Welcome to the first official Set 5 Tier list. Now that it’s had a good week or so to simmer on live servers, the top comps seem to have confidently risen to the surface. A fair amount of units seemed to be a little over-tuned, as Riot is releasing a hotfix to scale back the numbers on some of the more oppressive champions. Any comp featured in this list will have information on any units affected. Without further adieu, here are the top comps for TFT in patch 11.9.
Coven Assassins
Leblanc has cemented herself as the first Set 5 unit to cause the TFT community to collectively break their monitors (or phones) in frustration. This comp has made itself present in every lobby since Set 5 debuted, and chances are there will be two or three players contesting each other over Leblancs the whole game in a race to the bottom while the one who procured it first sits comfortably in first place until game’s end.
Dark Blue buff is top priority for running this comp, so it’s safe to say if a dark tear is offered in the first item selection round, it’s a giant neon sign in the center of Time’s Square to start picking up Coven units. Infinity Edge will maximize the chain damage when paired with the 4 Assassin buff, and Guardian’s Angel will make sure Leblanc gets the mana bonus from Dark Blue Buff relatively risk-free.
The Revenants will be the main frontline and disruption, featuring two knock-ups all but guaranteed to hit since Volibear and Ivern will continue their ults uninterrupted if they die for the first time. These paired along with Diana’s AOE pull-in and Viego’s suppress provide plenty of time for Leblanc to spam-chain the whole team.
B-patch changes
In the hotfix release today, Leblanc’s mana lock was increased to 1.5 seconds from 1 second, and her max mana was increased to 60 from 50. She is also now no longer able to double-chain one target. So, while she may no longer be able to perma-stun, she will still be a force to reckon with.
Redeemed Spellweavers
Vel’koz was one of the only four-cost hyper carries left untouched in the B-patch, so that combined with his ability to melt the whole board with one or two spells earns his place in the S-tier. This comp offers an extremely beefy frontline along with an endless amount of lockdown tools to keep the enemy standing still for the death beam.
The Sacrificial Gauntlet-Hextech Gunblade combo has quickly risen in popularity for casters to cancel out the self-inflicted damage and is a perfect one-shot build for Vel’koz. Spear of Sojin is the best option for the third slot to make sure Vel’koz can get his ult off as the other units land their crowd control, as he can take a pretty long time to cast without it.
Karma is a great secondary carry and completes the Invoker buff for some extra mana regeneration, and a Taric, Rell and Nautilus frontline is one of the tankiest trios in the game. Kayle’s purpose is to complete the Verdant buff and give Vel’koz a little extra ult insurance.
Slow-Roll Hellions
Hellions will probably be a big main-stay on tier lists for weeks to come, as their versatility, early game strength and playstyle rewards slow-rolling make them a very safe and easy pick.
Ziggs is the main carry, as his low mana-cost and high attack speed allow him to dish out damage quickly and max out the Spellweaver bonus as soon as possible. Jeweled Gauntlet is purely to increase damage, Hextech Gunblade is for sustain, and Dark Blue Buff turns him into a turret if he drops below half health. Ziggs is also top priority to three-star, followed by Kled and Kennen respectively.
The Ironclad duo of Rell and Nautilus will give the whole team some extra survivability while also filling out some traits and providing a more durable frontline for the late game. While Zyra is the best option for a second Spellweaver, if there are some extra AP damage items lying around, Vel’koz is not a bad option either.
B-patch changes
A couple of the Hellion boys got hit in the hotfix. Ziggs had his base attack lowered from 0.85 to 0.75, and Kennen’s spell damage and stun duration in his three-star form have been lowered from 300 to 250 and 3 seconds to 2.5 seconds respectively. That being said, this does not take away from the importance to three-star these guys, as they are still extremely strong and ensure that the Hellion portal will be spitting out two-star copies.
Dragonslayer Legionnaire
While Leblanc seemed to take the spotlight over the last week, Mordekaiser was also an absolute terror who is probably responsible for a good amount of smashed electronics. The B-patch hit him a little harder, so this comp definitely dropped a few spots from where it would have been 24 hours ago, but he is still a terror that can net a top 4 with ease.
This comp centers totally around Mordekaiser, allowing him to heal for massive amounts with the Legionnaire synergy, Hextech Gunblade, and Hand of Justice. Quicksilver Sash or preferably its shadow counterpart are essential to ensure that he can get his ability off and regain his health bar.
Draven is great for some backline damage and Kayle is always a great late-game addition, but otherwise, the other Legionnaires are mostly there to provide the buff for Mordekaiser.
B Patch Changes
Mordekaiser’s spell damage was lowered at his one and two-star forms from 500/650 to 450/600. Legionnaire’s attack speed bonus as a whole also took a hit at 6 and 8 from 150% to 110% and 250% to 180% respectively. These were some pretty big nerfs and are the reason why this comp moved from S tier to A tier.
Knight Rangers
Aphelios feels like what Draven was expected to be: someone who will deal out high-dps only needing some beef in front of them to 1v9. Aphelios has been a terror when paired along with Nightbringer and ranger, but with the upcoming B-patch lowering his base stats, this comp uses the iron wall to give him a little extra time to pump out the damage.
The items needed are the cookie-cutter DPS items, Guinsoo’s Rageblade and Runaan’s Hurricane to maximize carry potential along with a Bloodthirster to keep Aphelios healthy. Riskthirster is also a pretty viable option, although with him carrying all of the team’s damage, it may sometimes not be worth the risk, especially in an assassin-heavy lobby.
Kindred and Kayle are great for rounding out traits and providing some extra protection, and the Ironclad bonus definitely does not hurt either. Darius gives Aphelios the Nightbringer trait, and is a great unit to stack some extra damage items on to help Aphelios tear through the frontline.
B Patch Changes
Aphelios received some slight nerfs to his base stats, with his Attack Damage being lowered from 80 to 70, and his Attack Speed being lowered from 0.9 to 0.85. While its nothing too crazy, it does mean he needs a little more time to build up his attack speed, and without a strong frontline, he may struggle to finish off his targets in time.
Dragconic Spellweaver Ranger
This comp follows a similar philosophy to the Redeemed Spellweaver, but instead focusing more on a barrage of crowd control while Vel’koz takes a backseat to do some cleanup.
Ashe will be the main carry, using mana regeneration and attack speed items to ensure a steady stream of auto-attacks and constant arrows to stun the enemy. It’s best to run Dragconic as early as possible, using Sett and Udyr along with Ashe to get eggs cooking in the oven early to set up for some easy three-stars. In the mid-game, swap out Udyr for Zyra and use the extra gold from the eggs to hit levels eight and nine early to start grabbing those five costs.
In the late game, Heimerdinger is an amazing damage dealer since the Renewer buff will help him stay alive and ult quicker. The Revenant units will also provide some frontline help for Taric and guarantee two knock-ups with the revive.
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