Today we will look at the "Greenfather" Ivern in Set 18 together in the most efficient way to save your energy and time.
In short, Ivern is a great support champion in the late game, you should play him when you have extra mana generation items.
The exact numbers are collected by our TFT expert in game, and we update them consistently.
Guide
Simple rules of Ivern Hexes
You get 3 types of Hexes each game, depending on the Biome.
For example, in the "Mountainside" biome, you get Rocks, Trees, and Flowers.
Rocks grant 8/12 Armor/Magic Resistance to champions that start combat on those hexes. Trees grant 8%/12% Max Health to champions that start combat on those hexes.
These are clearly Hexes designed for tanks rather than carries. In my experience, Trees are simply stronger — 8% or even 12% Max Health provides much more value than 8/12 Armor/MR.
For different games, you can gain different biomes, such as Creek, Waterfall, Bog, etc.
But don't worry, it's not nearly as complicated as it seems.
All of these biomes are very intuitive, and they won't put you in a difficult situation. The hexes that are good for frontliners are placed in the front, and the hexes that are good for carries are placed in the back. There is usually just a slight difference that you can adjust to show your skill.
Simple Explanation
Rocks are for tanks with a lot of HP but not enough Armor/MR.
Trees are good for tanks and fighters in general, and are currently more OP than Rocks.
Water is okay for almost all champions. The numbers are very low right now, so it will likely need a buff in the future.
Mushrooms are very good for your carries.
Flowers are good for Marksman and Fighter in general, and Caster with Spear of Shojin.
The God Willow Hex
Finally, the God Willow (Golden) Hex in the middle with a "?" mark will make your champion infinitely self-replicate.
The God Willow Hex is extremely strong. Its power level is beyond even a 3-star 4-cost champion, so getting it is a very safe way to secure a 1st place if you can find it.
However, in order to get it, you will need to find an Ivern as early as Stage 3-2, possibly through Recombobulator, Luxury Subscription, or the 1% chance of finding him in a Level 7 shop.
With mana items, Ivern should be able to plant seeds across the entire board by the end of Stage 6 or the start of Stage 7, then finally unlock the God Willow Hex.
It is indeed a possible win condition, but it is also fairly rare.
Itemization
Ivern does best when stacking multiple mana items.
BIS Example
1. Spear of Shojin + Spear of Shojin + Red Buff
2. Spear of Shojin + Adaptive Helm + Adaptive Helm
3. Adaptive Helm+ Archiangel's Staff + Blue Buff
The Augment "Seraphim's Staff" and "Ascension" are extremely good for Ivern and Alune carry.
This is because Ivern has the ability to protect the frontline with his shield, making them extra tanky, especially if you have him properly itemized. Meanwhile Alune is a mage who needs time to get prepared, her "Full Moon" unleashes a ton of damage onto your enemies, however it will only be ready as soon as at least 12 seconds into the fight, which is just when "Ascension" kicks in.
This is a very efficient combination you can look out for if you are going for Ivern carry!