1. Introduction 1.1 Hero Spotlight 2. JUTSUs 3. Weapon Power 3.1 Tension Bow replacement 3.2 Item usage tips 3.3 Alternative final build 3.4 Tanky sustain 3.5 Tanky crit 4. Crystal Power 4.1 Situational defenses 5. Blitz mode 6. Emergency Roam 7. Tips and Tricks 8. Heroes synergy 9. Thanks

TaKa is a stealthy ninja fox who uses CHAKRA instead of energy. Taka's skins "SHIROKAGETAKA(shee-row kaa-ghey taa-kaa) means WHITESHADOWHAWK. My guess is, the developers loved Naruto so much they invented their own ninja fox! Anyway, Taka is a highly stealthy assassin with great burst of damage and healing (especially CP Taka)
However, Taka is hard to master. Keep in mind that you always have to be slippery and unpredictable.

Play Video



This is the most epic fight between Takas IMO (ps:I made dis) Play Video

House Kamuha Slot: Heroic Perk Taka gains Mortal Strike every 2s. Mortal Strike: Taka's next basic attack deals 30-85 (level 1-12) (+40% weapon power) bonus damage and briefly gains bonus movement speed. When Taka uses an ability or lands a Mortal Strike, he gains a stack of Ki. Ki: Taka gains Mortal Strike faster and his ability cooldowns are reduced by 5% per stack. 5 stacks max.

House Kamuha is the one thing that makes WP Taka so powerful. Nothing much to say but remember this grants you movement speed so you can dodge enemies' attacks easily. Watch that Joule misses all her Thunder Strikes and laugh.

Kaiten Slot: A Taka flips over his target, cutting it with his switchblade. Taka is invulnerable to damage and negative effects while in mid-air.

This jutsu is a Reflex Block. Use it wisely and do not waste it. However, you can use it while farming to help you clear jungle faster. Note that it sends you behind your target and Taka will basic attack the enemy once which procs Aftershock and any other on-hit effects

Kaku Slot: B Taka throws a smoke bomb at his feet and becomes invisible while gaining increased movement speed. Invisibility ends early if he strikes a target or takes direct damage. Turrets, Scout Traps and Flare Guns can still see Taka while he is invisible.

Kaku can heal you, make you invisible and increase your movement speed. It also help you gain House Kamuha stacks so you can use it to keep your House Kamuha stacks full when you are going into a team fight.

X-Retsu Slot: C Taka bursts through his target for massive damage and gains Ki Stacks. The target suffers a mortal wound (reduced healing) and takes damage per second for the next 3s. The wound's duration is refreshed whenever Taka Mortal Strikes this target.

X-Retsu is an amazing gap closer. It is also your main source of damage if you're CP. However, it applies mortal wound on enemy so you must use this to target the healer of the team such as Adagio and Lyra. It also works against Krul.

WEAPON POWER

Buy Swift Shooter and a Weapon Blade and a Halcyon Potion. This will help you farm and sustain in jungle. Try to not invade enemy jungle unless you have a strong roamer. Upgrade your Kaiten as much as possible and use it to avoid being rooted by jungle creeps. You should farm until at least Level 2 before helping out in lane if needed at all. If not, just farm because you need a lot of gold. Taka is one of the most gold hungry assassin in the game, in my opinion.

Note: WP Taka serve as a high damage decoy. Use Kaku at the right time to throw your enemies off, not use it once you are hit. Help your team to win the game, not survive and get rekt.

Go to the jungle shop or back to base if low chakra to buy Tension Bow and a Weapon Blade if you have enough gold. Keep this up until around 8min and by 8min you should at least have Reflex Block and Sprint Boots. Once you get Tension Bow, do not be afraid to help out in lane, because if you force the enemy Carry to port back to base, or die, they will miss a lot of farm. A few waves of minions in early game is a huge advantage as it can let your Carry either rotate to the jungle shop to buy things or damage the enemy turret. Once the enemy Carry is dead, try to ping your Captain to help invade the enemy jungle to steal a few creeps. As I said, a few XP or gold is a huge advantage early game.

