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esports
How to get started in TeamFight Tactics
Bengaluru-based pro gamer Adrian Basil shares a walkthrough of how you should approach TeamFight Tactics if you’ve never played the game before.
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TeamFight Tactics can be difficult for a beginner to understand.
The game has different elements, variations and combinations that can take time to get your head around. If you’ve been one of those to start the game, play the tutorial and then quickly abandon it, check out the handy guide below with inputs from Bengaluru-based Adrian Basil who has mastered the game and multiple championships.
Adrian breaks down a step-by-step guide on how to play the game with insights from his personal experiences.
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Step 1: Understand the gameplay
TeamFight Tactics is a multiplayer game that puts eight gamers into a match-up. Each gamer builds a team composition of champions and plays one-one-one rounds against each opponent in the match-up. You can choose a limited number of champions for each round and equip them with items purchased from the shop; once the round begins, you cannot make changes to your team. Rounds are played on a chess-style board with grids in three rows; you place your champions in attacking and defensive positions before the start of the round.
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Step 2: Research the champions and items
Don't forget to buy items – they can be lethal!
© Riot Games
You build your team composition based on the champions you select and the items you equip them with.
“You need to know what different items do, what each of them are, what types of units exist, and how they make a synergy before even playing the game,” says Adrian. Champions have particular attacking and defensive abilities, and it is best to equip them with items that enhance those abilities. Make sure to study these before you start playing.
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Step 3: Build a strong board
Build a team around the champions you purchase
© Riot Games
Every gamer has a different preference for their strong board. This is based on the strength of the champions in your team and the synergies between them. As a rule of thumb, Adrian suggests picking two to four two-star champions units.
“Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be a synergy as such as these will be stronger than most one-star units. If you have three of these strong two-star units, then your chances of winning the round are very high, even if you don’t have any synergies,” adds Adrian.
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Step 4: Build a good frontline and backline
Seen three of the same champion in the store? Snap them up?
© Riot Games
Your frontline will absorb damage and your backline will inflict damage. For your first few games, Adrian suggests picking Leona, Udyr, Vladimir, Nautilus, Sejuani and MissFortune since they are one-cost units that are good frontliners. He also suggests Ziggs and Khazix as backliners for your early games.
“Suppose you have a comp (composition) comprising Leona, Aatrox and Poppy, then Leona and Poppy would be your knights making a synergy and absorbing a lot of damage. Aatrox would do a lot of damage to the opponent. All in all, this would make a good comp,” says Adrian.
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Step 5: The right placement for your champions
Placing your units on the board is most important as you need to make sure that your defensive line negates damage coming from your opponent.
“If your opponent’s offensive can get to your offense very easily, then you won’t be able to inflict a lot of damage to win the round. It is important to make sure that your defensive units are blocking the opponent’s offense line,” says Adrian.
The key to this is to change your unit positions after every two rounds. This will not give your opponent enough time to react in case they scouted your board previously. “It is all about throwing your opponents off as they are scouting the board just the way you are,” Adrian says.
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Step 6: Scout your upcoming opponents
Adrian says it is important to use the time between rounds wisely.
“You have to buy units in your shop, decide if you need to level up or make a synergy, or use the time you have left to scout your opponents,” Adrian shares.
You can use the hot keys to toggle from one opponent to the next, a tactic which is called scouting. This tactic helps you see where your opponent’s offensive units are so you can set up your board to counter their plan.
“If I beat your strongest unit early on, you won’t be able to do much damage to me. If you cannot get past my frontline then my chances of winning increase. The trick is to understand if you need to focus on destroying your opponent’s frontline or backline,” he says. Adrian adds that scouting helps with fluidity because you will keep changing your board according to your opponent.
Synergy is important in your team comp
© Riot Games
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Step 7: Learn how to manage your gold
Gold is used to buy items or unlock champions. Every 10 gold coins you manage, you get one gold coin in interest. You can collect a maximum of 50 gold coins.
How you use your gold will depend on your strategy. If your strategy is to push early, you will want to purchase high-cost units early in the game. A lot of top-level players choose to accumulate 50 gold and then make purchases.
“Once you get 50 gold coins, the rest of the game becomes easier as you have lots of gold to manage. But the trade-off is that you may not have enough units to defend yourself until you reach that point, and you may take damage in those early rounds,” says Adrian.
But he adds that damage form early rounds is very low. “It is okay to take the loss streak early as you also get a loss streak bonus. Once you hit 50 gold coins, you can roll or push levels. But if you are below 50, rolling or buying units is difficult,” he says.
Put melee champs on the frontline
© Riot Games
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Step 8: Transitioning from mid to late game
Once you reach the mid-game, it becomes important to start setting up your team for the late game.
If you have managed your early game well you should have enough gold, wins, and a strong team composition of champions and items. Adrian says it is important to pick up high-cost champions for the late game.
“If you see a four-cost unit earlier in the game, then you need to pick it up as it is and will continue being strong. Having those units early helps you build a winning or losing streak. You can transition from a comp you have to a stronger version of that comp,” Adrian says.
He also mentions that the formula to beat everyone is to have a team composition in which two-thirds of your champions are four-cost units or higher.
