How to Play All the New Set 2 Champions in TFT (Items, Tips, and First Impressions)

Beginner Guide: All New TFT Champions from Rise of the Elements

Welcome to our guide on EVERY set 2 champion. With the set 2 out for a while now on PBE, some champions and builds have shone above the rest. Keep in mind, however, that a lot of these thoughts are initial impressions. Once set 2 hits ranked, expect many new builds and powerful combinations to arise and keep up with that through our team comps page. For now, here’s our general thoughts on every champion so far.

Notes: Our overview of these champions are edited to be more concise, for a more in-depth look on every champion ability and their stats, check out their Champions Page for more details. To learn about the other changes in the game, check out our guide on the new game mechanics, origins, and classes.

Positioning Key

We’ll be giving basic positioning suggestions for every champion to get the ball rolling for you, but remember that positioning is incredibly contextual in TFT and to always adapt to the situation at hand. We recommend revisiting our unit positioning guide to brush up your fundamentals.

The terminology we’ll be using in this article will be frontline, midline, and backline.

Following this key, you’ll be able to understand the rows that champions should be placed in general. Note that the Set 2 board is one row bigger – in general this slightly weakens AoE units and buffs melee comps a tad since they’ll have more space to get in on backliners.

1-Cost Champions

Diana – Inferno / Assassin

First Impressions:

Much like Kha’Zix from set 1, Diana is a decent assassin that you can use in the early game. Inferno currently is not as strong as some of the other traits in the game. Because of this, not many late game comps currently use her so expect her to hold your late game items and then transition out into stronger units.

Positioning:

Backline, opposite the target you want to jump to.

Tips:

If you have an inferno hex game, she can pair nicely with Qiyana for inferno and assassin early, and she can also pair early with Varus and Kindred for early Inferno as well.

Ivern – Woodland / Druid

First Impressions:

Much like many one cost champions, Ivern doesn’t bring much to the table, but when combined with an early Woodland and Druid, he can give you some early round wins to start win streaking.

Recommended Items:

Guardian Angel, Warmog’s Armor, Redemption

Positioning:

Midline. 

Tips

If you find an early Ivern 2 star, look for other woodland units like Maokai or Neeko to make use of their synergy early to rack up your win streak. Be prepared to transition out, however, as they don’t scale very well into the late game.

Kog’Maw – Poison / Predator

First Impressions:

Kog’Maw is in somewhat of an awkward spot in that players haven’t yet figured out strong uses of Predator other than hyper-rolling. Poison also comes very late with only a few units, high cost units, having Poison. As such, Kog’Maw should also be a transition early game unit.

Positioning:

Backline.

Tips:

Since Kog’Maw likely won’t be in your end game team, you can put nearly any items you want as you will likely sell him later, but if you hyperroll, Hurricane makes great use of predator ability.

Maokai – Woodland / Druid

First Impressions:

Maokai functions very similarly to Ivern, a strong early game snowball, but falls off very quickly. You can simply use him early to hold your defensive items to sell for later.

Positioning:

Frontline.

Tips:

Look to pair with other Woodlands like Ivern, Neeko, or even LeBlanc to snowball early, but prepare to transition.

Nasus – Light / Warden

First Impressions:

Nasus himself is not the strongest, but the light synergy has shown itself to be very powerful so far. There are strategies to hyper-roll for Nasus and Vayne to eventually reach 6 light. Item

Positioning:

Center frontline (to maximize AoE).

Tips:

Nasus is an early unit that make might stay into your late game team, so don’t put any items on him you might want for more powerful units later. Even still, a 3-star Nasus with items can help you cruise the early and mid game.

Ornn – Electric / Warden

First Impressions:

Ornn hasn’t shown too much promise yet with Wardens lacking damage and electric only on Zed and Volibear. However, there will still be more playtesting needed before any final thoughts.

Positioning:

Frontline.

Tips:

Like many other early game champs, you can place any items unless you plan on keeping Ornn.

Renekton – Desert / Berserker

First Impressions:

Renekton plays very similarly to Darius from Set 1, and can be used early to get Desert buff online or be used in a 6 berserker team. While not the strongest unit, Renekton seems to be a solid unit early.

