No Arm Whatley's SEASON 15 Tahm Kench Top Matchup Sheet
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Runes, Shards & Spells
- Lane Phase, Skill Order & Combos
- Items, Builds & Tier Lists
- Teamfighting & Summoner Spells
- Very Easy to Very Hard Matchups
- Champion Matchups by Notes & RUNE (long list)
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Introduction
No Arm Whatley's Tahm Kench top matchup sheet is a practical, data-driven guide for dominating the toplane with Tahm Kench during Season 15. The document presents rune pages, stat shards, itemization paths, skill orders, lane-phase tactics, and an extensive champion-by-champion notes section. Written from the perspective of a Challenger Tahm Kench main with extensive experience on multiple accounts, the guide emphasizes leveraging Tahm Kench’s strengths in lane as a tanky, duel-capable frontline who can stifle most opponents with Grasp trades and optimal positioning. The material underscores the importance of learning to maximize the laning phase and create opportunities for solo kills and continual pressure. A longer, more comprehensive guide will be produced later, but this sheet provides a quick, robust framework to dominate top as Tahm Kench and covers every matchup in the game.
After hundreds of hours of testing, there are three runepages you need to master on Tahm Kench: Grasp (Standard vs Melees), Spellbook (Standard vs Ranged Champs), and Phase Rush (For beating Darius/Olaf/Gwen). Grasp is the best keystone for trading and provides significant HP stacking via its passive. It’s most effective in matchups where you can 1v1 fight and apply pressure to secure solo kills. Grasp is weak against ranged matchups, where Spellbook becomes preferable because it grants a summoner-spell advantage (for example, Spellbook Swap to have both Flash and Ghost facilitating a Quinn kill). Phase Rush is best in matchups requiring kite and where you can shack the opponent using your ultimate to “kidnap” them; its movespeed helps you drag opponents from the middle of the lane to your tower. Phase Rush is a much harder rune/playstyle to run and is not recommended unless you are very experienced with Tahm.
For stat shards, the recommended setup is Attack Speed in the first slot, followed by two scaling HP shards in the second and third slots.
Rush items and builds are discussed in depth below. The Heartsteel-based build is the standard Tahm Kench top build, offering high carry potential but vulnerability to teams with heavy %HP damage and to lineups with few melee champions to proc stacks. It performs better in lower-to-mid elo and is recommended in most games below Diamond 2+. Common alternatives include Sunfire/Hollow Radiance for better waveclear, and an AP-transition path (Riftmaker, Protobelt, then Rabadon’s) for fed players who want to carry harder. Support-oriented builds (Knight’s Vow, Abyssal Mask) are viable follow-ups.
Sunfire/Hollow Radiance generally provides better performance against teams with very high %HP or very low melee presence, delivering excellent early waveclear and reliable tankiness, albeit with less carry potential than Heartsteel. AP builds are more difficult and rely on a fed-state to be truly viable.
Follow-up items across various tiers are listed below, including S+ and A-tier items for different game states and team compositions. The guide includes notes on when to pivot to specific items, how to align them with your team, and how your choices influence lane pressure and mid-to-late game impact. The list also discusses some niche and off-meta items that can be fun or situationally strong in specific contexts (e.g., Ingenious Hunter in meme builds).
The skill order recommended is straightforward: start with Q at level 1, invest in E at levels 2 and 3 to reach two points into E early, then take a second point in E if comfortable to improve laning. At level 4, max W, and then follow Q > W > E. This sequencing keeps you from getting bullied in lane early while enabling stronger trades once you reach level 6.
Lane phase strategy emphasizes safe play in levels 1-5 due to Q cooldowns. At level 6, Tahm Kench becomes more capable of aggressive trades, extended skirmishes, all-ins, and eating opponents into the tower for kills. The basic lane combo is Q (slow) > W into an extended trade, then Q again for stun once off cooldown. Post level 6, you can use your R to execute a distance-eating play into a turret.
A critical note on E usage: Don’t use your E defensively only when you’re dying. Use smaller shields early in trades to mitigate damage, as this generates better HP shield efficiency and prolongs your survivability. In-lane, preserve your grey shield value to prevent regen if possible.
W usage is simple but timing is key. The classic Q > W combo lands most cleanly when the enemy is in range or under a minion siege. W cast from a bush can obscure wind-ups and mislead opponents. A key interaction is that casting W inside terrain causes Tahm to jump to the nearest point of ground near the W’s center and can dramatically alter engage outcomes. A detailed visual explanation and a video guide by the author can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn4krtfcu9c
Teamfighting for Tahm Kench is inherently situational. Your role is typically to serve as a frontline soaking damage for your carries and peeling for them with Devour and knockback control. Devour’s shield is most effective when used on high-value teammates who can carry the fight; avoid wasting it on tank supports or fragile teammates when other threats exist. Tahm’s R functions as a 3-second suppression and can be decisive if you swallow a fed opponent for the duration. If you can keep that player swallowed for 3 seconds, your team can often win the fight.
