Ignite or Ghost both work as your second summoner: Ghost helps you finish the kite once he's forced to run.

Matchups › Graves › vs Tahm Kench

Graves vs Tahm Kench

YOU · TOP

ENEMY · TOP

Skill matchupPre-6 MediumPost-6 MediumTake Ignite

How to play it

✓

Dodge his W

His Abyssal Dive (W) is his only engage tool: dodge it and he has nothing else to close the gap with.

✓

Bully him early

He's not that hard to lane against: most Tahm Kench players are passive, so lean on him with your Q before he gets a foothold.

✓

Watch his Ghost + R

Once his Ghost is off cooldown he can close in fast and Devour you for a kill: don't get caught low near him.

Never sit at low HP near him once his Ghost is up: that's exactly when he closes in for a Devour kill.

Runes

PRECISION

INSPIRATION

SHARDS

Spells

FLASH

IGNITE

Items

Start

Core

→

Graves flexes lethality and crit every game, but the constant is Bloodthirster first for the lifesteal and shield that keep him healthy in lane, then Youmuu's Ghostblade to snowball. Rush an early Cloth Armor or Hexdrinker into heavy AD/AP bursts, and grab Boots of Swiftness when you need to stick to a target.

Skill order

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Q			Q	Q		Q	Q
		W											W	W		W	W
	E							E	E		E	E
					R					R					R

MAX

Q→

E→

Graves · Top · Patch 26.17 · Ranked Solo · Updated Sep 5, 2026

Graves vs Tahm Kench in Top lane is a skill matchup on patch 26.17. The one thing to respect: his Abyssal Dive (W) is his only real engage, dodge it and you're free to kite him down.