing from the isle of Ionia, Tak was merely one among many who lost loved ones to the Noxian invasion. His village had been decimated by the Noxian army, burned to the ground. An already accomplished swordsman, Tak had fought against his hated enemy with a furor driven by his insatiable hunger to annihilate the Noxian scourge that had descended upon his home and a need to fill in the despair he felt at not being able to prevent it. The troops on both sides that survived the battle claimed that he was as the wind; swift, untouchable, yet harsh and biting as he drew his blade through both Noxian armor and flesh.
After the Noxian invasion was thwarted, Tak found himself without a course in life. He became a wanderer among his homeland, seeking something he could not describe. For years he spent his time training his skills as a warrior, honing the edge that he'd had against the Noxians. But even that grew lacking to him in time. Eventually he learned of a master swordsman training day and night in the deep isolation of Ionia. After chasing down false rumors and running into countless dead ends, Tak finally came across Master Yi.
The Wuju master was not as the young man had expected. From the stories he'd heard Master Yi had carved a swathe through the Noxian lines that made his efforts look insignificant. And, yet, here sat a man who refused to offer any teachings to him, and who seemed to be merely content to meditate. Tak could not see honor in this, not when the Noxians who had ruined their homes still were free to do it again. So he challenged Yi to a duel.
He was utterly defeated, his blade sent spinning from his grasp with a single, seemingly errant flick of the the other man's sword. And, with a blade to his throat, Tak was posed a question.
"Tell me, young Tak. Do you attack me for what you see, or for what your cannot find in yourself?"
It was a revelation to the young man. Years of searching for answers summed up and fulfilled by one man's question. He sat down, dumbstruck, as the Wuju master retrieved his sword and handed it to him.
"Now that you have found what you are looking for, I can begin teaching you Wuju style."
Years passed, and a cold wind brought Tak to the League of Legends. He uses his skills, now honed by self understanding, to prevent Noxian encroachment upon anyone's home.
Roles and lanes.
Assassin/Jungler.
Tak is an energy-based melee assassin who does especially well when the enemy is under half health. He has some small sustain from his W passive, allowing him some feasibility as a jungler.
I could see Tak being played top lane, as well. Possibly mid, though his lack of a reliable poke would make him harder to play.
Stats and Abilities
Keep in mind that these are still subject to change, and likely will in the sake of balance.
Attack - 48 + 3.3 Per level. (104.1 at 18)
Attack Speed - .675 + 2.78% per level
Attack Range - 175
Health - 440 + 74 Per level. (1698 at 18)
Mana - 200 + 0 (Energy)
Move Speed - 335
Armor - 17 + 4 Per level. (85 at 18)
Magic Resist - 30 + 0
Health Regen - 6.25 + .6 per level (16.45 at 18)
Mana Regen - 50 + 0 per level.
Passive - Relentless Gale - Enemies with less than 50% of their maximum health suffer additional effects from Tak's skills.
Tak pays no energy cost for every fourth skill.
Q - Reap the Whirlwind - 60 Energy cost - Cooldown of 7/6.5/6/5.5/5 seconds - Range 350. Deals 65/90/115/140/165 physical damage plus .6 of total AD. If Reap the Whirlwind strikes a target under 50% hp, it may be activated again with no energy cost. The second activation will spin Tak in a circle, doing 60/80/100/120/140 physical damage plus .4 of total AD to all enemies within 300 units. The same enemy cannot trigger the second activation more than once every 10 seconds.
W - Invigorating Breeze - 50 Energy cost - Cooldown of 16/15/14/13/12 seconds - Passively heals Tak for 7/8/9/10/11 health per basic attack. When activated, Tak gains 15/25/35/45/55 move speed and is not affected by unit collision for 5 seconds. If an enemy is struck by a basic attack while the active is in effect, the target is slowed by 30% for 1.5 seconds. If the enemy is under 50% health, they are stunned for 1.5 seconds instead. An enemy cannot be slowed/stunned more than once each 10 seconds.
E - Subsidence - 100 Energy Cost - Cooldown of 22/20/18/16/14 seconds - On activation shields Tak against the next basic attack or ability for the next 1.5/1.75/2/2.25/2.5 seconds and grants him 5/10/15/20/25% tenacity while the shield is active. If the attacking champion is below 50% health, Subsidence will reflect 25/35/45/55/65 percent of a basic attack, or 30/35/40/45/50 percent of an ability's damage plus .15 total AD. The shield will block champion and epic monster basic attacks, but will not block creeps.
(Still deciding on whether or not the shield will block turret shots.)
R - Tempest - No energy cost - Cooldown of 90/80/70 seconds - Range 700 - Tak dashes forward towards target location, striking enemy champions he hits on the way. The first champion struck is knocked up into the air for .75 seconds. Any champions hit afterwards are slowed by 50% for 1 second, and all champions struck are dealt 150/200/250 physical damage plus .6 AD. Tak then dashes back to his original location after .5 seconds. Champions under 50% health are slowed by 75% instead. Champions under 50% health are dealt damage a second time on the return dash if they are struck.
Rune and Item Builds
Tak would have a few rune paths to take, whether he wanted to go AD, ArP, or even attack speed. But I would always take MR blues to cover for his sub par MR scaling.
As for items building AD benefits Tak, obviously. And due to him having less health and less MR than other assassin builds, building items that cover those weakness would be ideal. But the specific items can be dependent upon the situation, leaving him with some options there as well.
Tips for using Tak and laning against him.
Playing as Tak
You are most effective when the enemy is lower than half hp.
Your shield provides tenacity as well, don't hesitate to use it if you are CC'd.
Your second activation of Reap the Whirlwind has slightly less range than the first, so use your W, you can slow/stun them for an easy second hit.
Playing against Tak
You are more vulnerable the longer you allow him to attack you. Tak has no ranged pokes, so punish him when you can when he goes to farm.
Tak is the most vulnerable after his shield is used. It has a long cooldown and a relatively short duration, so remember not to waste an ability on it.
You should never try to duel Tak alone if you are below 50% health and he has more health than you do.
--Changelog--
2/17 - Several changes, including reworking for Tak's passive, W, and E.