This guide was originally written as our initial impressions of Set 18 at the time of its reveal, prior to the PBE launch. For up-to-date guidance, click on any champion links, or check out our Meta Comps section below.
Welcome to our trait guide, where we'll be covering the Defender trait in the new TFT Set 18: Enchanted Wilds. In this guide, we'll explain how Defender works, cover its different champions, explore Defender Meta Comps, and provide a quick summary of the other potential traits you could branch into.
Defender Meta Comps
Rammus and Fiddlesticks give Defender a strong reroll route, while Lillia fits into boards built around more expensive carries. Your copies and economy can help decide which direction to take.
Here are a few comps that play around the Defender trait.
Defenders of the DoT
Defenders of the DoT uses 6 Defender to give Cassiopeia time to wear down enemies. Rammus is your main tank, with Fiddlesticks adding damage and healing. Reroll all three at level 7.
LeBlanc can hold Cassiopeia’s items alongside Xayah, Ornn and Leona for an Elderwood opener. Coven is another option if you find those upgrades, while itemising Ornn early can help you earn an Artifact.
Early Cassiopeia copies and AP components are good indicators, especially if you’re uncontested. Portable Forge can offer Blighting Jewel or Dawncore for Cassiopeia, while Consuming Flora gives her a Flora Fatalis Emblem.
Carries: Cassiopeia, Fiddlesticks and Rammus Leveling: Level 7 Slow Roll
Exe Cap
Lillia leads the 4 Defender frontline in Exe Cap, alongside Rammus, Fiddlesticks and Shen. Ezreal takes your AD items, while Soraka and Kennen provide magic damage.
Varus and Xayah behind Shen and Ornn give you a good early setup, or play around LeBlanc if your items lean towards AP. Stabilise at level 8 before pushing to 9 for Kennen and Gnar.
A win streak and an economy augment such as Slammin’ or Level Up! are strong reasons to aim for this board.
Ornn’s Active gives him a shield and deals damage to enemies in a cone. It also has a quest: each player combat stores blocked damage as Forge Power, and you can gain Artifact Anvils when it reaches a certain Forge Power.
He shields himself and a nearby ally. The next attacks gain additional attack speed and deal extra damage. The shield can be useful in those long fights, and it will keep his allies in the fight for longer.
He reduces the magic resist of the nearest enemies. Then he drains some of their HP and heals himself over the duration. This will give him extra sustain in fights and keep him alive for longer in those crucial fights.
He taunts enemies and gains a shield and bonus defensive stats. He deals damage to enemies when the shield breaks. As a tank, this is a strong ability as he gets additional tanky stats to make him even harder to kill.
Lillia restores health and sends butterflies at nearby enemies. They are briefly put to sleep, and if they take damage, then they wake up. If you’re playing a comp with single-target damage, then her ability can be quite strong as she will take enemies out of the fight for a long time.
Thanks for reading! If you want to try creating your own team comps for Set 18, check out our Team Builder. For a full overview of the new set, check out our TFT Set 18 Reveal Page, or explore all of the new Set 18 traits here!
