Teamfight Tactics: Best TFT Team Comps (Patch 9.16)

UPDATED (Patch 9.16): 

9.16 is a major patch that introduces 4 new champs who all hail from the Hextech origin. My name is Ace of Spades and I am a top 10 Challenger on EU and NA, and I will spend time on the PBE before every patch to make sure I get you ahead of the game.

For a full breakdown of what happened in this patch check out our TFT Patch Breakdown for 9.16.

I will be updating our impressions as we learn more about the patch, but for now here are the most important things for you to know::

• Hextech units will be shaking up the meta in a big way and forcing people to spread out their items and carries. Look to see a lot of the S-tier Jinx in comps designed for her to carry and give the Hextech synergy.
• Don’t forget about the old comps. As people rush to play the new, stuff like rangers and sorcs do just fine with a few tweaks. In some cases they get even better, as demons work really well with 2 units because of the change.
• Gunslingers will be oppressive this patch with the addition of Jinx and Camille, so keep them in mind and if your lobby isn’t going after them, you can have a free ride.
• Void sorcs might be weaker, but they are still a viable option, so make sure you keep it in the back of your head when committing.
• Remember that if everyone is going brawlers for their front line, both knights and shapeshifter are viable options!

There aren’t that many new comps appearing this week, but there are refinements to the old ones we will go over. Make sure you stay up to date with our TFT team comp site.

Be sure to bookmark our site where we have the most updated information for our TFT champion tier list and all TFT items recommended for all champions. We also have a TFT Items tier list here, similar to this article.

Methodology

We evaluate compositions based on 3 key factors:

• Consistency: How well does this comp perform from game to game and how reliably can you build towards it given a reasonable start?
• Overall strength: If you do successfully complete the comp, how does it match up against other comps, especially those most prevalent in the meta?
• Flexibility: Can you make tweaks and adjustments to the comp while events unfold differently in game? These events include item luck, roll luck, and enemy units.

The combination of these three factors allow us to define team compositions as S, A, or B. The ones that have all three will lean toward S, those that are pretty good but may be lacking in some areas will lean towards B.

Best TFT Comps Patch 9.16

Without further ado, here are the top TFT team comps for the current patch.

1. Lord Draven: S-tier

Team comp description:

As with other comp is an absolute late game monster. If it ever comes online will almost certainly guarantee first place. The tricky part is getting to that 6 noble bonus.

When to make:

If you are playing a Draven comp and you happen to find Kayle, you should hold onto it until you can complete your transition into 6 nobles.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Knights or Nobles offer a great early game start, and Lucian can be your early game carry.
• Mid game: The mid game is about finding a carry for your items and using a strong mid game synergy like Knights or Guardians to keep your HP high.

General tips:

• 4 Knights comps are a great transition comp to keep yourself alive until you find the Nobles since 3 of them are 1 cost units. You can use Lucian and GP or rangers as your early carries.
• The hardest part of this comp is learning to play without Kayle in the mid to late game. Remember that this comp doesn’t truly peak until lvl 8, and until you get there there is a good chance Kayle just won’t come up in your rolls.
• Make sure you don’t tunnel on the final form and have a semi-viable comp on the board to keep from dying.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Draven (carry#1): Rapid Firecannon, Runaan’s Hurricane, Bloodthirster
2. Gangplank (carry #2): Guardian Angel, Hush, Red Buff

2. Lady Jinx: S-tier

Team comp description:

Another super good late game beast that is almost impossible to beat if completed. Sticking with the theme of noble comps, assembly is harder than it seems and relies on a little luck and quick thinking to survive.

When to make:

If you have a 2 star Jinx and find a Kayle, you should consider finding the missing nobles and building towards this comp.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Knights or Nobles offer a great early game start, and Lucian can be your early game carry.
• Mid game: The mid game is about finding a carry for your items and using a strong mid game synergy like Knights or Guardians to keep your HP high.

