Taka is a very stealthy assassin who can make enemies weep. If you maximize on his mobility and heroic perk, you'll rarely lose. Let's break down his abilities:
Heroic Perk:
House Kamuha
Taka's perk provides many benefits: burst move speed, lifesteal, guaranteed crits, and cooldown acceleration. All of these hinge on stacks of "Ki," which go up to 5 and are increased whenever Taka critically strikes or uses an ability. At 5 stacks, every attack will crit; Taka's critical strikes also have 30% lifesteal, which is extremely useful for keeping him alive. In addition, the critical strikes grant him a burst of move speed, so use this to your advantage when chasing enemies: attack, then run, attack, then run, and you'll be able to keep pace with even the fastest heroes. The last benefit of Ki is that each stack grants 25% cooldown acceleration, the same as a
Chronograph, so with 5 stacks, you can bring the cooldown of
X-Retsu as low as 8 seconds. Make sure to keep your stacks at 5 as often as you can.
A Ability:
Kaiten
Your first ability, while at first glance very boring, is actually extremely useful. It can be used as an attack, a gap closer, a reflex block, or all of them together. Especially in the late game, don't throw away this ability at the beginning of a fight-- it may be crucial to keep from being stunned later. When chasing, tap this ability while running and it will launch you at your opponent. Finally, this skill is very important when fighting heroes with AoE skills, such as Skaarf or Celeste, because you can leap over them to dodge one of their abilities. When farming, this skill can be used to quickly and easily gain stacks of Ki. I recommend maxing this ability first so that it costs no power.
B Ability:
Kaku
Your second ability is one of Taka's defining characteristics. The ability to stealth in any situation is a huge asset to this assassin. Like Kaiten, it can be used in a variety of ways: chasing, escaping, keeping your stacks. When fleeing a fight, run one direction, stealth, and then run the other direction. Your opponents will have no idea where you are. I also use this skill to keep from losing Ki stacks while farming. Finally, use Kaku when your enemy thinks they are safely out of danger to ambush them.
C Ability:
X-Retsu
X-Retsu is amazing. It does lots of damage, cuts healing, and can be used from a range, even through walls. I primarily use it for initiating fights, as it grants not 1 but 3 Ki stacks, but it is also a nightmare for enemies when you're chasing. It does small DoT with mortal wound, so don't be sad if an enemy has a little health left after you use the ability. They could still die. Like Kaiten, this can also be used to leap over enemies (though it doesn't keep you from being damaged) so you can use it to dodge directional ults. A word of warning: X-Retsu rockets you pretty far, so be careful not to accidentally overshoot into range of a turret.
Gameplay:
For teamfights, pick out the enemies' highest damage dealer and focus on him/her. Your critical strikes should take care of the problem. Taka's main weakness is his relatively low health, so don't go 1-on-3 with the enemy team, and don't try to kill an enemy who's between two turrets. Basically, don't overextend.
Farm a ton at the beginning of a match, and you'll be a monster by in the mid-late game. Only go in the lane before level 6 if there's an easy assassination waiting to happen. After that, keep farming while keeping an eye on the lane. Gold is, of course, key.
At this point, you should have
Bonesaw, your
Sorrowblade (you can also go for a
Tornado Trigger if your enemy has no armor; I like
Bonesaw because it helps me kill turrets more quickly), and the components of your
Serpent Mask. The enemy has a healthy fear of you. The goal now is not to get caught out in the open by yourself, while still being an assassin. You have enough lifesteal to survive short battles, but don't get caught in a lengthy skirmish. As always, look out for any crystal burst attacks. Some of my worst moments playing Taka have been getting shotgunned in the face by Celeste's ult
When you have an all your items, which is rare for me, stay with your team! The enemy will have enough power to stun and kill you in less than 2 seconds, so only engage with teammates nearby. Always take out the easiest target first, which should take very little time, and then move on to the next. This way, if the rest of your team dies, you'll be left with a 1-on-2 instead of a 1-on-3. My last tip: please, please, please, (please!) don't go down in a blaze of glory finishing off one enemy and getting aced. That helps no one. Well, I guess that wraps up this guide. Happy assassinating!
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