How to play TFT: the beginner’s guide
Teamfight Tactics in a quarter of an hour: what happens in a game, the six things you juggle, and a plan for your first ten games.
- Players
- 8
- A game
- 30–40 min
- The goal
- Top 4
- Price
- Free
What TFT is
Teamfight Tactics is an auto-battler from Riot Games. Eight players each build a team of champions on their own board, and every round the boards are paired up and fight by themselves — once a fight starts, you can’t touch anything.
Lose a fight and you lose health. Everyone starts on 100, and at zero you’re out. The last player standing wins, but you don’t need to win: in ranked, the top four gain LP and the bottom four lose it.
On PC you play it from the League of Legends client — you don’t need to play League — and there is a mobile app as well. It is free to play; money only buys cosmetics.
One round, step by step
A game is a string of short rounds. Each one is about thirty seconds of planning, then a fight:
- 1ShopFive champions are on offer. Buy the ones you want, or pay 2 gold to refresh the shop.
- 2BoardPlace your units on your half of the hex board. Your level decides how many can fight.
- 3FightThe timer runs out and both boards fight on their own.
- 4DamageThe loser takes damage, more for every enemy unit still standing.
- 5GoldEveryone is paid, and the next round begins.
Time is counted as stage-round: 3-2 means stage 3, round 2. Three kinds of round repeat on a fixed pattern:
Gold: income, interest and streaks
From round 2-2 you get 5 gold every round, plus 1 for winning the fight. On top of that come two bonuses you control.
Interest. For every 10 gold you hold at the end of a round you earn 1 more, up to 5 extra at 50 gold. Holding gold makes gold.
| Gold held | Interest per round |
|---|---|
| 0–9 | +0 |
| 10–19 | +1 |
| 20–29 | +2 |
| 30–39 | +3 |
| 40–49 | +4 |
| 50+ | +5 |
Streaks. Winning or losing several fights in a row pays a bonus too — the same either way, up to 3 a round. A loss streak can be a plan, as long as your health stays high enough.
Gold buys three things: champions (1 to 5 gold), shop refreshes (2 gold) and experience (4 gold for 4 XP). Every coin you spend below a multiple of 10 costs you interest.
Levels and the shop
Your level is how many units you can field: at level 6, six champions fight. You earn 2 XP every round for free and can buy 4 XP for 4 gold.
Your level also changes what the shop offers. The higher you are, the more often it shows expensive, stronger champions:
| Level | 1-cost | 2-cost | 3-cost | 4-cost | 5-cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 75% | 25% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 5 | 45% | 33% | 20% | 2% | 0% |
| 7 | 16% | 30% | 43% | 10% | 1% |
| 8 | 15% | 20% | 32% | 30% | 3% |
| 9 | 10% | 17% | 25% | 33% | 15% |
That is why leveling is the biggest decision in the game. A standard rhythm: level 4 at 2-1, 5 at 2-5, 6 at 3-2, 7 between 3-5 and 4-1, and 8 at 4-1 or 4-2.
Champions, stars and traits
Champions cost 1 to 5 gold. The cheap ones are weak but plentiful; 5-costs are rare and decide the late fights.
Stars. Three copies of the same champion merge into a two-star version with much higher stats, and three two-stars make a three-star. A third copy is often worth more than a new unit.
Traits. Every champion carries two or three traits. Field enough champions that share one and it unlocks a bonus, which grows at each breakpoint. Choosing a team comp is really choosing traits.
The pool is shared. All eight players buy from the same limited stock — 30 copies of each 1-cost champion, only 10 of each 4-cost. When two players want the same units, both struggle to find them.
Items
Item components drop from the monster rounds and the carousel. Two components combine into a finished item as soon as they sit on the same champion, and they stay there until you sell it.
Give your items to the one or two champions your team is built around — your carries — and the tank in front of them. Three items on one carry do far more than one each on three units.
Every recipe on one page: the cheat sheet →
Augments
At 2-1, 3-2, and 4-2 you choose one of three augments: permanent upgrades for the rest of the game, from extra gold to a trait bonus to a stronger carry. You only get three a game, so each one counts.
While you’re learning, take the augment that helps the board you already have over the one rated highest on a website.
Positioning
Your half of the board has four rows. Tanks and melee champions go in the front row, where they take the hits; ranged carries go in the back, usually in a corner.
Before each fight, look at the board you’re about to face and move your carry away from their assassins and area damage. It costs nothing and wins fights.
How you win
Placement is everything. You finish somewhere from 1st to 8th; in ranked, a 4th still gains LP and a 5th loses it.
Health is a resource. Above 50 you can afford to save gold and drop a few fights; below 30, spend what it takes to stop losing.
Your first ten games
Don’t try to learn everything at once. One habit at a time, in this order:
- Play normal games firstLearn the shop and the board with no LP on the line.
- Pick one comp and repeat itTake a comp from the tier list and play it five times. You’ll learn more than from five different ones.
- Stop spending below 10, 20, 30Keep your gold at the next multiple of 10 whenever you can.
- Level on the standard rhythm4 at 2-1, 5 at 2-5, 6 at 3-2, then 7 and 8 in stage 4.
- Put your items on one carryAnd on the tank in front of it — nobody else.
- Look at the lobby at 3-2Who is playing your units? If two others are, change course.
- Ask where the health wentAfter each game, find the round you lost the most. That is your next lesson.
Seven beginner mistakes
Where to go next
Questions
Is TFT hard to learn?
The rules take a few games; getting good takes longer. Most new players follow a whole game after five to ten, especially if they focus on gold and levels first.
How long does a game of TFT last?
Around 30 to 40 minutes if you play to the end. If you’re knocked out early you can leave and queue again straight away.
Is TFT free?
Yes. Teamfight Tactics is free to play on PC and mobile. Money only buys cosmetics such as Little Legends and arenas.
Do I need to play League of Legends?
No. On PC, TFT is launched from the League of Legends client, but it is a game of its own and needs no League experience.
What’s the best comp for beginners?
One you can repeat. Pick a comp from the tier list and play it until you know its units and items by heart; comps built on cheap units are often the easiest to learn.
Should I get a coach as a beginner?
You don’t need one, but it is the fastest way past the early mistakes. Our Learn the basics pack is a lesson on the fundamentals followed by four games played with a Master+ coach.