General tips:

• Guardian, knights or gunslinger comps are great starting points for this comp. Unlike the Lord Draven Comp, this one can be super effective at just 7 units
• There are a lot of different routes you can take in the later portion of the game. For example, at level 8 you can add Hextech buff and if you make a BoTRK you can also add blademaster to Jinx.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Jinx (carry #1): Rapid Firecannon, Runaan’s Hurricane, Bloodthirster

3. Knightly Rangers: A-Tier

Team comp description:

Knight buff counters small hits like gunslingers and rangers, but is potentially weak vs sorcs. Knight’s Vow makes this easier to achieve, and makes this comp extremely flexible.

When to make:

You aren’t looking for items to decide to commit to this, but instead scouting your opponents and looking for enemy sorc comps. If you see one or less, making this an excellent choice. If you do get an Ionic Spark start along with knights, you should probably heavily consider this comp.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Basically you just want to flood the board with whatever knights you can get early on. A DPS like Lucian with Luden’s Echo is also a great source of extra oomph you can sell later.
• Mid game: Adding knights is not a bad thing, but remember that you can always keep a DPS in or give a Morello to Garen so he can do damage. If you get an early Swain at 6, then you are set!

General tips:

• This is an extremely flexible comp. Not only is your carry open to change depending on what you get, but you can also easily eco to level 9 and abuse legendary units.
• Understanding that you need temporary damage sources in the early and mid game is important, so don’t be afraid to use Luden’s Echo, Ionic Spark, and Statik Shiv and temporary carries like Lucian.
• Scouting is key with this comp because it’s flexible and benefits greatly from countering other comps.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Swain (carry #1): Guardian Angel, Morellonomicon, Knight’s Vow
2. Varus (carry #2): Ionic Spark x2

4. Jinx’s Pirate Brigade: S-tier

Team comp description:

This comp uses Blade of the Ruined King to transform Jinx into a Blademaster, making her the ultimate hypercarry. Extra auto attacks that hit multiple units AND splash means really high DPS.

When to make:

When you get a good gunslinger start with on hit items like Red Buff, Hush, Sword Breaker, and Cursed Blade.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Try to put your items on a gunslinger that you can sell, like Tristana. You’ll greatly benefit from the early game power and get to late game safely.
• Mid game: Pirate + 4 gunslingers is a really good mid game combo. You are strong and can build your income while transitioning to Jinx.

General tips:

• It’s okay to lose a bit of HP early to get a Spatula from the first carousel.
• Although this is similar to the original pirate swashbuckler comp, you shouldn’t play this like the old gunslinger comp and roll down before leveling. You need to get to late game to find Jinx and to get enough units on the board.
• Remember that you can have Tristana or Lucian hold Jinx’s items early game and carry until you find Jinx and want to make her your carry.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Jinx (carry #1): Blade of the Ruined King, Rapid Firecannon, Hextech Gunblade

5. Jinx and the Meat Wall: A-tier

Team comp description:

A giant meatwall that protects your Jinx hyper carry. Add to that Hextech origin to disable enemy items and you have a formidable composition.

When to make:

If you get a lot of brawlers and good items for Jinx carry OR you manage to find Jinx before getting one of the more traditional DPS routes for a brawler comp.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Get some early game wild going if you can, Nidalee is a very strong early game unit with some items on her.
• Mid game: Try to find a good cary for mid game, like Lucian or Draven if your Jinx isn’t coming.

General tips:

• Feel free to use Draven or Lucian as your carry until you get Jinx since she can sometimes be difficult to find.
• Remember your break points for this comp. You need 7 for this comp to come online, so you need to save enough money to level at the PVE rounds while picking up the pieces you need.
• Early game items like Ionic Spark make running the damage deficient brawlers more manageable if you cant get a Nidalee carry.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Jinx (carry #1): Rapid Firecannon, Hextech Gunblade, Infinity Edge

6. The Knight’s Vow: A-tier

Team comp description:

Knight buff coutners small hits like gunslingers and rangers, but is potentially weak vs sorcs. Knight’s Vow makes this easier to achieve, and makes this comp extremely flexible.