Positioning:

Center frontline (to maximize AoE).

Tips:

Place items wisely. If you find yourself in a position where you want to run 6 berserkers, try not to place any strong items early that you might regret. If used for an early desert buff, you can place items if you plan on replacing Renekton.

Taliyah – Mountain / Mage

First Impressions:

Taliyah definitely is not the strongest unit, but when there are mountain hexes, you can pair Taliyah with Qiyana for an early mountain buff. This massive shield can definitely win some early rounds.

Positioning:

Midline.

Tips:

If you happen to be running a team with Malphite, or find an early Malphite, consider running Taliyah if you can fit her in your team. A free 1500 HP shield can go a long way.

Vayne – Light / Ranger

First Impressions:

Vayne in set 2 has some very strong synergies with rangers and light. Light 6 has made it viable to have Vayne as your hyper carry in the late game, assuming you can 3 star her. Even if you don’t, you can still use her to transition into any comp that uses rangers.

Positioning:

Backline, side or center as hyper carry.

Tips:

Keep in mind that light units will likely be very contested with many players attesting to their strength. As such, it might not be the best idea to hyperroll on the first day, but balance changes can still happen, so we will see.

Vladimir – Ocean / Mage

First Impressions:

Mages haven’t seen much play in PBE, but Vladimir is still a pretty solid unit. Be wary of any buffs to mages in the future, but for now don’t expect too much from Vlad in the mid to late game.

Positioning:

Midline.

Tips:

Vlad can still be a solid choice to hold your items until you transition into stronger units.

Warwick – Glacial / Predator

First Impressions:

So far, Warwick hasn’t shown much promise. Both glacial and predator don’t see much so far, so don’t expect much from Warwick until someone innovates.

Positioning:

Frontline.

Tips:

We’ve suggested some general tanky items for Warwick, but since you likely have him as a transition unit, feel free to place any items that you want on him.

Zyra – Inferno / Summoner

First Impressions:

Zyra is a solid early unit. She doesn’t scale very well into the midgame, but a possible early summoner or early inferno bonus can justify picking her up early.

Positioning:

Midline or side backline.

Tips:

Zyra is arguably a stronger transition unit compared to other one cost units allowing for early inferno or summoner. Even still, don’t expect to keep her in your team for too long as there are just better units later on. Items are quite flexible early for transition units, so anything that helps her summon plants will help.

2-Cost Champions

Braum – Glacial/Warden

First Impressions:

Braum isn’t that much different from his Set 1 self. Now that he’s no longer a Guardian, you can be a bit more flexible in his placement since starting adjacent allies isn’t as forced upon you.

Positioning:

Frontline in front of where he can mitigate the most damage with his ult.

Tips:

Glaicial stuns in set 2, so you can position Braum to delay ultimates from enemy frontliners.

Jax – Light / Berserker

First Impressions:

Jax has shown to be a promising unit so far in the PBE. With light being a strong synergy overall, Jax fits right into the mold. With 6 berserkers also being a possibility, Jax has an initial good rating.

Positioning:

Side frontline.

Tips:

Jax has potential to make it into your late game team, so don’t itemize him heavily early as you want to save your best items for your late game carries. Iceborne Gauntlet is a solid item that synergizes with his ability.

Leblanc – Woodland / Mage / Assassin

First Impressions:

Leblanc has good potential to be a solid transition unit, but with Mages not showing too much promise, Leblanc mostly will be used to transition from woodland into assassins. Even then, she will be replaced quickly by better assassins. There is potential with 6 assassins, but that will have to be playtested more.

Positioning:

Backline, opposite the target you want to jump to.

Tips:

LeBlanc provides the best transition out of woodland into a possible assassin comp. Be ready to replace her once she begins to fall off. If playing for a 6 assassin team, don’t prioritize her for items.

Malzahar – Shadow / Summoner

First Impressions:

Malzahar is definitely a solid unit being able to transition into both summoner and shadow builds. With Zed and Master Yi both being strong units, Malzahar can be your transition into those late game powerhouses.

Positoning:

Center backline.

