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5 tips to help you climb the Teamfight Tactics ranked ladder
Get to the top of Riot's new auto chess mode with these top 5 tips.
League of Legends’ Teamfight Tactics mode has been a big hit among LoL and Auto Chess fans alike, so it was only a matter of time before Riot released a ranked mode.
With the introduction of new units and origins this season, there’s plenty of new ways to get a lead in Teamfight Tactics’ competitive mode. We’ve already gone over general TFT tips and discussed the best meta champs in our previous guides, so make sure you check these out before jumping into the ranked scene.
To help you beat your foes and climb the ranked ladder, we’ve put together a handy guide that provides you with five of the best League of Legends TFT tips and tricks you need to get ahead of the competition.
1. Adapt or die trying
Don't be afraid to adjust your team
© Riot Games
The random nature of Teamfight Tactics’ champion pool can often be a double-edged sword. Sometimes you’ll pull all the champs you need to build the perfect team, but more often that not, you’ll end up with a ragtag group of undesirable champions. Teamfight Tactics’ RNG nature may seem like a curse in ranked games, but it actually gives you the perfect opportunity to adapt and counter your strongest opponent.
For example, if your main win condition relies on a few Imperial units like Draven and Darius, then it’s likely that you will struggle in later rounds, especially against Glacial comps who use hard CC to lockdown their foes. Instead, it’s often best to fill your team with a variety of champs that synergise well with one another. Not only will this allow you to win more games, it will also allow you to adapt to those that pose the biggest threat. Remember to study your opponents’ compositions and don’t be afraid to adjust your team to help counter them in the battles ahead.
2. Study the meta
Understand the different metas
© Riot Games
Having knowledge of the most desirable team comps, strongest champs, popular item builds, and overall synergies is pivotal to any ranked win – in fact, a little research can boost your win rate by a significant amount. If you find yourself losing to the same champions and strategies, then review where you went wrong and find out what the counters are.
The majority of players in ranked will be aiming to use the most powerful champs and builds, so make sure you understand how and why the meta champs are so strong. Arming yourself with even the smallest amount of knowledge will help you both utilise OP strategies and defeat those that use them against you. Every new patch brings a new playstyles to Teamfight Tactics, so get ahead of the competition and do a little homework before queuing up for another late night session.
3. Build a meta-crushing team
Find ways to overcome meta teams
© Riot Games
Just because a certain team composition is strong, doesn’t mean it can’t be beaten. While following the meta and utilising OP champions may seem like the best way to climb the ranked ladder, you’ll be outclassed by those that know how to counter your comp. Meta teams are incredibly popular due to their overall strengths, but those who have played TFT since launch will know how to dismantle them.
Picking a team purely based on their overall strengths, win rate and popularity means nothing when you come up against a player who has carefully formulated a well-crafted team. Before you dive into your placement matches, make sure you have a few anti meta strategies you’re comfortable using. By having a few comps that can eradicate the strongest teams, you’ll be picking up plenty of wins in no time.
4. Reroll for early-game dominance
Don't be afraid to reroll your champion pool
© Riot Games
This next step may seem rather self-explanatory, but it does come with a lot of risk. Rerolling your current pool of champions is great when you’re aiming to level up specific units. Combining three of the same champions will allow you to get a two-star copy of that champion, while combining three two-star champs will reward you with an incredibly powerful three-star champ. Not only are three-star champs highly sought after, they can easily give you an early lead that will carry you well into the mid- to late-game.
Levelled-up units have additional health and attack damage, allowing you to dismantle low-tier champs with ease. Of course, rerolling can also be rather detrimental to your win condition as you may not get the champs you need. However, rerolling early on can often deny your opponents’ the champs they need to upgrade their units, forcing them into a position where their damage output is severely reduced. Try hunting for any champs that can carry on their own (Draven, Garen, Vayne, Nidalee) and quickly level them up to claim a speedy victory.
5. Play the money game
Hold onto your gold
© Riot Games
It can be incredibly tempting to spend your gold as soon as you get it, especially when you’re on the hunt for specific champions. However, it’s best to generate interest on your current pool of gold if you want to maximise your profits. Gold is incredibly important and plays a huge part in your overall win conditions as it allows you to buy champions, refresh the store, and purchase experience points to level up faster.
Try to decide early on which units you wish to keep and then sell the rest to gain more gold – after all, there’s no point in hoarding a bunch of champions you’re never going to use. For every 10 gold you have saved in your coin purse, you’ll accumulate one gold at the end of every round. This may not seem like a huge amount, but it can quickly put you ahead in both levels and units. Having a higher level often increases the chances of obtaining better units and allows your champs to deal more damage, so play the money game if you wish to crush your foes in the late-game rounds.