Now you can roam around the bushes of lane, be unpredictable with your positioning by using Kaku. Wait for the enemy laner to come near the center for easy kill. Use basic attacks to damage and Kaiten when need to secure the kill or save yourself. Go back to the jungle when your laner is safe to farm. Build towards higher tier items. Prioritise your SPEED. Damage comes second. You need to crit. Some might want to go for Sorrowblade first.

Note: If you start with a Sorrowblade, you can farm faster and deal consistent damage. Meaning less aggressive style of play. Do this if your enemies are late game nightmares since Tension Bow scales off late game.

Now you should have 3 of your weapon offensive items at Tier 3, or at least 2, and a Reflex Block and Sprint Boots. Offense is your priority, defense, not so much since you have Kaku. The reason you should have Sprint Boots now is because, even though you have House Kamuha movement speed, once you are out of chakra or when you are running away, it is better to have it. For example, if a Ringo uses Achilles Shot while you are running away, instead of dying you can use Sprint Boots.

1. Use Atlas Pauldron if your opponent is a WP Krul or a WP Glaive.
2. If your opponent build lots of armour or is very tanky, such as Phinn, use Bonesaw.
3. Tyrant's Monocle can be replaced by a Bonesaw or Fountain of Renewal if you think you cannot deal enough damage. Might as well help your team for the victory right?
4. Poisoned Shiv can increase attack speed as well as weapon power. It's main function is to apply mortal strike. Which synergise well with House Kamuha.
5. I would not recommend Shiversteel for Taka since he already have so many gap closers, basically all his abilities are. However, slippery heroes such as Koshka, if that hero pose a threat to you, use it to help your teammates catch that hero.
6. Sorrowblade is a good substitute but unless you are already winning, I would not recommend this.

1. Bonesaw is very good because it helps your allies who are weapon power to deal more damage as well. Use it especially late game. Most players build Metal Jacket and Aegis both to have the reflex block while being tanky.
2. Buy Sorrowblade as first item instead, to help farming and deal consistent damage, very good if your playstyle is more defensive or your enemies are late game nightmares.
3. Atlas Pauldron is very useful for Taka because he has so many gap closers. This can heavily cripple attack speed oriented heroes in a team fight such as Krul.
4. Halcyon Chargers has a good CD reduction as well as chakra regeneration. Most of the time you will not reach this item but if you do, less worrying about energy that is. However, there are times you want to finish this item before your third or fourth offensive items. I don't use this item in CP build because with CP, you do not need the extra escape or the chakra regeneration. The CD reduction is quite insignificant now since your House Kamuha already gives 100% CD reduction.
5. Shiversteel is for heroes like Koshka who has high move speed. It also helps a lot in team fight so your carry can hit them easily. However, the bonus stats of this item does not exactly help Taka.
6. Poisoned Shiv is used if your opponent has a good heal such as Krul, Lyra, Adagio, or even Taka. ( Taka 's Kaku can heal)

With this build, your late game crit and armour shredding is strong as well as your attack speed. This is useful if you already have a very good and tanky Captain. Remember to be cautious of burst damage right now. Read the "Tips and Tricks" section to learn how to deal with burst damage. I recommend usage of Bonesaw over Breaking Point because you are always alternating in and out of the fight, the Breaking Point cannot stack, and in late game, everyone has Metal Jacket. However, if you are fighting say, Krul, Reim, or Phinn, you should use Breaking Point. But Krul and Reim is not exactly in the meta right now so...yeah, you get it.

This build is actually a classic "warrior" build usually built on carries or junglers who does consistent damage while distracting or tanking enemies. Taka will be able to use this build quite well because he can heal mid-fight and block crowd controls with Kaiten. Taka is still squishy by nature so be a distraction and never dies in a team fight. This will leave your enemies frustrated. I assume enemies will try to kill Taka first because they think he is easier to kill. Use your low health to bait enemies into suitable positions.
just remember to use auto attacks to shred armour and gain Breaking Point stacks.