Tips:

Malzahar isn’t really a transition unit, but more of a synergy bonus unit. As such, be wary of any items you place on him as he might stay into your final team. 4 Shadow builds and Zed builds have shown good promise, so try picking up Malzahar to get there.

Neeko – Woodland / Druid

First Impressions:

Neeko is kind of in an awkward spot thus far. With woodland and druid being very early game oriented, investing into a 2-cost unit will only lose you gold if you sell Neeko later on.

Positioning:

Midline or side backline.

Tips:

Be wary of investing in Neeko early on. If you need her to finish 3 woodland, feel free to keep her at level 1 until you find better units to replace your woodland units.

Rek’Sai – Steel / Predator

First Impressions:

Rek’Sai seems somewhat lackluster at first based on her skill, but, when paired with Nocturne, the steel bonus can be quite strong especially for Nocturne. This opens up possibilities for 6 assassins with Nocturne as your main carry or a strong carry for hyper-roll predators.

Positioning:

Side frontline.

Tips:

Zeke’s Herald can be a very strong item when stacked on a 6 assassin team. Youmuu’s Ghostblade will also allow the team to fit in better units while allowing Nocturne and Rek’sai to get steel bonus.

Skarner – Crystal / Predator

First Impressions:

Skarner seems to be somewhat weaker than many of the other 2 drops, with Crystal only available later with Ashe and Taric. Predator has some potential but even then Skarner likely won’t make the cut compared to the other predators.

Positioning:

Frontline.

Tips:

Skarner can be picked up early to pair with Ashe or to pair with other predators like Kog’Maw, but will likely be transitioned out of. As such, we’ve recommended general items once again on a transition unit like Skarner.

Syndra – Ocean / Mage

First Impressions:

Mages haven’t shown great potential yet, so naturally, Syndra hasn’t shown much promise yet either.

Positioning:

Midline or backline.

Tips:

Even with ocean and mages being weak currently, be ready for possible buffs or new innovations from players.

Thresh – Ocean / Warden

First Impressions:

Most ocean and warden champions have not shown much promise in the PBE, and as such, Thresh doesn’t show much promise yet either.

Positioning:

Frontline.

Tips:

Wardens currently don’t have enough upside to warrant running yet, but be ready for any balance changes.

Varus – Inferno / Ranger

First Impressions:

Varus shows promise mainly being a ranger and pairing nicely with Kindred for a possible early ranger and inferno buff. However, most builds tend to drop inferno toward the late game. As such, Varus can be used as a solid transition unit while waiting for stronger rangers.

Positioning:

Backline against assassins, backline corner to maximize damage.

Tips:

It it uncertain whether 6 rangers are viable enough, with most players opting to run 2 or 4 currently. Because of this, Varus transitions easily into stronger rangers such as Ashe or Twitch and can hold items for them until they appear in your shop.

Volibear – Electric / Glacial / Berserker

First Impressions:

Volibear has decent potential being one of the units with two origins. Electric will need more testing, and glacials haven’t shown as much promise yet, but with a fast changing meta, Volibear can definitely become a top pick in the 2 drop category.

Positioning:

Frontline.

Tips:

Being a berserker, on-hit items synergize well with their bonus, and Volibear can hold items for Olaf provided you find another copy to replace him in your team. The glacial from Volibear and Olaf also work well together.

Yasuo – Cloud / Blademaster

First Impressions:

When a cloud hex appears on the board, Yasuo definitely becomes one of the most contested units in the game to pair with Qiyana for early dodge chance. Late game, Yasuo also synergizes with Master Yi to complete a shadow, blademaster, mystic, cloud team.

Positioning:

Frontline or midline.

Tips:

Yasuo can be kept as a defensive frontline with itemization, or you can put offensive items to hold for Master Yi in the late game. Either way, early cloud with Yasuo can be a powerhouse to cruise through the early mid game.

3-Cost Champions

Aatrox – Light / Blademaster

First Impressions:

Aatrox, much like Nasus and Jax, has the powerful light buff which already makes him a strong unit. His blademaster class makes him even better to possibly go for 4 blademaster teams with Yasuo and Master Yi, or 6 light teams with Master Yi or Vayne as your carry.