When to make:

You aren’t looking for items to decide to commit to this, but instead scouting your opponents and looking for enemy sorc comps. If you see one or less, making this an excellent choice. If you do get an Ionic Spark start along with knights, you should probably heavily consider this comp.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Basically you just want to flood the board with whatever knights you can get early on. A DPS like Lucian with Luden’s Echo is also a great source of extra oomph you can sell later.
• Mid game: Adding knights is not a bad thing, but remember that you can always keep a DPS in or give a Morello to Garen so he can do damage. If you get an early swain at 6,then you are set!

General tips:

• This is an extremely flexible comp. Not only is your carry open to change depending on what you get, but you can also easily eco to level 9 and abuse legendary units.
• Understanding that you need temporary damage sources in the early and mid game is important, so don’t be afraid to use Luden’s Echo, Ionic Spark, and Statik Shiv, and temporary carries like Lucian.
• Scouting is key with this comp because it’s flexible and benefits greatly from countering other comps.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Swain (carry #1): Guardian Angel, Morellonomicon, Knight’s Vow
2. Varus (carry #2): Ionic Spark x2

Previously Recommended TFT Comps (Updated for Patch 9.16)

For fans of team comps we have picked in the past, here is how you can adapt them for patch 9.16b!

7. Magical Knights: A-tier

Team comp description:

This is a sorcerer comp that uses Twisted Fate to generate mana for big ultimates. It relies on knights and yordles to create a frontline. It was made popular by the streamer Keane.

When to make:

When you have both knights and sorcerers in the early game, it’s an easy transition to play this comp. This is especially true if you rank up TF, Ahri, and Lulu early on.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Try to get an early game item going like Ionic Spark, Statikk Shiv, Guardian’s Angel, or Luden’s Echo.
• Mid game: You can play as 4 knights till you upgrade your sorcerers, then switch to 3 sorcs and 2 knights.

General tips:

• Your priority is to make items for Kennen, but you can start with 1 early game item such as Statikk Shiv, Luden’s Echo, or Ionic Spark.
• Before you get the yordle buff, Cho’Gath is a viable unit to play as a substitute. You can eventually replace him with Gnar.
• This comp really wants Karthus. When you find him, you can replace Ahri with him.
• Make as many Guardian Angels as you can, so your units have more chances to get off powerful AoE ults.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Kennen (carry #1): Morellonomicon, Guardian Angel
2. Ahri (carry #2): Luden’s Echo, Guardian Angel, Morellonomicon
3. Gnar (carry #3): Guardian Angel

8. Burst Rangers: S-tier

Team comp description:

This is one of the more versatile versions of the ranger comp. It doesn’t require Statikk Shiv because Aatrox with Morello offers alternative ways to inflict damage if you can’t get your Shivs.

When to make:

When you find Aatrox and/or Sejuani before you find your guardians. You can also consider going this comp if you complete Morello/GA early instead of Shiv.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Try to get Statikk Shiv, Morello, GA, or Ionic Spark as your first item, they are all good choices for early game.
• Mid game: Don’t be afraid to roll down after hitting level 6 to find your core pieces. Here is where the magic happens for this comp

General tips:

• Statikk Shiv is a beast early game. Don’t be afraid to build attack speed items and place them on Vayne early on.
• Rangers are one of the most flexible builds with different options you can transition to depending on what you are rolling.
• Another early game option is to prioritize building Morello and GA, maybe on Garen or Aatrox.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Ashe (carry #1): Stattik Shiv
2. Aatrox (carry #2): Aatrox: Guardian Angel, Yuumi, Dragon’s Claw
3. Sejuani (carry #3): Guardian Angel, Morellonomicon

9. Pick a Blue Card: B-tier

Patch 9.16 update (A to B):

Giving lots of Mana to Sorcs will always be good, and something you can rely on, but with the nerfs to Morello this drops down a notch.

Team comp description:

This is a sorcerer comp that uses Twisted Fate to generate mana for their big ultimates. It relies on yordles and elementalists to create a front line to buy time for the big ults.

When to make:

When you find significant amounts of Twisted Fate and Kennen early.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Try to get an early game item going like Ionic Spark, Statikk Shiv, Guardian’s Angel, or Luden’s Echo.
• Mid game: This comp is complete mid game, so try to get your full set of 6 units online at this point (3 sorc and 3 elementalists).