You can replace Metal Jacket with Fountain of Renewal if your enemies go all CP.

I use Metal Jacket because as a front line warrior, you will be targeted by the enemy ranged/kiter carry so Atlas Pauldron will not be as effective.

This build is similar to the "Tanky Sustain" build above but it packs more burst-on-contact damage. Which is more useful against targets with little to no WP defense. It can still be effective when enemies are tanky depending on the situation. This build is good against an enemy composition that prevents you from stacking your Breaking Point or Bonesaw. For example: Phinn if he lands his Quibble every single time, even though you're supposed to dodge it.

CRYSTAL POWER

First off, as a CP Taka, I would not recommend getting Swift Shooter even though some say it is very helpful. That being said, you can try start off with Weapon Blade and a Swift Shooter so to trick your enemies into thinking you're a WP Taka. However, I recommend getting Hourglass and a Oakheart so you can buy a Stormcrown faster. Just so you know, the reason I don't use Clockwork in my standard CP build is because Stormcrown and Aftershock already offer good CD reduction and chakra regeneration. You can always use Kaiten to finish off treants or just to dodge the root. It is also a good way to practice using that built in reflex block. Try not to go to lane yet and always stick together with your team Captain. Hide in brushes as you approach the shop treant and hope that you or your teammate can KS that treant. (Now that I think about it, it is an indirect buff to Koshka, Rona, Krul and Lance, yes, including our beloved Taka since they excel in early game.)

You probably have enough gold for Stormcrown by now if you go near lane for a minute or two, to help pressure the lane and to gain gold for strong starting Tier 3 item. After this, you should keep farming in the jungle even though your team is getting a 3v2 in lane, because early game, the turret's damage is so potent that no one will dare to cross the line. Your Carry and Captain should be able to hold their own in the lane and a pro Carry can steal farm from his own turret, in case the enemies pushes the lane. You can get a few halcyon potions if you use the shop of your base, to help you sustain better in the jungle or lane in case they really need help, or you see a potential kill. Buy an Oakheart instead of halcyon potions if your gold is near 300. The value of it is higher and it can help you build Reflex Block sooner.

Now is the time you build Aftershock. Okay, maybe you don't have enough gold yet since you bought Reflex Block. But you can build the lower tier items that builds into Aftershock for now, to improve damage. Keep farming and check out in the lane once in a while to kill enemies. Your gold come mostly from kills from now on. You already have your ULT to kick ***. Next step is to build Broken Myth! Because now is also the time enemies start to invest in defense. Even if it make you hurt less to them, you force their Carry to spend gold on defenses rather than offensive items. This can help your Carry to survive in team fight better, and you can snowball their jungle with less worry.

Tip: Use the mini map to see what your Carry in the lane see.

By now, you should already have your core built completely but if you cannot because of various reasons, a Piercing Shard will suffice now, you can get Broken Myth later. CP Taka is a higher risk and higher reward style of playing Taka. You must remember to be unpredictable and utilize the powerful heal from Kaku. Sometimes, it is better to initiate with Kaiten and then close any gap with X-Retsu.

Post script : The reason I don't build boots in CP build is because, you don't need it. You need enough burst and tankiness to confuse your enemies. Auto attack minions or enemies to maintain agility. It is like Koshka's Bloodrush, except it is better.

1. You can use Crucible instead of Aegis if your opponent does not have too much crystal power or your opponent have hard CC such as Catherine's ULT and Ardan's.
2. Since you have stealth and two gap closer, you can use Atlas Pauldron effectively. Replace Metal Jacket in this case.
3. Fountain of Renewal is useful when your team captain is stupid or your team need the extra healing. Taka can do okay without a Reflex Block because Taka has Kaiten, and your team Captain, if he has a brain, will block hard CC for you, with his Crucible.