Positioning:

Frontline.

Tips:

Aatrox has great potential and will likely be a fairly contested unit on release.

Azir – Desert / Summoner

First Impressions:

Azir is a solid unit in that desert pairs nicely with either Sivir or Kha’Zix to build into blademasters or assassins or both. For assassins, Azir also brings summoner that will help Zed in your late game. For blademasters, Azir might be dropped late game for Kha’Zix, but overall he is a very solid unit.

Positioning:

Backline.

Tips:

Shojin, Rageblade, or other items will help Azir summon more sand soldiers, but Zeke’s Herald will buff the rest of your assassins if building into Zed and Kha’Zix, and buff your other summoners.

Dr. Mundo – Poison / Berserker

First Impressions:

Dr. Mundo fits nicely into possible 6 berserker comps, but also allows to build into comps that use Twitch as their main carry.

Positioning:

Frontline.

Tips:

Mundo definitely won’t be the star unit on your team, so we recommended general defensive items. Don’t prioritize these items, but instead items for your Singed or Twitch instead.

Ezreal – Glacial / Ranger

First Impressions:

So far, Ezreal seems to be one of the weaker rangers, mainly used to complete your ranger buff or give glacial buff.

Positioning:

Midline or backline.

Tips:

With Ezreal’s low mana pool, Luden’s can be strong early on, but it will fall off toward the late game.

Kindred – Inferno / Shadow / Ranger

First Impressions:

Kindred is definitely quite strong as a 3 drop and opens up synergy with Master Yi in the late game. The early inferno buff can also be used with Varus for a strong opener.

Positioning:

Backline.

Tips:

While Kindred is very strong in the mid game, she will not keep up with 4 or 5-cost carries late in the game. Even still, she is a strong addition to teams that can utilize her.

Nautilus – Ocean / Warden

First Impressions:

Nautilus is in the same awkward spot as Thresh being somewhat weaker in terms of traits. However, he is similar to Vi from set 1 and provides early CC.

Positioning:

Side frontline (maximizes his ult damage).

Tips:

Nautilus can still be a solid transition unit if you happen to be running wardens, but being a 3-cost is a heavy investment. Even still his skill is quite good and can disrupt enemy backlines.

Nocturne – Steel / Assassin

First Impressions:

Nocturne is similar to Rengar from set 1 in that he is a decently strong assassin as a 3-cost. Pairing Nocturne and Rek’sai with Youmuu’s Ghostblade can be solid 6 assassin team.

Positioning:

Backline, opposite the target you want to jump to.

Tips:

Nocturne can be a strong carry if you are able to 3-star him, but if you find stronger assassins first, like Zed or Kha’Zix, stacking Zeke’s Herald can be a strong choice to buff your entire team while making him a bit tankier as well.

Qiyana – Variable / Assassin

First Impressions:

Qiyana’s variable origin will always match the elemental hexes on the board. With a cloud Qiyana, blademaster assassin teams will really shine. inferno and mountain can provide solid early game buffs, but ocean Qiyana hasn’t shown much promise.

Positioning:

Backline, opposite the target you want to jump to.

Tips:

Qiyana can be quite strong, but don’t prioritize her for items as you’ll likely have stronger units to prioritize. Being a 3-cost unit, selling her to get your items will lose you gold compared to transitioning with 1 or 2-cost units.

Sion – Shadow / Berserker

First Impressions:

Sion is a solid frontline, but really shines in that he can be decent early CC and also buff your shadow units. 6 berserker teams will also run Sion, so he seems like a solid unit overall.

Positioning:

Frontline.

Tips:

Sion like many 3-cost units shouldn’t be item stacked as he isn’t capable of being a main carry on your team. Extra defensive items can go on Sion, but there will likely be better units not far way to prioritize.

Sivir – Desert / Blademaster

First Impressions:

Sivir shows great promise taking Draven’s role of a ranged blademaster. While she won’t hyper carry as hard, her desert can be paired with Kha’Zix and provides nice backline DPS worthy of being a secondary carry.