General tips:

• You can build a Statikk Shiv or Rapid Firecannon on Twisted Fate since it helps him generate blue cards and mana.
• To get the yordle buff, Poppy can be a good 7th, but a Gnar 2 star also does real well in a sorc comp.
• This comp really wants Karthus, and when you find Karthus you can replace your weakest sorcerer for him.
• Make as many Guardian Angels as you can, so your units have more chances to get off powerful AoE ults.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Kennen (carry #1): Morellonomicon, Guardian Angel
2. Twisted Fate (carry #2): Stattik Shiv, Luden’s Echo

10. The Hunter and the Predator: B-tier

Patch 9.16 update (S to B)

This comp has dropped in power since our last rankings. Rengar got nerfed but with Wild and Ninja buffs, if these units are not being taken you can get an easy top 3 with ranked up units.

Team comp description:

A double threat team with massive damage incoming from Cho’Gath and Rengar. Akali is the cherry on top. Bonus points if you get the name reference.

When to make:

No specific requirements. This comp is easy to force since you can play Volibear till you find Cho’Gath and Zed till you find Akali.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Your early game options are several: assassins, brawlers or voids. You can use Kassadin to hold your items.
• Mid game: You should have either 4 brawlers or 3 assasins and 3 voids composition by this point. Only roll if your comp is too weak. Remember your comp is complete at 7, so be sure to keep some gold to level up after wolves.

General tips:

• Play Zed and Volibear till you find Akali and Cho’Gath.
• Try to start with getting your atk speed items, as Rengar benefits greatly from them.
• Don’t be afraid to replace any of the reccomended Rengar items with a Statikk Shiv if you can build one early as it will carry you early on.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Rengar (carry #1) – Bloodthirster, Guardian Angel, Rapid Firecannon
2. Cho’Gath (carry #2) – Morellonomicon, Guardian Angel

11. Ahri and the Brawlers: A-tier

Patch 9.16 update (S to A):

Void brawlers took a hit in this patch, but this is still a respectable comp, especially as Ahri’s carry potential got buffed with wild. Just watch out that brawlers are very contested in the early days of the patch.

Team comp description:

Ahri is an underrated early/mid game champion. She will carry your games with Luden’s Echo or Static Shiv. Late game Cho’Gath will proceed to delete entire enemy teams.

When to make:

Any time you get Ahri and or a mix of brawlers early. This is doubly true if you can make a Statikk Shiv or Luden’s Echo, OR both.

Gameplan:

• Early game: You have several early game options: nobles, brawlers, voids, sorcerers.
• Mid game: You should play 3 void if you get a Cho Gath, otherwise prioritize sorc passive over void. Remember your comp doesn’t complete until 7, so be sure to keep some gold to level up after wolves.

General tips:

• You should be looking to make 1 early game items. Top 3 picks are Luden’s Echo, Statikk Shiv, Ionic Spark. Always make 1 of those for Ahri.
• A lot of your early units are present in your final comp: Ahri, Warwick, Reksai, Blitz, Kassadin. You’ll know pretty quickly if you can reliably build this.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Ahri (carry #1): Luden’s Echo, Statikk Shiv
2. Cho’Gath (carry #2): Morellonomicon, Guardian Angel

12. Elemental Sorcerers: B-tier

Patch 9.16 (S to B)

With the nerfs to GA and Morello, this comp loses a lot of its power, but still viable.

Team comp description:

Utilizes the elementals for both frontline and AoE damage. Combine that with sorcerer buff and a splash of demon for mana burn and some yordle for good luck. A very realiable comp that is strong at all points during the game.

When to make:

Good comp to play if you can’t find Recurve bows, all you need is a Morellonomicon and 2/3 Guardian Angels

Gameplan:

• Early game: You don’t need to worry too much about picking up Veigar or Lulu, but don’t skip Kennens. You can play Knight/Noble early game and put GA on a tank which you will sell later.
• Mid game: This comp is complete mid game, so try to get your full set of 6 units online at this point

General tips:

• Twisted Fate is an excellent sub for Lulu in the early game, as he acts as a mana battery for the whole team. To get the yordle buff, Poppy can be a good 7th unit mid game.
• This comp really wants Karthus, and when you find Karthus you can replace your weakest sorcerer for him and add Kindred at level 7 to get your phantom bonus.
• Make as many Guardian Angels as you can, so your units have more chances to get off powerful AoE ults.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Kennen (carry #1): Morellonomicon, Guardian Angel
2. Morgana (carry #2): Guardian Angel

13. The Imperial Guard: S-tier

Patch 9.16 update (A to S):

Imperials are strong, especially Draven and Swain. This is always going to be a great endgame comp if you can assemble it.

Team comp description:

With imperial buff, Draven melts enemy frontlines faster than they can kill your CC and HP loaded front line.

When to make:

When you have an early Darius 2, and find good items for Draven early on (lots of Recurve Bows).

Gameplan:

• Early game: Really all that matters here is that you have the Garius combo. The third and fourth units just need to be solid enough to get you to mid game.
• Mid game: Here you just want to establish a strong front line and get your Draven online. Feel free to play 4 brawlers while you look for all the your guardians and imperials. Sejuani is always great to have too.

General tips:

• Don’t stress the 4 imperials, you can play 2 brawlers or 2 blademasters till you get your Swain.
• Don’t be afraid to wait out the game and level up then roll if you are aiming to get this comp online since your key units are late game.
• In the early game you can use anyone, but ideally Vayne or Tristana, to carry your Draven items until you are ready to make the switch

Ideal items for carries:

1. Draven: Guinsoo’s Rageblade, Rapid Firecannon, Bloodthirster
2. Swain: Dragon’s Claw

14. Ultimate Ranger Formation: S-tier

Patch 9.16 update (A to S): 

This is a tried and true comp that has been tested and still does great in this meta.

Team comp description:

Very classic verion of Rangers with Guardians for extra CC and defense

When to make:

When you get a start with attack speed items and nobles to start your game. If there are lots of people running elementals and you have good Vayne rolls early on, you can easily move to this composition.

Gameplan:

• Early game: Noble is a very good start for early game, try to get a Stattik Shiv online quickly, it will carry your early game.
• Mid game: Don’t be afraid to roll down after hitting level 6 to find your core pieces and make sure this is the direction to commit to. You are looking for a Kindred or a Leona to make the commitment.

General tips:

• Static Shiv is a beast early game, don’t be afraid to build attack speed items, you can put them early on Vayne.
• If you can’t 3 star vayne, just sub in the other Vayne 2 you have on your bench and swich to Varus.
• Formation is extremley important for guardian comps, and most importantly make sure your guardians are buffing each other.
• When you can put 8 units in, then you can put in Sejuani and look for a Frozen Mallet to get 4 glacial.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Varus: Stattik Shiv x2, Cursed Blade
2. Ashe: Spear of Shojn x 2, Guinsoo’s Rageblade
3. Braum: Thornmail

15. Ninja Elementalists: B-tier

Patch 9.16 update (staying B):

Still works but there are stronger assassin variants that exist right now and take advantage of Void and Rengar.

Team comp description:

Elementalists and Ninjas share units and spike really hard mid game. Put your units in a line to feel the true power of the new Zeke’s Herald.

When to make:

Anytime you want. This comp is very easy to force since it doesn’t require 3-star units or specific items, but greatly benefits if you can get them.

Gameplan:

• Early game: You can do anything you want in the early game. Whether that’s a strong early game synergy like noble OR just solid 2 star units, but your goal is to get to mid game and start putting in elementals.
• Mid game: Find a Brand and put the 3 elementals in with whatever 2-star units you have

General tips:

• If you see a Brand in the early carousel, grab him since three elementals, even at 1 star, will carry your early and mid game.
• Make as many Zeke’s Heralds as you can and put your units in a line.

Ideal items for carries:

1. Zed: Zeke’s Herald x3
2. Akali: Dragon’s Claw, Locket of the Iron Solari x2

That’s it for now! We’ll be making more team comp recommendations every week and for future patches. Let us know in the comments if we missed anything and good luck in your TFT matches!