Abyss Talon in Butcher Hero
Abyss Talon is the Legendary Piercing weapon of Butcher Hero, and it is a Mark weapon. Its hits apply Marks to enemies with a 10% chance, and every Mark on the target raises your lifesteal by 5% at the base item and by 15% at item level 15. The second and third abilities make Marks easier to apply and speed up your attacks.
Abyss Talon at a Glance
Abyss Talon takes a weapon slot and deals Piercing damage, so it works best on islands whose green weapon hint points at Piercing. It is the top of the regular Piercing line, above Savage Fang, Venom Shard, Phantom Edge and Ember Fang. Its abilities open one by one as the item level grows.
| Slot | Weapon |
|---|---|
| Damage type | Piercing |
| Rarity | Legendary, with a Divine form |
| Abilities | Mark Protocol, Mark Precision, Mark Tempo |
| Ability unlocks | Mark Protocol from the start, Mark Precision at item level 1, Mark Tempo at item level 6 |
| Highest ability level | Item level 15 |
The game has 6 regular Piercing weapons, one for each rarity from Common to Legendary, plus the Mythic Phantom Fang from events. The full Butcher Hero item list compares them all.
How Marks Work
A Mark is a counter on an enemy. Piercing weapons are the ones that apply Marks, and other items read them: some turn each Mark into lifesteal, some into damage, supercrit chance or attack speed. The more Marks an enemy carries, the bigger the bonus, up to a maximum charge that the Extra Mark stat and several abilities raise.
The game's own tips say to stack Marks on enemies to make knives stronger and to greatly boost lifesteal. In the Soul Tree, one upgrade gives every Mark you apply a 33% chance to trigger lifesteal, so Marks pay off twice when you invest there. The Soul Tree guide lists the upgrade, and the stats guide explains lifesteal itself.
Abilities by Item Level
Mark Protocol does three things: Piercing weapons can apply Mark with a 10% chance, the maximum Mark charge goes up by 2, and every Mark on the enemy raises lifesteal. Only the lifesteal value changes with item level, and the table lists each step. Mark Precision raises the Mark apply chance, and Mark Tempo raises this weapon's attack speed for every Mark on the enemy. Both also add to the maximum Mark charge.
| Item level | Mark Protocol: lifesteal per Mark |
|---|---|
| Base | +5% |
| 2 | +6% |
| 3 | +7% |
| 5 | +8% |
| 8 | +10% |
| 11 | +12% |
| 14 | +13.5% |
| 15 | +15% |
At the base item each Mark adds 5% lifesteal, and at level 15 it adds 15%. With three Marks on one enemy, that is 15% at the base item and 45% at level 15.
Abyss Talon Video
The video shows a boss much stronger than the player falling to the right weapons, a good example of how weapon choice decides a hard fight.
Best Pairings
Abyss Talon pairs best with other Piercing weapons that read Marks, because all of them use the Marks that the Talon applies. Phantom Edge (Rare) has Sure Crit, Super Mark and Super Wound: its Super Mark and Super Wound abilities raise supercrit chance and supercrit damage for every Mark on the enemy. Ember Fang (Epic) has Stacking Tempo, Marked Surge and Second Trigger, which add damage and a higher second-ability trigger chance per Mark.
Venom Shard (Uncommon) brings Hollow Tempo, Marked Burst and Empty Marking, and Savage Fang (Common) carries the Extra Bounty ability Pierce Devour, which can add permanent Pierce Damage on a kill. At the top, the Mythic Phantom Fang from events has Phantom Legacy, Event Hunter and Phantom Mark: its first hit on each enemy applies Marks, and it feeds every Mark into its own growth. Pair it with the Talon to fill an enemy with Marks faster. The best weapons page shows how each damage type ranks.
Growing the Talon
The Talon gets stronger through copies of itself, and enemies on the map are the usual source. With the Blacksmith Pendant equipped, a single kill can give more than one copy. Weapons you no longer use are not wasted either: sharpen them at the Blacksmith to turn them into copies. The Butcher Hero equipment guide walks through slots and sharpening.
Like other top weapons, the Talon has a Divine form. Evolution asks for a minimum item level and can bring abilities the base weapon does not have, so read the new card after the upgrade and compare it with the table on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Abyss Talon do in Butcher Hero?
Abyss Talon is a Legendary Piercing weapon that works through Marks. Mark Protocol lets Piercing weapons apply a Mark with 10% chance, adds 2 to the maximum Mark charge and raises lifesteal by 5% to 15% for each Mark on the enemy. Mark Precision raises the apply chance, and Mark Tempo adds attack speed per Mark.
What are Marks in Butcher Hero?
A Mark is a counter that Piercing weapons put on an enemy. More Marks on a target mean more bonus from weapons and items that read them. The game's own tips say to stack Marks on enemies to make knives stronger and to greatly boost lifesteal. The Extra Mark stat sets how many Marks one enemy can hold.
When do the Abyss Talon abilities unlock?
Mark Protocol works from the start. Mark Precision opens at item level 1, and Mark Tempo opens at item level 6. A locked ability shows a padlock on the item card. Item level rises with copies, so the third ability needs you to collect more duplicates first.
Which weapons work well with Abyss Talon?
Pair it with other Piercing weapons that read Marks. Phantom Edge (Rare) turns Marks into supercrit bonuses, Ember Fang (Epic) turns them into extra damage and trigger chance, and Venom Shard (Uncommon) reads Marks too. They all use the Marks that your Abyss Talon applies.
How do I level up Abyss Talon?
Through copies. Every extra Abyss Talon you collect raises its item level, and spare weapons sharpened at the Blacksmith count as copies too. Mark Protocol gets stronger at set levels rather than at every one, so check the level table to see which next level actually raises the lifesteal per Mark.
Read Next
The Smashing twin of this weapon is the Mystic Mallet. All three damage types sit side by side on the best weapons list, and the Butcher Hero stats page explains lifesteal and supercrit.