Positioning:

Backline.

Tips:

Hurricane paired with on-hit items will do massive work on Sivir. Sword Breaker, and Guinsoo’s Rageblade are also decent items to put on her.

Soraka – Light / Mystic

First Impressions:

Soraka is not the most flashy unit, but the fact that she is both light and mystic make her a perfect pair with Master Yi if you are able to make Talisman of Light. Her mana lock can also be clutch to position against strong enemy spells.

Positioning:

Midline or backline.

Tips:

Soraka definitely is not a priority to put items on, as many other units provide higher DPS or have stronger CC. Even still, extra mana to mana lock enemies can be very useful.

Veigar – Shadow / Mage

First Impressions:

Mages haven’t shown much promise yet, but Veigar still has a place in the meta being the 4th shadow to buff up your Master Yi. In the situation you find a shadow Lux, however, Veigar likely won’t make the cut anymore.

Positioning:

Midline or backline.

Tips: There will definitely be people who roll for Veigar 3 in order to one shot enemy units. With mage, he will cast twice, which will definitely make for some great highlights, but might not be very viable competitively.

4-Cost Champions

Annie – Inferno / Summoner

First Impressions:

Annie is quite a strong unit, and summoners have shown good viability in the meta. Inferno, on the other hand, will need more innovation or buffs before Annie is used for inferno teams.

Positioning:

Midline or backline.

Tips:

Keep in mind that Annie cannot ult again until Tibbers dies, so stacking mana generation isn’t the best way to go. Items aren’t prioritized for Annie since she mainly acts as a side unit for assassin teams, but she can be a good unit to put your Rods on.

Ashe – Crystal / Ranger

First Impressions:

Ashe was very strong on PBE release that she had to be nerfed almost instantly. She has fast attack speed, and when paired with crystal on Taric is enough defensive ability to stack offensive items.

Positioning:

Center backline.

Tips:

Red Buff can be a strong alternative to Giant Slayer if you see lots of Warmogs in the game. Crystal can be online early with Skarner, but really shines when you are able to find Taric.

Brand – Inferno / Mage

First Impressions:

Brand hasn’t changed much from set 1, and so far is somewhat underwhelming. As the main carry for Mages, the fact that his ult takes time to deal full damage can be quite detrimental. And with the bigger board for set 2, Brand’s ability might not get to bounce fully. Brand, inferno, and mages will need some buffs or innovation before he is relevant in the meta.

Positioning:

Backline.

Tips:

Brand with the right buffs could definitely become quite strong in the future. But until then, don’t expect much of him just yet.

Janna – Cloud / Mystic

First Impressions:

Janna is one of the few new support units that does her job extremely well. When positioned with your main carry, her ability will provide great CC to keep your carry safe as well as heal them. Being both cloud and mystic also makes her one of, if not, the best defensive unit in the game.

Positioning:

Midline or center backline, whichever is best to help Janna protect your carry.

Tips:

Janna will definitely be heavily contested and can do very well without any items. If you find that she dies before she can ult, you can throw some mana items on her to speed it up.

Kha’Zix – Desert / Assassin

First Impressions:

Kha’Zix is quite strong and is quite similar to Akali from set 1. Being the 4-cost assassin, he will likely carry the mid to late game until you can find Zed. Desert is also very easy to fit in with Sivir or Azir, allowing your units to deal more damage.

Positioning:

Backline, opposite the target you want to jump to.

Tips:

Guardian Angel can be a great defensive option for Kha’Zix, but in the late game, if you find a Zed, it might be better off to save Guardian Angel for Zed to hopefully pair with Redemption.

Malphite – Mountain / Warden

First Impressions:

Malphite is definitely the strongest CC unit in the game with a near instant cast. However, mountain buff falls off in the late game when you have to run Taliyah and wardens have yet to show great potential.

Positioning:

Center frontline. Although you can’t control where Malphite ults, you want him to do so ASAP. 

Tips:

Even if you aren’t going for a warden comp, Malphite can still be added to basically any team with an extra slot to provide good CC.