BLITZ MODE

Starting, you want to buy Clockwork and Shatterglass and Light Armor and Light Shield. This will use up all 6000 gold you are given. I have been testing this build for a long time now and I find this to be the most cost effective and high value first purchase. Then, you build Piercing Shard and whatever that can build into Broken Myth. You finish the first Broken Myth and then you go for a second one. People will start stacking defenses around now. I know, double Broken Myth sounds stupid, but trust me, the initial 24% shield pierce is useful. You have no chance to stack, it is blitz and you need to burst quick. Also, do not underestimate the little defensive stats you have from the Tier 1 defenses. It helps a ton. The value of defensive stats are higher the fewer they are. Once you finish your first Broken Myth and a Piercing Shard, don't bother anymore, making you only have 22% initial burst shield pierce, but at this point, it is near late game for Blitz, and you are better off buying a Crystal Infusion. After this, upgrade to Tier 2 defenses. You do not need Tier 3 defenses.

Note: In some cases, you will actually be able to finish the second Broken Myth because you don't have time to shop for so long, you have hella lot of cash.

If your enemies are not building Aegis and only building Tier 2 defenses, you can build two Piercing Shards and use the gold for more defenses such as Fountain of Renewal and Atlas Pauldron to counter attack speed heroes or to help your team survive team fights because in most cases people do not build Fountain of Renewal in Blitz mode (triple carry kek).

Note: In Blitz mode, you need to be the shadow the enemies fear, who kills them on sight and then disappear without a trace. Use your teammates as meat shield and come killing them off. If I have not told you yet, Taka is great at psychological warfare. Even I sometimes get mad dying to a Taka in standard matches while using a squishy Carry, and feel demotivated to continue fighting, because I lost confidence. Watch out for Flares though.

EMERGENCY ROAM

Emergency roam build is used when all your allies are idiots who don't know how to play Vainglory. Taka can be quite a good roam when used correctly as he has Kaku. Make sure to take the overdrive on Kaku so you can stealth longer. You can apply mortal strikes with your X-Retsu to reduce the healing power of enemies such as Lyra and Adagio.

Situational items
1. Crucible is a must-have for all roamers, same goes for Fountain of Renewal.
2. Rush Contraption no matter what. Try to get that Flare Gun first. This is because you need the CD reduction and chakra regeneration.
3. Shiversteel can really help your team to chase enemies or to cripple their mobility heavily. Remember when you as Krul trying your darndest to catch that Koshka?
4. If your team lacks basic attack damage, get Stormcrown instead of one of the item that your team need less (eg: a team which has high mobility, you don't have to buy War Treads) to help take out objectives.
5. Nullwave Gauntlet is used if the enemy team has a very powerful roamer such as Catherine or Flicker (I also main Flicker and I usually get more kills than the jungler because of that stupid damage from Scout Trap and abilities)
6. Atlas Pauldron's usage is quite self-explanatory. However, since it has some sort of a wind up animation before it is casted, press on the Atlas Pauldron's active button before rushing in with your abilities. X-Retsu recommended.
7. If you have them, War Treads is perfect for engaging a fight especially with slow teammates. This can surprise your enemies and catch them off guard.

NOTE: use Kaku to face check a bush when needed. Be the decoy since you can evade attacks.

