The new Auto Chess, Teamfight Tactics, from the LoL developer Riot Games is here. In this guide, we want to share tips and tricks for the game so you can start successfully right away. A short tier list with the 3 best champs and the best combo can also be found in our guide to Teamfight Tactics.
What is Teamfight Tactics? Teamfight Tactics is the new auto battler from Riot Games. It is set in the League of Legends universe and is based on the Auto Chess principle already known from Dota 2.
Teamfight Tactics is to be integrated as a new game mode in League of Legends and is already enjoying great popularity.
The game has been live since Thursday, June 27, and you can start playing now.
This guide is aimed at both beginners who have never played an auto chess game and advanced players. At the end, we will also cover strong champions and endgame combinations.
For advanced players, we recommend:
- Item Tier List July 2019
- 6 things we wish we had known before the first rounds of Teamfight Tactics
- The strongest combos of champions and items
Note: This guide is based on personal experience, watched livestreams, a video by Maxim, and an article by Invenglobal.
How Auto Battlers Play: The Basics
The course of a game: You compete in several rounds with your champions, as in other “Auto Chess” games, against seven other players.
You can purchase champions for gold, which you receive at the start of each round. After the start, the shopping phase begins, during which you can buy or place figures on the field.
The next step is the combat phase. This proceeds automatically. Therefore, from the start of the phase, you have no influence on the outcome anymore.
The player who loses the duel also loses health points. If a player’s health points fall to 0, they are out of the game. If there is only one player left, then they have won the game.
Everything about the Champions in Teamfight Tactics
Each round, five champions are offered to you. At the beginning, these only cost 1 gold, but with a higher level, there are also rarer figures that can cost up to 5 gold each. When you buy them, you set them in the bank. There is space for 9 champions there.
Bringing champions to T2 and T3: Three identical champions can be combined to create a level 2 figure. Three identical level 2 champions again create a level 3 figure.
For 2 gold, you can reroll, and five new figures will be offered to you. This way, you can faster get the same champions to combine them.
Synergies of the champions: Each champion has an origin and a class. If you have multiple different figures of an origin or class on the field, you receive bonus effects.
Multiple gunslingers ensure that with every attack, there is a 50% chance to hit an additional enemy. Multiple nobles, on the other hand, absorb damage.
The experience points: The number of figures you can have on the game board depends on the player’s level. Each round you survive gives one experience point.
Additionally, you can purchase 4 experience points for 4 gold.
Item List in the Game
How to get items in the game: The first three rounds and at the end of each stage, neutral creatures wait for you. These can drop items with some luck that you already know from LoL.
The champions can be equipped with these items. If you possess parts of a stronger item, they combine to create the stronger item.
However, you cannot take items from figures. To redistribute an item, you must first sell the corresponding figure.
During the carousel, you also receive figures that already carry an item.
These items are in the game: In the following table, we show you the basic items from Teamfight Tactics:
| B.F. Sword | +20 Attack Damage |
| Recurve Bow | +20% Attack Speed |
| Needlessly Large Rod | +20% Spell Damage |
| Tear of the Goddess | +20 Starting Mana |
| Chain Vest | +20 Armor |
| Negatron Cloak | +20 Magic Resistance |
| Giant’s Belt | +200 Health |
| Spatula+Spatula | +1 Team Size |
These items then develop into better items in various combinations such as Frozen Mallet, Bloodthirster, Locket of the Iron Solari, and many more.
Here we have an overview of the items and their combinations in Teamfight Tactics. We also explain what the mysterious spatula does.
Gold Management is Extremely Important
- After the first round, you will receive two gold,
- after the second three,
- after the third four
- and after the fifth round always five gold as base reward. This number can, however, be increased.
Earn additional gold: You receive 10% interest on your gold reserves. Starting from 10 gold, you get 1 additional gold per round, up to 5 extra gold when you have 50 gold.
Additionally, you get 1 gold for each won round and more gold for consecutive wins and losses.
The right gold management: Gold management is important in Teamfight Tactics. Even if it is tempting, sometimes it is better to save rather than reroll for new figures or level up early.
However, if you are in a dominant position and are earning additional gold from a win streak, it can also be advisable to strengthen your position and invest.
Buying and selling champions: You get the full gold back when you sell a champion from the bank or out of the game. However, this does not apply to upgraded figures.