Olaf – Glacial / Berserker

First Impressions:

Olaf has shown some potential with 6 berserkers as the main carry, but whether this team will be able to keep up will have to be seen.

Positioning:

Side frontline.

Tips:

Remember that berzerkers also proc on-hit effects with their synergy buff. However, as Olaf is if your hyper carry, stacking offensive items will be more important, while other berzerkers can use items such as sword breaker or hush.

Twitch – Poison / Ranger

First Impressions:

Twitch’s ability is extremely strong especially when paired with Runaan’s Hurricane. Twitch is without a doubt the strongest offensive ranger. Combining with Singed and Dr. Mundo allow for not just good damage but mana lock.

Positioning:

Center backline.

Tips:

Red Buff and Giant Slayer and somewhat interchangeable depending on your lobby. Try to position Twitch in a position where his Spray and Pray can hit the backline of enemy teams.

Yorick – Light / Summoner

First Impressions:

Yorick is a decent unit that can be fitted into 6 light teams or any summoner team. While not too overpowering, Yorick is a solid frontliner that will annoy opponents that can’t deal with summoned units.

Positioning:

Frontline.

Tips:

Yorick is not a priority to itemize, but if you find a Zed 2 with itemized Yorick, you can replace Yorick with either another Yorick or Annie and use the items on him for Zed.

5-Cost Champions

Master Yi – Shadow / Mystic / Blademaster

First Impressions:

Master Yi is a very strong late game carry, but like other 5-cost units can be unreliable compared to 4-cost carries. His Mediate ability also somewhat hinders his DPS output but does give him some defensive capability.

Positioning:

Side midline.

Tips:

Master Yi is quite flexible in that he can fit into a decent amount of teams so far, and with Talisman of Light can become extremely strong with his high attack speed and base damage.

Nami – Ocean / Mystic

First Impressions:

Nami is another support unit like Janna that brings mystic and decent CC to the table. While Ocean is underused right now, the possibility of 4 mystic and CC make Nami a great unit if you can afford it in the late game.

Positioning:

Mid or backline center (similar to Janna).

Tips:

Extra tears can help Nami ult faster which will not only provide good CC, but also buff your units with magic damage on hit.

Singed – Poison / Alchemist

First Impressions:

Singed is a very interesting unit, never auto attacking, but simply running around leaving a poison trail. Poison pairs very nicely with Twitch, and the mana debuff will annoy many people.

Positioning:

Center midline. Since he does not have unit collision, letting him run through your team to the enemy without aggro will help him survive longer.

Tips:

Try to position Singed so that the neurotoxins from poison hit enemies with strong abilities. Other than that just watch him run around and have fun.

Taric – Crystal / Warden

First Impressions:

Taric’s ability can be extremely strong with the right timing, and when paired with Ashe, Taric becomes extremely tanky.

Positioning:

Center frontline.

Tips:

Taric is already quite tanky without items, so items aren’t a priority for Taric, but can help him be that much more annoying for the enemy to kill.

Zed – Electric / Summoner / Assassin

First Impressions:

Zed surrounded with a supporting team of synergies can be one of the scariest late game monsters. With each of his clones copying his items, there are many items that will benefit Zed. Electric can also become quite scary if the board fills up with Zed clones.

Positioning:

Tips:

Guardian Angel and Redemption combine to make Zed a possibly unkillable monster. Combined with cloud and mystic, Zed will become virtually unkillable. In other regular assassin teams, items like Rapidfire Cannon or Infinity Edge will do great as well.

7-Cost Champion

Lux – Variable / Avatar

First Impressions:

Lux is by far the most interesting unit of the new batch. Being able to be one of ten elemental origins creates so many possibilities in the late game. As such, Lux will always be meta depending on what origins are strong, but 7 gold is quite steep for any player to stomach in the late game.

Positioning:

Center backline.

Tips:

Keep in mind that finding Lux, especially the one you want, will be difficult and not reliable. As such, build your teams that are strong without Lux, but also be ready for when the stars align and you find the perfect Lux for your team.

Thanks for reading our TFT Set 2 mechanics guide! Be sure to check out site for recommended team comps, champ tier list, and item tier list to help you stay on top of the new meta.