Teamfight Tactics (TFT) Guide: Heroes, Gold, Strategies, Artifacts, Positions, Gameplay, and Tips for Victory

Riot Games’ tricky strategy game TFT immerses all players in the renowned League of Legends universe. TFT has graphic gameplay and doesn’t require the same skill levels as classic League of Legends, despite its similarities to the original game. TFT is accessible as a stand-alone game mode in League of Legends on PCs and as a stand-alone app on mobile devices.

League of Legends champions function in the game’s strategic mode, which employs free-for-all tactics. The primary objective is to become the last player standing by fortifying your team and occupying the battlefield. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of the gameplay to help you quickly grasp and understand the fundamentals of TFT. Beginners should first understand the core rules and mechanics to play most effectively.

TFT Basics: Mechanics and Secrets to Victory

Players assemble teams of characters and use them on the battlefield in the auto-chess game TFT. Players have no control over their champions or the game’s outcome; battles are automatically decided.

In TFT, your character sustains damage if you lose a round. The strength of the opponent and the quantity of champions left determine how much damage is dealt. The player loses the match whenever the total damage hits 100 points.

Being the last person standing is the aim of the eight-player game.

Each player may use one champion at the start of their game. They can deploy more champions as they level up and unlock improved heroes.

Each player has 9 slots for reserve champions.

At the beginning of each round, players are offered a choice of 5 heroes. They can choose any character or refresh this set. The number of available champions is limited for all participants in the match.

If a player purchases a champion, the chances of that same champion appearing in the shop of other players decreases.

Earning gold in TFT using the game’s economy

In the TFT economy, gold is the foundation of the in-game origin process, and is the only currency. Players use gold to purchase characters, upgrade the shop, and level up.

There are three main ways to earn gold:

• Round rewards.
• Win/Loss system.
• Gold accumulation.

Each round earns the player 5 gold, regardless of whether they win or lose. Winning a battle awards an additional reward of 1 gold.

The win/loss streak system rewards players for a series of successes or losses. The amount of the additional reward depends on the length of the streak:

• 3-4 rounds – 1 gold.
• 5 rounds – 2 gold.
• 6 or more rounds – 3 gold.

Example: When a player wins 6 rounds in a row, their reward is 5 + 1 + 3 = 9 gold. If they lose 6 times in a row, they receive 5 + 3 = 8 gold.

Each round also generates passive income—10% of the accumulated gold. TFT rounds this amount down. For example, if a player has 9 coins, they will receive no passive income. With 19 coins, passive income will be equal to 1 gold coin. The maximum passive income per turn is 5 gold coins.

In addition, players can earn gold by selling pieces. If the Pirate faction is on the board, it provides additional gold—up to 4 coins per turn.

The developers actually achieved a balance and strategy for the gold being divided in this way. A tactic called “Slowroll” is based on accumulating 50 coins from the very beginning of the game in order to maximize passive income as quickly as possible.

Players use their excess gold to purchase fighters and level up.

TFT Hero Stats: Health, Damage, Armor, and More

In TFT, champions are divided into five levels, from 1 to 5. At the first two levels, only tier 1 heroes are available for purchase in the store. Upon reaching tier 3, tier 2 and 3 champions become available. At tier 7, the highest tier of champions becomes available.

The price of a hero depends on their level. For example, tier 1 heroes cost one coin, while tier 4 heroes cost four coins.

The main stats of champions include:

• Health;
• Mana;
• Damage;
• Attack Speed;
• Attack Range;
• Magic Resistance;
• Armor.

Each champion has both passive and active abilities. Passive abilities are always active, while active abilities cost mana.

Champions begin combat with zero mana and gain mana for the damage they deal and the damage they receive.

Champion classes and factions with abilities

Each champion in the game will be assigned to a specific class and faction, giving players the opportunity to build unique teams. Members of different classes and factions receive additional bonuses if they meet the appropriate conditions. For example, demons can drain mana from enemies, speeding up their active abilities and limiting enemy spell casting.

The faction bonus is activated if a player has at least two different demons on their team.

It’s important to note that the bonus only works if the team includes different characters. For example, you can’t field two Brands and expect to receive the demon faction bonus.

There are 10 classes and 13 factions available in TFT. Some characters can belong to two factions or classes at once. For example, Swain is an Imperial and a demon, while Kai’Sa is an assassin and a ranger.

TFT Champion Knowledge: Levels, Builds, and Abilities

The main mechanic of TFT is collecting champions. When you manage to collect three identical champions, a level 2 character becomes stronger. Collecting three such level 2 heroes will unlock a level 3 character. To obtain a level 3 hero, you need to collect nine level 1 heroes.

Each character has a limited number of copies available. The higher the character’s level, the fewer duplicates will be available.

Character Tier – Number of Copies

• 1 – 22
• 2 – 20
• 3 – 17
• 4 – 10
• 5 – 9

There is a shared champion pool in the shop, and it’s important to keep an eye on what combinations your opponents are building. If 3-4 players in a match are building similar teams, there’s a high chance they won’t have enough champions to complete their build.

If a player is eliminated, all of their champions are returned to the shared pool.

Experienced players don’t rely on a single, favorite strategy. Professionals know that success depends on what combinations they can actually build in the current match. It’s important to keep track of which champions your opponents are picking to understand which heroes are still in the pool and which ones are possible to build.