For these, you only get back the cost of two of the three merged champions, resulting in a slight loss.
Tips and Tricks for Teamfight Tactics
Observe your opponents: In Teamfight Tactics, it’s important to keep an eye on your opponents. What figures are they collecting? What team compositions are being built? Can I possibly counter this?
There is only one pool of champions: By observing opponents, you can also estimate how high the chances are of getting your desired champions. There is a fixed pool of figures. If they are all taken, you cannot upgrade yours anymore.
Be flexible: It can be good to have a solid plan for your endgame. However, unforeseen events can always occur.
Keep your game board flexible and adjust to the figures that are available.
The carousel makes your comeback possible
Riot Games has taken many elements from the original Dota 2 mod in Teamfight Tactics. However, in one aspect, the new game differs greatly.
The special feature “carousel”: The carousel is a special feature that currently only Teamfight Tactics has. Right at the start, you choose the first character by taking a champion from a carousel.
In the first round, the first come, first served principle applies. However, as the game progresses, the carousel returns and becomes the comeback mechanism. Players with low health points get to choose first, followed by those with more.
This allows players who have been lagging behind to grab their desired figure or favorite item and possibly turn the match around. You can also just annoy another player with your choice.
Teamfight Tactics Tier List: These champions are S-Tier
In this section, a concise tier list, we want to introduce you to three heroes who are currently particularly strong. Also due to their synergy with other champions. This can, of course, change in upcoming updates.
Draven: Although Draven has already been weakened, he still deals extreme damage. Together with a second Imperial, there is a chance that he will deal an extra 50% damage. It would be a highlight to collect all four Imperials, but this is usually difficult.
Draven can be collected early in the game and can win even against some level 2 champions on his own. Typical AD items like Infinity Edge or Bloodthirster are recommended to increase damage or have lifesteal.
See a Draven, pick a Draven!
Volibear: Volibear hits multiple targets with his passive ability and belongs to the Glacials by origin. Multiple Glacials ensure that enemies are frozen by attacks. Therefore, Volibear can combination directly control many enemies.
Additionally, characters who carry the Frozen Mallet item also count as Glacial, even if they are not Glacial themselves. This makes it easier to achieve the bonus with six figures of this origin.
For Volibear, items that allow him to endure more or increase his attack speed are recommended. The strongest is the Rapid Firecannon, as it prevents attacks from being avoided. This completely nullifies the effect of the Yordle.
Aurelion Sol: Dragons are immune to magic damage when both are on the field. Therefore, you only need Shyvana, and the damage received by Aurelion Sol is drastically reduced.
In combination with strong items and lifesteal, this dragon can become nearly invincible, which is also criticized in the TFT forum.
These champions work great without synergy
Draven also works well without synergies but is usually significantly stronger with another Imperial. Below, we also want to introduce you to three champions who do not need synergies.
Sejuani: Sejuani has many abilities that stun the opponent. Additionally, she is tanky and fits well into the frontline. She is a Glacial and fits perfectly with Volibear and can then also freeze more opponents.
Kindred: Kindred’s ultimate ability makes champions around them untargetable. This makes her a good addition to Draven or other figures that deal a lot of damage but do not endure much.
Gnar: Gnar is a Shapeshifter and already deals damage and CC in his normal form. However, when he transforms, his damage dealt becomes extremely high.
This is the strongest combo in late game
We have already introduced you to the two characters Volibear and Sejuani, who belong to the Glacials. They also form the strongest combo for late game. Ideally, your team consists of all six:
- Anivia
- Ashe
- Braum
- Lissandra
- Sejuani
- Volibear
Alternatively, a character, popular is Draven, with Frozen Mallet as item can act as the sixth Glacial. Useful additions are Kindred, Cho’Gath, or even Mordekaiser.
The goal should be to load Volibear with items that enhance attack speed and lifesteal. A video by Amaz demonstrates this vividly.
Alternatively, six Nobles with their armor buff and passive healing and three Knights blocking damage are also good for late game.
This is what the gameplay of Teamfight Tactics looks like
So that you also get a direct insight into the gameplay, we have linked you to a video by the German YouTuber Maxim. In this, he impressively shows you the strength of Draven!
But not only Riot has released its own auto battler. Dota Underlords from Valve also came out last week and is currently dominating Steam:
