TFT: A Comprehensive Guide on How to Play Teamfight Tactics Like a Pro

Teamfight Tactics (TFT) is a popular auto-battler game developed by Riot Games, the creators of League of Legends. It’s a strategy-rich game where you build a team of units, position them strategically, and watch them battle it out against your opponents. While it might seem daunting at first, this guide will break down the core mechanics and strategies to help you become a TFT master. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to refine your skills, this comprehensive walkthrough will provide you with the knowledge you need to climb the ranks.

Understanding the Basics of Teamfight Tactics

Before diving into complex strategies, it’s crucial to understand the fundamental elements of TFT.

The TFT Board

TFT is played on a hexagonal board. Your team occupies the bottom portion of the board, while your opponent’s team occupies the top portion. The battle takes place automatically once the preparation phase ends.

Units and Traits

Units are the characters you deploy onto the board. Each unit belongs to one or more Origins and Classes (Traits). These traits provide bonuses when you have a certain number of units with the same origin or class on the board. For example, having 3 Void units might grant them additional true damage, while 2 Bruisers provide additional health for the trait users. Understanding these traits and how they synergize is the core of building strong compositions.

Gold and Experience

You earn gold after each round, and you also receive interest based on how much gold you have saved. This gold is used to buy units from the shop, reroll the shop, and level up. Leveling up increases the number of units you can have on the board. You also gain experience during each round, and you can also buy experience to level up faster. Balancing spending and saving gold is crucial for long-term success.

The Carousel Round

Periodically, you’ll encounter the carousel round, a shared pool of units where players choose one by one. The order is based on the player with the lowest health, giving those behind a chance to catch up. These rounds are a great opportunity to grab key components or a much-needed unit.

Items

Items provide units with additional stats and unique effects. Items are created by combining smaller item components which are obtained through PvE rounds and the carousel. Itemization plays a critical role in increasing the effectiveness of your carry units.

Step-by-Step Guide to Playing TFT

Let’s break down the gameplay into a series of steps to help you grasp the flow of a typical match.

Step 1: Early Game (Rounds 1-20)

The early game is all about building a foundation for your composition while maintaining economy and health. Here’s what you should be focusing on:

• Initial Shop Choices: Buy units that fit into your initial trait composition. Don’t be afraid to purchase some units you might not use later for sake of having units to put on the board. Aim for units that help with early game power.
• Early Traits: Focus on achieving synergies with early traits such as 2-3 Bruiser or 2-3 Void. Don’t try to force a full team yet.
• Economy: Try to reach the interest breakpoints as soon as possible (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 gold). Interest will provide you with additional gold which will help you in the long run. Avoid rerolling too much during the early game, save gold and be ready for the mid-game.
• Item Components: Collect item components in the PvE rounds. Identify your desired carry and prioritize items that support them.
• Scouting: Check other player boards to see what units and traits they’re using. This will help you avoid contesting units and inform the composition you should run.

Step 2: Mid-Game (Rounds 21-35)

The mid-game is where you start to solidify your composition. Here’s what you should do:

• Transitioning Comps: If your early game team is not performing well, you should try to transition into a stronger comp. This may include selling units to create space and purchase the correct units you will need for your mid game.
• Unit Upgrades: Try to upgrade your units to 2 star units if possible. Look to prioritize the key units of your composition. If a specific unit can be upgraded to 3 stars you should keep an eye for it during shop refreshes.
• Shop Refresh: Do not over-re-roll, try to be economical. Look to re-roll only when necessary.
• Leveling: Try to level up at the appropriate time to have the right number of units on the board and higher chance of finding higher cost units in the shop.
• Item Completion: Create complete items for your carries and supporting units. Prioritize items that significantly increase carry damage.
• Scouting: Keep checking other players to see what they’re using, adjust your comp accordingly, and predict which units you can find in future rounds.

Step 3: Late Game (Rounds 36+)

The late game is about refining your composition and positioning to maximize your chances of winning. Here’s what you should be doing:

• Completing Compositions: Focus on acquiring high-cost units that are crucial to your chosen composition, try to get all your desired units on the board.
• 3-Star Units: Look to try and 3-star your carry units if the shop is providing them.
• Positioning: Pay close attention to positioning. Frontline units should take damage, and carry units should be protected behind them. Use assassins to target the enemy carry.
• Item Optimization: Make sure your items are on the correct units, consider moving items between units in preparation for specific opponents.
• Scouting: Constantly scout the other player’s boards and prepare accordingly for your next round.
• Counter Comp: Try to adjust your comp according to what your opponents have. If there is another magic damage carry you should look for units with magic resist.

