Although Riot Games’ Teamfight Tactics (TFT) has been around for a couple of years now, there are still plenty of players experiencing it all for the first time. Compared to Riot’s other games like League of Legends and Valorant which engage in intense player combat, TFT explores a different genre: strategy. This chess-like, round-based strategy game requires plenty of planning and smart moves if you want to make it out on top. To help ease your way into the game, we’ve provided a crash course on the best tips and tricks to help you get started comfortably.
1. Focus on Just 2 or 3 Traits
When you’re starting out on TFT, one of the most overwhelming aspects of the game is its numerous traits. With so many different combinations of champions to play, how do you know which work together and which don’t? For all you newbies, don’t feel pressured to get as many traits as you can on the board - just pick 2 or 3 to focus on, or if you really want, even just focus on 1! This is the best way for you to slowly learn what each trait’s abilities are and whether certain combinations go well together. It also helps you learn what characteristics each champion in the game has. By removing the stress of working out a complex team, you can instead focus on other elements of the game you need to learn as well.
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2. Pay Attention to Board Placement
If you’ve ever played League of Legends, just know that the board placement in TFT follows a similar idea. Before you start playing, you should understand the fundamentals of positioning, such as placing tanky champions at the front line to soak up the damage from your opponent and placing squishy damage dealers in the back. In other words, you want to place your strongest champions where they’re safe and protected, that way they can continue dealing damage for as long as possible. Having a strong board setup can drastically affect the outcome of the game, so it’s important you don’t disregard this tip.
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3. Master the Art of Economy Management
In TFT, consider gold to be your lifeline. It’s how you buy champions, roll through your shop, and buy XP to level up. Learning to manage your gold effectively is one of the most important skills to master as you journey toward becoming a great TFT player. There’s a unique system in the game when it comes to knowing when to save, when to spend, and when to reroll. Plus, how you spend your gold might depend on what composition you’re playing. But instead of worrying about the finer details, just spend the beginning focusing on maintaining a steady economy that allows you to level up when you need to. AKA, don’t spend recklessly!
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4. Building the Right Items
If you want your team of champions to become the strongest in the match, you’ll need to build the right items for them. Having a 3-star champion is useless if you don’t have any items on it! Whether it’s providing a boost of attack speed, damage, enhanced durability, or attack power, you’ll need to study which item components build into which items. There are numerous opportunities to gain items throughout the game, from carousel rounds, loot orbs, and special augments. To become a great TFT player, you’ll need to understand which items best match your champions’ strengths and which items will benefit your overall team comp. Having the optimal item build on your strongest champion can really help to change the state of the game, so it’s important you take this tip to heart.
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5. Picking the Right Augments
One of the newer additions to TFT is the ability to choose special augments three times throughout the game. Think of augments as strategic enhancements, offering powerful modifications to your champions or providing you with unique benefits that can shape your game strategy. They might give you extra item components, special buffs, or a whole treasure load of gold. When deciding on which augment is best for you, remember to think about your current game strategy, who your carry is, and whether or not you’re low on resources like items or gold. You only get to pick three throughout the entire game, so choose carefully!
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TFT is a complex strategy game that has players hooked all over the world. With constant patch updates that change the theme, champions, traits, and augments, it keeps the game fresh and exciting. If you’re looking to join the massive player base, we hope these five effective tips will help make your journey to becoming the next TFT champion a much easier one.