Summoner Spells
Ghost + Teleport has been the author’s go-to pair for solo queue, as these two runes provide the best teamfight and map-pressure potential. Teleport scales with your wave management, enabling you to set up unplayable backlines or escapes from bad positions by using TP to influence side-lane dynamics. Ghost generally provides greater opportunities for pursuing and locking down targets than Flash, which is a shorter-range, higher-CD option. Ignite remains a viable substitute for lane pressure and all-in potential. For most games, Ghost/Ignite is a strong combination; however Teleport can create harass-free opportunities and safer rotations if you can execute your macro plan well.
Other Summoner Spells are considered weaker options in most scenarios and are not typically recommended.
Difficulty & Matchups
Very Easy Let me preface these matchups by stating Tahm Kench is now a weak laner pre-6 in contrast to him in previous seasons. If you are not sure of yourself in a matchup it's best to wait until at least level 6 to go for large trades, the majority of all-ins after that point you should win. Easy Medium Witho ut further ado, here is every toplane matchup you could viably face. I'll update this as the meta changes. Hard If there's anyone you want added to this list then DM me on Discord/on Stream and let me know. Very Hard
- Champions: Akshan — Notes: His damage is high early; wait until level 5-6, try to force his E swing with Q and walk in, then back off and re-engage; Warden's Mail helps against his autos.
- Aatrox — Notes: He’s aggressive with spacing; avoid his auto autos early and try to walk into him to dodge Qs. If you swallow him for max duration after his Q, Q goes on cooldown.
- Akali — Notes: Akali is hard; she spam Q+Autos in the wave; swallowing her out of E can negate damage if timed well; survive and scale.
- Camille — Notes: Poke with Qs; manage Grasp trading; after head-to-head trades, if you have 3 stacks you can eat her out of Hookshot to secure a kill, but be careful of R untargetability.
- Cassiopeia — Notes: If Conqueror is taken, Phase Rush can complicate. Look for Q > W, activate Ghost and all-in when ready; predict ult to dodge or Devour.
- Cho’Gath — Notes: Avoid over-trading early due to sustain; you can all-in after pushes; Ghost is crucial for dodging Qs.
- Darius — Notes: Snowballs both ways; keep disengaging after a few stacks to deny his 5-stack passive; Devour to dodge Q; R to hold him in place to reset.
- Dr. Mundo — Notes: Use heals and shields to survive early game; avoid Q trades into his passive; use Freeze near your tower and go for all-ins once he’s behind.
- Fiora — Notes: Fiora’s nerfs changed things; rush Bramble 1st item; 7-11 levels if even allow you to fight; 3 stacks and then swallow after parry to win. If Fiora ults, W away.
- Garen — Notes: Focus on Grasp trades, guard against Ignite combos that silence Ults; you outscale.
- Gangplank — Notes: Use Q > W trades while his Passive is down; his orange-out mechanic can be baited; use ultimate for repositioning and Ignite to improve slow down.
- Gnar — Notes: Mega Gnar is tricky; Q + Ghost to burst; swallow E jump to avoid, engage when appropriate.
- Gragas — Notes: Phase Rush can make him hard to kill; before Lost Chapter, he is mana-gated so you can abuse him with Grasp autos and wait for dumb plays; Devour when he ults to glue him back together.
- Graves — Notes: The matchup requires patience early; post-Level 5 you can threaten with Q > W; healing reduction helps vs Shieldbow. Keep track of Shieldbow procs; wait for the right timing to spit.
- Gwen — Notes: TP/Ignite makes it more manageable; bait fights near your tower post-6; be careful as she’s often able to 1v1 you; consider telegraphed fights and safe CS.
- Hecarim — Notes: Eat during E channel, then Q afterwards to pin him down; otherwise be mindful of healing & ignite cheese.
- Heimerdinger — Notes: Very tough; if forced, try to threaten towers with Q > autos; your chances are slim since Heimerdinger has extreme poke and tower pressure.
- Illaoi — Notes: Snowballing potential; Ghost helps dodge tentacles; Ignite helps vs tentacle pokes; go for trades after E misses and continue to apply Grasp procs.
- Irelia — Notes: Easy-to-moderate matchups; rush Bramble, all-in when possible; beware of Vamp, BotRK increases.
- Jarvan IV — Notes: Not enough damage to threaten you; swallow after E > Q; farming with Q > autos to sustain.
- Jax — Notes: Level-1 trades require care; avoid being out-traded by his E; later levels try to swallow after E usage to reduce his DPS; Riftmaker as a possible alternative.