Portals in TFT and their selection

Players will be awarded the option to vote on one of three regional networks at the beginning of the game. The portal will be chosen based on the total number of votes if every participant votes for the same option. The system is going to pick one at random if the votes are split among several portals. The total amount of votes determines the likelihood of being selected, with each vote offering a 12.5% ​​chance.

The TFT contains 11 regional portals:

• Bundle City;
• Abyss;
• Demacia;
• Zaun;
• Ionia;
• Noxus;
• Piltover;
• Shadow Islands;
• Targon;
• Freljord;
• Shurima.

Each geographic area has its own characteristics and laws. In Demacia, for instance, players are awarded a crown that can be awarded to any victor. The crown boosts attack speed by 40% and bestows 400 HP. The player loses the round automatically if the headstone holder walks away.

Legends and Augmentations

Augments are buffs that each tactician chooses during the match. In rounds with 2-1, 3-2, and 4-3 results, players receive three augmentation options to choose from. These bonuses are active throughout the game, and other players can see which augmentations a player has selected.

With the start of Season Nine, the developers introduced a new mechanic: Legends. Within Legends, augmentations are grouped by common effects, allowing players to build a strategy based on the chosen buffs. A Legend must be selected before the start of the match.

TFT features at least 15 different Legends, each offering unique strategic opportunities.

Items and their combinations

Items play a key role in boosting champions. In TFT, there is no option to purchase items at will. Artifacts that enhance heroes can be obtained during PvE rounds, where players fight monsters. Artifacts can also be found during the general selection phase if you select a hero already equipped with an artifact. Some regional portals and augmentations can also grant artifacts.

There are nine basic artifacts available in the game. Each provides a small bonus to its wearer. However, two identical items can be combined into a composite artifact, which provides more significant improvements.

Each champion can equip up to three items, and the bonuses from identical composite artifacts are cumulative.

Carousel: What is it?

General selection is a special round in which each player receives one free character. During this round, heroes rotate around the island, and players take turns choosing them. Since character selection is based on their current health, players with less health are given the opportunity to choose first.

The Carousel occurs every 6 rounds.

Pre-battle Positioning

Positioning is the main factor that players will influence in the game. Proper champion placement can change the course of a battle. Professionals recommend placing tanks with high stamina and agility in the front lines, while sending marksmen and mages to the back lines. However, there are no specific formulas for champion placement. To understand how to properly position your characters, you need to play a lot of TFT (Teamfight Tactics). Practice makes perfect, and you’ll learn how to optimally deploy your units on the battlefield. You can improve by watching streams of experienced players demonstrating the right strategies.

Tips for Beginners

As in any game, beginners are faced with instructions on the website, which they must carefully review for themselves. However, many players at certain rating levels often encounter difficulties and lose victories. While you’re eating or traveling to watch professional streams, pay attention to statistics found on services like League of Graphs. These platforms show which championship lineups and tactics are most effective in the current game update.

Artifacts and combinations

Artifacts are powerful items that greatly increase champions’ stats, making them even more powerful. In TFT, artifacts drop throughout PvE rounds as you use your tactics to fight monsters, unlike in Summoner’s Rift, where they can be purchased.

The fact that certain artifacts can be acquired with particular champions if you choose them during the opponent’s acquisition stage should also be noted. Special items can also be acquired through augmentations or by using a portal to enter an entirely new region.

In the world of TFT, there are nine elementary artifacts that can be combined to create greater impact products.

Acceptability of game modes

The League uses a system whereby various game modes are unlocked for new players as they progress. From the start, you’ll have the opportunity to battle bots on Summoner’s Rift and participate in casual matches. You can also try Teamfight Tactics (TFT) from level 1. As you level up, new maps and modes will unlock:

1. Casual 5v5 Summoner’s Rift games (Easy Play) will become available at level 3.
2. 5v5 ARAM games in the Howling Abyss will become available at level 3.
3. The Practice Tool will be available starting at level 9.
4. Casual 5v5 Summoner’s Rift games (Draft Mode) will unlock at level 10 if you’ve already played at least 10 Casual matches.
5. Ranked Solos and Duos, as well as the 5v5 Flexible Queue on Summoner’s Rift, will become available at level 30, once you’ve acquired at least 20 champions and played 10 Easy Matches.

No matter which mode you choose, we can’t wait to see you become a League master!

Little Legends and Tactics

Little Legends (or simply “tactics”) are a unique display of a player’s progress in TFT. Players initially receive a Little Legend in the form of a penguin, the game’s mascot. You can later customize your Little Legend’s appearance by purchasing a new skin in the store or receiving one as a reward for season achievements or for leveling up the Battle Pass. It’s worth noting that Little Legends have no impact on gameplay; their role is purely cosmetic.

How to improve your skills to play TFT better

To truly become a good TFT player, you need to not only regularly participate in matches but also strive to hit the peak of your development. While a couple of games is enough to grasp the basic rules, reaching a professional level may require much more time and practice.

A key step toward mastery is learning game strategies and new methods. For example, watch pro players’ streams and learn interesting, innovative techniques from them. Don’t forget about the useful statistics you can find on services like League of Graphs and similar platforms. The more you analyze and apply your new knowledge, the closer you will get to a professional level.