Talon vs Karthus JUNGLE Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Champion

Opponent

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Talon

VS

Jungle

Karthus

Talon vs Karthus

Updated Jun 6, 2026

Overview

Use Talon's early mobility and burst to disrupt Karthus's slower full-clear tempo and deny his jungle farm.
Prioritize early river control and invade windows to prevent Karthus from scaling safely with his global damage.

Jungle Plan

Invade Karthus during his initial clears to force him off camps and delay his item spikes before level 6.
Fight for Scuttle Crab only when your lanes can move first and provide support to secure river control.
Use Talon's superior mobility to counter-jungle safely and set up early dragon or Rift Herald plays when Karthus is forced into full clears.

Danger windows

Avoid fighting Karthus when he has vision and is near full health during his fast clear resets.
Be cautious contesting objectives without lane priority, as Karthus's global (R) can finish low-health targets.
Talon is vulnerable during low-health clears or forced smite fights where Karthus's ranged damage can punish mistakes.

Early game

Start with a fast clear route to hit level 3 quickly and look for early invades on Karthus before he completes his first full clear.
Only contest first Scuttle if nearby lanes have priority to avoid risky isolated fights.
Avoid extended river skirmishes early without vision and lane support to prevent counter-ganks.

Power spikes

Level 2 unlocks (Q) and (W), giving Talon strong early dueling and invade pressure to punish Karthus's slower clear.
Level 6 (R) provides burst and stealth for aggressive picks or safe resets; track this to time invades or ganks effectively.
First lethality item significantly boosts Talon's damage and objective threat, enabling more confident pressure on Karthus and map plays.

Win conditions

Convert early jungle pressure into denying Karthus farm and forcing him off key camps to delay his scaling.
Use superior mobility and roam potential to secure early dragons and Rift Herald with lane priority.
Leverage Talon's burst and stealth to create picks and snowball lanes before Karthus reaches his global damage power spikes.