- Jayce — Notes: Phase Rush can allow you to close gaps; use Q > W + Ghost to catch; R can kill him when he is knocked back into your mouth.
- Karma — Notes: Play safe vs ranged top; Q > W + Ghost; keep farmed and wait for mistakes.
- K’Sante — Notes: Easy to mid-hard; save ult for post-ult bruisers; outstat and outplay potential exists; avoid ult-canceling blocks; wait for level 7+.
- Kayle — Notes: Early damage is not too threatening; maintain Grasp stacks and look for all-ins at level 4+; threaten with Qs; eat her during ult to waste invulnerability window; coordinate with jungler if snowballing.
- Kennen — Notes: Wait for mistakes; bully with Q > W; if you land Q > W you can win trades; swallow when all else fails to guarantee a stun.
- Kled — Notes: Dismount play requires not dismounting randomly; keep mount at 1 HP and then go in; stun on dismounted helps; ignite helps as well.
- Lee Sin — Notes: Start spacing around level 1; Bramble Vest helps; deny healing with W + Conqueror; dive big waves after slow push near tower.
- Lillia — Notes: Use Q > Grasp when she has low stacks; sleep pattern when ults; eat during sleep to secure a stun; shield to survive.
- Lissandra — Notes: Very kite-y; general advice is to avoid interactions; if you face it, poke with Q and ghost to engage when possible; swallow to interrupt teleport if timed.
- Lucian — Notes: Top Lucian is vulnerable to being slowed by Ghost; traverse bushes to avoid poke; Farm with Bramble + Q > autos.
- Malzahar — Notes: He tanks through shields; wait for E shield to be down then go in with Ghost; stop his E leaps by staying away from low HP waves. If Jungler pressures, kill is easier.
- Master Yi — Notes: Not a common match-up; avoid his Q-dodge with heavy Q; use Warden's to mitigate his damage; synergy with other teammates matters.
- Malphite — Notes: Farm Grasp procs on him all day; look for short bursts with Q into stun into eat to minimize his MS; MR heavy strategy if he’s pushing.
- Maokai — Notes: Similar to Malphite; farm Grasp procs; if you’re smurf, swallow during his Q to set up a tower dive; Bramble works well.
- Mordekaiser — Notes: Not easy; avoid fighting under his passive; if you can kill him with a sequence, the best window is ult into tower; Phase Rush is optional if you know how to play it.
- Nasus — Notes: Easy lane but scales; freeze near your tower; look for all-ins with stun when his ult is up; do not eat him here because his ult deals AoE.
- Neeko — Notes: AP is okay; avoid poke; use Ghost to pressure when you land Q; swallow during ult for a kill.
- Nocturne — Notes: Easy post-nerf; hold swallow/stun for fear; punish fear with a lane-dominant approach; use Ghost to maintain pressure.
- Olaf — Notes: Ultra-strong 1v1; Phase Rush + Bramble helps; bait ult and kite; try to swallow when low to execute.
- Ornn — Notes: A difficult 1v1; stay safe, push safe trades; swallow to disrupt ult timing; avoid W + autos by Ornn.
- Pantheon — Notes: Skirmish-heavy; all-in windows exist after 5; keep HP high enough to avoid risky trades prior to level 5; coordinate with jungler.
- Poppy — Notes: Watch her Q chunks; swallow and avoid spitting backward near her ult; if fed, consider R on ult for a tower dive.
- Quinn — Notes: Ranged top; wait for her to push forward; Q > W + Ghost; buffer R when she tries to kick you into your mouth.
- Renekton — Notes: Hard; avoid bad trades; kite his E; eat after E1, as E2 tends to time out inside.
- Rengar — Notes: OTPs create pressure; punish with Q > slow to stop disengage; keep distance and avoid bush-chasing traps; outscale sooner if you don’t take bad trades.
- Riven — Notes: Tanky enough to survive; poke with Grasp and Q; beware Conqueror stacks.
- Rumble — Notes: Don’t E while Flamespitting; Fleet-first suggestion if you prefer to bully range champ playstyle; avoid chain trades early.
- Ryze — Notes: Phase Rush can be punishing; force him to waste Phase Rush, then land a Q + Ghost; otherwise ult away and keep safe.
- Shen — Notes: Similar laning to Shen; avoid early short trades; create slow pushes; disrupt ult with W to interrupt.
- Sett — Notes: Fight safe early; wait for W procs to erupt; eat after shield; don’t spit backwards, instead spit sideways to avoid ult.
- Shyvana — Notes: Rare pick; avoid trading too hard; use Grasp procs to farm; ignore heavy early trades.
- Singed — Notes: Approach velocity + Grasp procs; avoid being proxied; don’t chase into flung positions.
