Summary
Teamfight Tacticsis one of Riot’smost successful spin-off games. It’s an auto-chess version ofLeague of Legends, where players build teams based on various traits and abilities to defeat every other player in the lobby. The game has “sets,” which often change to introduce new traits, augments, and themes that keep the game feeling fresh and exciting. Players can purchase passes to unlock various rewards as they play the game and gain XP, including new Little Legends, emotes, and event items.TFTis a great choice for those who find the intensity ofLeaguetoo much, or those who don’t have the internet connection to make it onto the rift.
One of the newest mechanics introduced for Set 10, “Remix Rumble,” is Headliners. One Headliner will appear in every shop re-roll until the player purchases one. Then, they will show up once in every four shops. Headliners are particularly strong champions that will count for two of either their class or origin traits. There are a few different ways to use a headliner, and this new mechanic affectsthe way players strategize. Fielding a team without a Headliner while waiting for the ideal one can easily cost the game, and they also cost more gold to purchase, so the economy ofTFTis impacted too. The best headliner always depends on the team composition and what the other players are building, but there are a few that are more useful than the others.
1Jinx
Heavy Hitter At A Low Cost
For players just getting into the new set, or for those whohaven’t played muchTFT, Jinx is a great choice for a headliner. As a one-cost champ, it’s far easier to build a team around her than some of the higher-cost ones that only appear later on in the game. Jinx’s Headliner ability grants 1% Attack Speed when using her mini-gun, and 10% more damage with her rocket launcher.
Fielding Jinx with Vi to activate Punk will make post-combat shop re-rolls cost 1 gold, which means three starring Jinx should be even easier. Punk also grants extra health and AD with each shop re-roll. Ideally, players want a Jinx that has the Rapidfire trait doubled since having too many Rapidfire champs on the team will make it difficult to build a strong frontline. That way, players won’t have to worry about further activating her Rapidfire trait, since she’ll pick up speed pretty easily anyway. Using Jinx and Twitch as damage dealers behind a strong frontline will easily score some wins, and it’s a great way to learn the game well enough to start getting creative with comps.
2Kai’Sa
Easy Early-Game Headliner
When it comes to KD/A, Kai’Sa is a safe choice for a carry. Even when she isn’t a Headliner, she’s quick and becomes very powerful with an item or two. KD/A is an easier comp choice since activating 7 isn’t too challenging, and with a KD/A Headliner, it isn’t impossible to activate 10. For players who likeTFTbecause it doesn’t require thequick reflexesor short decision times ofLeague, KD/A is a foolproof composition.
Buying a Kai’Sa Headliner early on in the game is a good move for anyone who wants to go full KD/A. Players can build items for both Ahri and Akali on Kai’Sa, like Hextech Gunblade and Red Buff, and continue to build another 2-Star Kai’sa to switch in when 4-cost champs become more readily available. In this set, a Kai’Sa Headliner likely won’t be enough to win the entire game, but is a great choice to win rounds early on and build gold. Kai’Sa is also a good choice for activating Big Shot if players want to switch to an Ezreal, Jhin, or Miss Fortune Headliner.
3Kayle
Great Pentakill Headliner
Players who want a good Pentakill comp should look for a Kayle Headliner to carry their team. Kayle is all about attack speed, and activating Pentakill with Edgelord will make her terrifying.
A Kayle Headliner is relatively easy to play around - but players want an Edgelord Headliner Kayle sinceEdgelord needs 3 champson the board to activate. Players should keep 3 Edgelord at all times, but ideally, Viego will switch in to maintain that while also adding a Pentakill. Players should prioritize items that give Kayle attack speed, starting with Guinsoo’s Rageblade if possible. 7 Pentakill with 3 Edgelord is an easy comp to keep track of, but as always, players should adapt to the lobby and keep an eye onwhat others are building.
4Jhin
Epic Headliner Effect And Huge Damage
Jhin is a 5-cost champ that won’t appear as a Headliner until very late in the game, which means it’s not always a good idea to build a comp around him. The safer move is to create a team that Jhin could easily slot into, and not be afraid to switch Headliners if he appears in the shop. An important thing to remember about Jhin is that his Grand Finale Rifle ability requiresempty slotson the bench.
If players reach a point in their game where they want to play Jhin, they’ll likely already be using a Big Shot carry like Ezreal or Miss Fortune. Jhin can deal massive damage, so ideally players want to keep another Big Shot champ on the board when they put him in. His Headliner effect grants him +20% attack damage and allows him to place a Rifle on the benchupon combat start. This means with Blue Buff and Spear of Shojin, or damage items like Hextech Gunblade, Jhin should be able to reach four Rifles and begin Conducting (via the Maestro trait). It’s also worth remembering that Jhin’s attack speed can’t increase, so any additional attack speed will be converted to attack damage.
In this set, Jhin isn’t exactly a simple champ to understand if players want to get the most out of him. Although he’s a very useful and cool Headliner, players should consider whether they want to keep their Big Shot Headliner and simply add Jhin to their team rather than use him as a Headliner.
5KD/A Akali
4-Cost Carry For The Win
KD/A Akali is a 4-cost champion that will only appear in a player’s shop as they reach a higher level. Players can keep an eye on the odds of 4-cost champs appearing by looking directly above the shop at the color-coded percentages. KD/A Akali is a brilliant Headliner, with an extra 10% attack speed as well as bonus health. Players will need to build items for Akali on other champs and have a strong enough team to survive long enough to put her in.
The best comp for KD/A Akali is full KD/A or one that activates both KD/A and Executioner. Full KD/A comps should have an Evelynn or Kai’Sa Headliner and use them to build items for Akali - but keep in mind that players will have to sell them when 4-cost Headliners become available. An Akali Headliner with Red Buff will have fantastic attack speed, and hitting KD/A 7 with full items will make her deal massive damage while being very difficult to kill.
6Ezreal
Brilliant Big Shot Carry
Ezreal is a great Headliner choice, mainly if players find him with the Big Shot trait doubled since it will immediately activate. Gamers will need a perfect balance of frontline and backline champs that will allow the Big Shots to do their job well. Ideally, players will want to field Ezreal with Miss Fortune (3-cost) and Jhin (5-cost) to reach Big Shot 4, alongside other 5-cost champs if they make it to higher levels. He could be a good choicefor a Hyper Roll game, where players can obtain higher-cost champions quickly.
Ezreal is a 4-cost champ, so players can use Headliner Aphelios for most of the game, making sure to purchase Miss Fortune if she enters their store. Gamers can decide how they want to play their Headliner but should consider building a relatively strong frontline, exploring with Heartsteel, Guardian, and/or Bruiser. In a perfect world, some of the frontline would be 5-costs like Illaoi and Yorick, but it’s important to have other tank champs ready in case the game doesn’t last that long. Item-wise, Ezreal will want Blue Buff and at least one AD item because both his ability and Headline ability deal/impact attack damage. If players can use their frontline and 4 Big Shots to make it to the later levels, putting in Jhin and Illaoi will almost guarantee a win.
