Renegade Talon

First time I saw Renegade Talon was back in like season 2, maybe early season 3. Some dude in my ranked game locked in Talon with this skin and proceeded to one-shot our mid laner at level 6 over and over. Not gonna lie, the skin stuck in my memory more than the loss did. It’s one of those old school textures that just has a vibe to it, even if Riot wasnt exactly pushing boundaries with 520 RP skins in 2011.

What Renegade Talon actually changes

Lets be real here. This is a Standard tier skin at 520 RP. You’re getting a model swap and that’s about it. No new VFX on his Rake or Shadow Assault. Voice lines stay base. No recall animation beyond the default channel. The blade cape gets a darker, more rugged look compared to base Talon. Think less royal assassin, more back-alley cutthroat who’s been through some rough nights on the Rift.

The color palette leans into browns and muted reds. His hood sits a little different, gives him more of a weathered mercenary feel. Played maybe 30 games with this skin last month in Diamond and the auto attack animations feel identical to base, which is expected. No gameplay clarity issues either. Your W fan of blades reads the same, your E blink looks the same. Simple change – clean execution.

Could be wrong here but I think the shoulder armor has slightly different geometry compared to default. Nothing dramatic. You’re not getting Legendary-level model work obviously, but for a skin from August 24, 2011 it holds up better than some other releases from that era. (Random aside: I keep this skin in my Talon rotation specifically for when I want to feel like a season 1 veteran even though I started in season 3.)

The Legacy connection and release context

Renegade Talon dropped alongside Talon’s champion release, August 2011. One of two launch skins. Part of the Legacy skinline catalog, which Riot uses as their catch-all for older themed skins. Shop has it at 520 RP which is basically pocket change by today’s standards.

No splash artist credited in the data. The splash itself is classic Riot era art. Talon crouching with blades out, hood up, darker outfit than his base. It reads well as a thumbnail in champ select. Been maining Talon on and off since season 5 and I still think this splash holds a certain charm that newer skins try too hard to replicate.

Zero chromas available. At 520 RP thats expected. Riot rarely goes back to add chromas for skins at this price point. Voice pack is base only, Travis Willingham doing his thing. Solid VO that fits the Renegade aesthetic honestly.

Should you pick up Renegade Talon?

Real verdict: if you’re a Talon one-trick who wants every skin in the collection, 520 RP feels fair for what you get. It’s not competing with Enduring Sword or Blood Moon in terms of visual spectacle. Not even close. But that’s not the point.

Kinda feels like this skin exists for the players who appreciate simplicity. No flashy particles distracting you when you’re trying to proc your passive in a teamfight. No over-the-top ult VFX when you’re diving the backline. Just Talon looking like he crawled out of some Noxian underground fighting ring. Available any time in the shop.

Last Tuesday I ran this in a Diamond game against a Katarina who kept all-chatting about my “poverty skin.” Dropped a triple kill on her team at dragon pit around 25 minutes in. Skin diff doesn’t matter when your Q crit deletes the ADC pre-6. Skip this if you already own Dragonblade or High Noon. But for 520 RP? Honestly its fine for what it is. Standard pricing, the skin earns its keep through nostalgia alone.