Detailed Strategies and Tips for TFT

Now that we’ve covered the basics, here are some more advanced strategies and tips to help you improve your gameplay:

1. Managing Your Economy

Economy management is crucial to success in TFT. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Interest: Aim for interest breakpoints. For each 10 gold you have, you get an additional 1 gold at the end of every round (up to 50 gold).
• Win/Loss Streaks: Winning or losing several rounds in a row provides you with extra gold. Winning streaks are more difficult to achieve than lose streaks early on but they provide greater value. Use the extra income to level up faster, or purchase stronger units.
• Spending: Plan your spending wisely. Do not overspend on re-rolling if you have little gold. Instead, plan on when to spend your gold before the rounds starts.
• Early Aggression: If you have a strong early game you can be more aggressive, level up early and try to keep your win-streak up.
• Saving For Level Up: Try to save up gold during early and mid game, in order to level up quickly during the mid and late game.

2. Understanding Compositions

Understanding compositions is fundamental to building strong teams. Here’s what you should keep in mind:

• Meta Comps: Stay up-to-date on the latest strong compositions. The meta changes with patches and new units, so always adjust your strategy. Look up online guides for the current patch.
• Flexibility: Don’t force a specific composition, adapt to what the shop offers you. Being flexible allows you to build strong teams even if you don’t get the exact units you want.
• Synergies: Build your team around the synergies that fit your units. Focus on combining origins and classes that complement each other.
• Core Units: Identify your key carry units and support units and prioritize them. You can change your carry during the mid or late game if a certain unit is stronger in your team or the enemy team.
• Counters: Understand what compositions can counter your team. Be ready to make necessary changes to overcome the counter compositions.

3. Strategic Positioning

Positioning is critical and can make or break the outcome of a battle. Here are some key positioning tips:

• Frontline: Place tanks and bruisers on the front line to absorb damage.
• Backline: Place your damage dealers on the back line to maximize their uptime. Protect them from being attacked by front line units and assassins.
• Assassin Placement: Use assassins to target the backline carries of your opponents. Place them in a strategic location to not get targeted before jumping.
• Counter-Positioning: Scout the opponent’s positioning and adjust your units accordingly. Consider what is the safest place to position your carry so it doesn’t get attacked early on in the fight.
• Edge Positioning: Use corner position in order to protect your backline units from area of effect attacks.

4. Item Prioritization

Items can drastically impact a unit’s performance. Here are some tips for item prioritization:

• Carry Items: Focus on completing full items for your carries that synergize with their kit.
• Tank Items: Equip your tanks with items that increase their survivability, such as health and resistances.
• Utility Items: Support units can benefit from items that provide utility, such as healing or crowd control.
• Item Components: Adapt your desired build according to the components you find during the rounds.
• Item Flexibility: Do not force items if the components are not good, or if they are better on other units.

5. Utilizing Scouting

Scouting other players’ boards is essential for strategic decision-making. Here’s why and how you should scout:

• Contested Units: If multiple players are building the same composition, you should avoid the contested units and pivot to a different comp.
• Counter Comp: Identify what compositions your opponents are running and adjust your units and positioning to counter them.
• Item Placement: See which items your opponents have to avoid similar items and improve yours.
• Economy and Levels: Identify what is your competition economic situation, and try to stay ahead. Check levels to know how close are other players to leveling up.

6. Staying Updated

TFT is constantly evolving with new patches and meta shifts. Here’s how to stay updated:

• Patch Notes: Always read the patch notes to understand what units, traits, and items have changed.
• Guides: Look for online guides and community websites.
• Streams and Videos: Watch streamers and YouTubers to improve your gameplay and learn from the experts.
• Community Forums: Engage with the community to discuss strategies and new ideas.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in TFT

Here are some common mistakes that new players often make. Avoid these to increase your win rate:

• Forcing Comps: Being stubborn and forcing a particular comp even if it’s not working. Adapt to what the shop provides.
• Ignoring Economy: Spending too much gold in the early game and losing the interest bonuses.
• Ignoring Scouting: Failing to check other players’ boards and losing to unexpected compositions.
• Poor Positioning: Positioning units incorrectly which results in early losses.
• Over Re-rolling: Re-rolling too much in the early and mid game, which wastes resources and gold.
• Incorrect Itemization: Placing items on the wrong units or forcing items that your units don’t need.

Conclusion

Teamfight Tactics is a complex and engaging game that rewards strategic thinking and adaptability. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed breakdown of the core mechanics and strategies to improve your gameplay. Remember that mastering TFT takes time and practice. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different compositions, learn from your mistakes, and continue to refine your skills. By implementing the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to climbing the ranks and becoming a TFT champion. Good luck on the battlefield and have fun!