MacroMind matchup data: real ranked games, not opinions
Talon vs Karthus
Talon vs Karthus in Jungle: who wins more often?
Across 685 ranked games in Jungle, Talon beats Karthus in 47% of them.
Global ranked sample: games from every region and every rank pooled together, not one server's stats. Data runs through patch 26.12; curves updated 2026-08-07.
By 15 minutes the median game has Talon ahead by 129 gold.
Talon at 15:00
- Gold: +129
- CS: -7
- XP: -162
Typical gap to Karthus, from 683 games that reached 15:00.
Does Talon counter Karthus?
Even on the count: Talon lands at 47% over 685 games. Neither pick wins the lane alone, so take the side you play better and use the rows below to see which early spots swing this one, then play your first ten minutes around them.
Your Talon game plan against Karthus
With a gold lead at 10:00, Talon wins 58% of 353 games in this matchup. Behind at the same mark, the rate drops to 36% over 332.
| The spot | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Ahead in gold at 10:00 | 58% | 353 |
| Behind in gold at 10:00 | 36% | 332 |
| First blood | 54% | 434 |
| +kills at 10:00 | 59% | 352 |
| +CS at 10:00 | 56% | 228 |
| 0 deaths at 10:00 | 60% | 157 |
| 0 deaths at 15:00 | 63% | 71 |
In the median game here, the first death comes near 5:35 and level 6 lands around 7:01. Until your spike is online, treat the all-in window with respect.
Talon in Jungle: the items that actually get built
Into Karthus specifically, Talon finishes Youmuu's Ghostblade first most often: 41.7% over 115 games of this matchup.
The most-finished Talon core is Umbral Glaive, Voltaic Cyclosword, Youmuu's Ghostblade: 57.3% across 1,213 games when all three got done. All matchups, patches 26.1-26.12.
Most games start Scorchclaw Pup; the first finished item is usually Youmuu's Ghostblade (11,612 games).
Skill plan: Talon players max W first and take W at level 1.