1. Use Kaiten to block CC and high damage
2. Use Kaku to heal up and reappear again to continue killing and stay healthy
3. Try to maintain House Kamuha stacks and use X-Retsu as a fight initiator to gain 3 stacks of House Kamuha.
4. When attacking, use your speed to move around the target swiftly to dodge abilities.
5. At level 5, do not spend the skill point on Kaku. It is very tempting but once you are level 6, you can have level 4 Kaiten and level 1 X-Retsu
6. If you have sneaky opponent, buy Flare instead of Scout Traps to reveal any enemy's Scout Traps and enemy because you want to know what's there before engaging
7. Die less, you are often on a kill streak so die less to prevent enemy getting too much gold
8. Never use Kaiten for damage only unless you can kill the opponent. It is better used to avoid being damaged or CC-ed
9. Do not try to chase enemy that hides behind turret even though low health. You never know who's there and you are very vulnerable to damage
10. Kill, and disappear
11. Kaku can be used to chase fleeing enemy
12. When you are fleeing, once you use Kaku, go the opposite direction you were heading because usually the hunter will keep going the same direction (or go to the side if your opponents are smart. Just be weird)
13. When enemy Vain Crystal is vulnerable (all turrets destroyed), hide in brush, use Kaku to sneak pass enemies and destroy Vain Crystal secretly.
14. Try to not waste chakra on farming by casting jutsus unnecessarily if you think a teamfight is near. Your chakra regeneration is really low.
15. You can use your Kaku to prevent enemy from targeting you. This renders target reliant heroes useless against you such as Ringo and Krul.
16. When the game is going to end soon, which means the last push (or defense) will be deciding your win/loss, sell Aegis or Atlas Pauldron and buy Slumbering Husk. This can buy you more time to melt enemies and also a good opportunity for your teammates to Fountain of Renewal or Reflex Block for you and probably win you the game.
17. Never forget to buy and especially at lategame, even though you have not completed your build. Buy it when pushing such as after capturing Kraken, or your teammates are ready to push.
18. NEVER EVER get stunned in a team fight, or else you will die FAST!
19. Ping your Captain to trigger the scout traps before going somewhere in late game.
20. A lot of noobs rush in alone while playing Taka and then die, either that or sacrifice your Captain. SO, just be a considerate player and stick with your team, to execute a target (the carry) when the time is right.
21. Be early in a team fight and appear only at the right time. You are like BATMAN, you surprise and strike fear.
22. Don't use Kaku to engage if possible, you need it to disappear, so that you can reappear and continue to fight.

Top 8 heroes who works well with Taka (not in specific order)

Ardan can shield you up during emergencies. When you are about to die, once Ardan uses Vanguard on you, you can dish out much more damage in that time and potentially kill your enemies. Even if you don't, you can use that chance to heal up with Kaku and then reengage. His ULT can isolate enemies, indirectly buffing you especially if you're WP.


Catherine's stun disables your target's abilities or any potential crowd control. That 1.2 second is more than enough for a Taka to kill the enemy or damage the enemy severely, assuming Catherine taking the overdrive on her Merciless Pursuit. Plus, her ULT is basically the best time for you to engage.


SAW's Suppressing Fire can slow down enemies so much for so long, preventing their escape from your mighty burst damage.


Blackfeather's On Point can slow down enemies. He usually build Crucible and Bonesaw, which can prevent various CCs if he chose to use the Reflex Block for you. The Bonesaw can help you deal much more damage if you are WP. Even if he's CP, his Feint of Heart still grants you a good boost of movement speed to chase enemies.


Lance can root and stun or push enemies. What more can you ask for?


Flicker can slow down enemies by 60% and then root them in place. Plus, Flicker has a team-wide stealth which can help you to chase enemies or to sneak up on enemies for an ambush. Do not underestimate the tankiness of Flicker.


Gwen can slow and reveal enemy heroes. Sometimes when you want to go into the other bush just so you can X-Retsu without being noticed, you must use Kaku prematurely. She can solve this problem for you. A Flare works too though.


Joule can use Rocket Leap to scatter and stun enemies. She can then help you to tank other enemies as you two focus on one of them.

In a nutshell, any hero with crowd control works well with Taka. Taka can usually 1v1 well with hit and run technique but have problem chasing slippery enemies or those with strong crowd controls.

Thanks for reading my guide! I will update this guide if I learn something new or there is a major nerf/buff for Taka.

Thanks for reading, have fun in the HALCYON FOLD.

Post scriptum: read the threat meter, a good deal of ways to counter enemies are there.

Faey is also my ign

Vote my guide if you find it helpful.
read changelog in comments section