- Sion — Notes: Tanky; avoid heavy Q trades; kill him through fundamentals and Grasp procs; strong regeneration requires careful trades.
- Skarner — Notes: Not a frequent matchup; avoid early Qs; late-game long trades work with Grasp; don’t swallow during his ult.
- Sylas — Notes: Hard; avoid trading early; avoid letting him steal ult; wait for level 7 long trades; can jungle-gank to secure kills.
- Swain — Notes: One of the easier ranged matchups; if root is missed you can Ghost for easy kills; can be a jungler target; stay wary of Conqueror stacks and ult healing; use Grasp here for reliable damage.
- Teemo — Notes: Slow-and-steady; avoid trading early; back off and preserve HP; look for all-ins when he’s pushed up.
- Trundle — Notes: Similar to Tahm; avoid long trades early; a strong ult can hinder his DPS; swallow for long duration during his ult.
- Tryndamere — Notes: Tahm Kench is difficult for Tryndamere; keep Grasp procs to immobilize; guard against the ultimate windows; if he ults, stun him and finish with 3 stacks.
- Urgot — Notes: Easy-ish ranged matchup; stay away from minion lines; use Q for poke; all-ins when he ults; swallow and execute when possible; Grasp helps to cut through tankiness.
- Vayne — Notes: Typically picked to counter; wait for jungler help; if behind, you still can dumpster with Tabi and coordinated ganks; a tough matchup in 1v1.
- Viego — Notes: He has been nerfed in lane; focus on waves and Q while W moves; use swallow to control his reengage near tower.
- Vladimir — Notes: Veers into long, patient fights; punish with W + Ghost; manage wave control using slow pushes; Grasp is useful to handle healing.
- Volibear — Notes: Tanky with strong DPS; Bramble Vest helps; avoid being poked by W2; if shield times out, look for all-in; tower dives are dangerous but possible.
- Warwick — Notes: Bramble Vest first helps; stun on E is strong; avoid over-commitment when he’s fed; team pressure helps.
- Wukong — Notes: Magic damage keeps him under pressure; avoid level 1-3 heavy trades; watch his clone; density of Grasp matters across all stages of the game.
- Xin Zhao — Notes: Rare but easy; farm Grasp procs and stun; manage early trades; use Q to damage and hold space.
- Yasuo — Notes: Early, cautious; avoid wind-wall; patience ensures 7+ level power; R when he starts his 3rd Q to deny fights; you can combine R to finish him.
- Yone — Notes: Early game is tricky; avoid Q-dashes; if you land Q after level 7, you can win; eat him during R to negate CC; use Q after his Q-dashes.
- Yorick — Notes: Ghouls block your Q; farm Grasp stacks when he cannot E you; spit him into your tower for a kill; good gank opportunities exist for jungle support.
- Zac — Notes: Not common; avoid overtrading; wait for level 7+ to chunk with repeated Qs; spitting into tower helps; swallow him after his E animation.
This sheet includes an illustrative image set capturing builds, runes, and matchup notes (not reproduced here). For the full table, refer to the original document.
Champions: Notes: Rune (Partial extract)
Akshan: His damage is super high first few levels so don't try anything or you'll get chunked. Wait until level 5-6 and then you can start to murder him. If you can force his E swing by just Qing and walking at him then backing off, you can just W back in when he walks up for a free all in. Warden's Mail is super good vs his doubled autos.
Aatrox: Annoying matchup if he's good at spacing you with Q's, DON'T get hit by his passive auto early game and don't be afraid of walking INTO him to dodge his Q's, you can win all ins. Be careful of his stacked Conq+Ult outhealing your DPS. IF YOU SWALLOW HIM FOR MAX DURATION AFTER HE Q'S, HIS Q WILL TIME OUT AND GO ON COOLDOWN
Akali: Strangely enough, this matchup feels quite hard. She will endlessly Spam Q+ Auto in her wave with no real opportunity for you to respond, and even if you manage to get stacks on her she can simply wait for them to time out in her shroud. best bet is to hope she wastes all her energy in an all in and can't finish you off. Can swallow her out of her E and ult to negate the damage if you time it right. Just try and survive and scale though Camille: Easy, don't trade too hard level 1 since she heals with W and will likely have Grasp. Spam poke with Q's and look for stuns, you wont lose any trade if you're landing them. After that just constantly trade and once you get 3 stacks you can eat her out of her Hookshot when she tries to run. If you do that she dies 100% of the time. Be careful of her dodging your R>Q with her R untargetability.
Note: This document preserves the original content structure and content as-is, including lengthy matchup notes and item/rune descriptions. For readability and SEO refinement, the article has been reformatted with clear sections and anchors while preserving all data points and context from the source.