Fast 9 is one of the strongest strategies in TFT Set 18, allowing you to build an expensive late game board filled with powerful 5-cost champions.
However, you cannot force Fast 9 from every position. You need enough gold to reach Level 9, enough health to survive the journey and enough money left over to upgrade your board once you get there.
In this guide, we’ll cover when you should play Fast 9, the best leveling timings, which augments and units can help, and what boards you can play once you reach Level 9.
Looking for a board to play? Check out our Set 18 team comps page for the latest comps and regularly updated builds.
When to Play Fast 9
You can start angling towards Fast 9 as early as Stage 2 if you are offered a strong Prismatic economy or leveling augment. Level Up, Upward Mobility and Hedge Fund can all give you a clear path towards Level 9.
Without one of these augments, wait and see how your opener develops. Fast 9 is usually a good option when you have:
A strong, naturally upgraded board.
Plenty of health or a long win streak.
Additional gold or XP from Wisps, augments or units.
Enough economy to reach Level 8 without spending heavily.
Do not force Fast 9 from a weak position. If you are losing badly or would have no gold left after leveling, roll at Level 8 and strengthen your board instead.
Play Your Strongest Board and Make Items Early
Fast 9 does not mean ignoring your board and saving every piece of gold. The easiest way to reach Level 9 is to win rounds without needing to reroll.
Play whichever upgraded units and traits make your board strongest. Inferno and Elderwood can create a strong early game with units such as Varus, Shen, Leona and Xayah.
Riftbeasts are another strong option. Once you activate 5 Riftbeast, your shop is periodically overrun with Riftbeasts, helping you upgrade the board without spending heavily on rerolls.
If you need help building a strong early board, check out our Set 18 best openers guide for the strongest openings and lines to play.
You should also make useful completed items early rather than waiting for perfect combinations. Guinsoo’s Rageblade can eventually move onto Draven, while Spear of Shojin or Blue Buff keeps an AP route open for Alune or Lux.
Tank items are always flexible and can later be transferred onto Maokai or Taric.
Use Wisps to Reach Level 9
Wisps can provide XP, gold, champions, rerolls or temporary combat power, making them extremely useful for Fast 9.
XP Wisps such as Experienced, Bronze Spoon and Grow Up can reduce the amount of gold needed to level. Fertilize can also grant XP based on how many enemies die, while Good Loss rewards you with XP for losing upcoming fights.
Always compare the reward with the Wisp’s cost. Buying a Wisp that breaks your interest threshold is not automatically worth it, especially if the reward is small.
Playing around Blossom makes your Wisps more powerful, so keep this in mind if you have a Blossom opener.
Do not plan your entire game around finding a specific Wisp. Treat them as bonuses that can speed up your plan rather than resources you are guaranteed to receive.
If you want to learn more about Wisps, including how to get your own 3-star 5-cost, check out our full Set 18 Wisp guide
Best Resource Units
Several Set 18 units can generate extra value while helping you reach Level 9. However, you should only play them when they fit naturally into your strongest board.
Whenever Teemo casts, he has a chance to forage a special mushroom:
Red mushrooms grant a reroll.
Green mushrooms restore Tactician Health.
Yellow mushrooms grant XP.
Yellow mushrooms directly help you reach Level 9, while green mushrooms can give you another round to complete the push. Keep Teemo protected so he has enough time to cast multiple times.
Do not weaken your board just to include these units. They are most useful when they can generate resources without costing you fights.
Other Resource Units
Ornn stores the damage he blocks as Forge Power and eventually rewards you with an Artifact Anvil. It can take time to complete his quest, but an early Ornn with tank items can provide a powerful reward later.
Draven will not help you reach Level 9, but his Bounty Seeker trait can reward champions, components and shop rerolls once you find him. This helps your board continue generating value during the late game.
Best Fast 9 Augments
You do not need an economy augment to play Fast 9, but the right one can make reaching Level 9 much easier.
Some of the best options include:
Level Up!: Makes buying XP much more efficient.
Upward Mobility: Reduces the cost of buying XP.
Going Long: Removes interest but grants XP every round.
Money Monsoon: Grants gold immediately and after every round.
Patient Study: Grants XP after each player combat.
Clear Mind: Grants XP when your bench is empty.
Cluttered Mind: Grants XP when your bench is full.
Slammin’: Rewards you with XP for slammin all your items.
Epoch: Provides XP and free rerolls.
Late Game Specialist: Grants a large amount of gold when you reach Level 9.
Prismatic economy and leveling augments are strong enough to put you on the Fast 9 path from Stage 2.
However, you do not need to take an economy augment with every choice. Once you have enough resources to reach Level 9, combat augments can protect your health and help you survive the journey.
Fast 9 Leveling Guide
For these examples, we’re using our Final Forest comp to show how a Fast 9 board can develop throughout the game.
You do not need to copy every unit shown below. Continue looking for upgrades and stronger boards throughout the game, especially during the mid game. These timings are useful targets, but you should always adjust them around your economy, augments and board strength.
Since we’re using Elderwood for this leveling strategy, check out our full Set 18 Elderwood guide to learn the best champions, breakpoints and ways to play the trait.
Stage 2
Level to 4 on 2-1 and Level 5 on 2-5 when you have a strong board and can build a win streak.
For Final Forest, an early Elderwood board gives you a natural starting point. However, you should still play whichever upgraded units make your board strongest rather than forcing every Elderwood you find.
If you receive a powerful Prismatic economy or leveling augment, you can begin angling towards Fast 9 immediately. Otherwise, focus on reaching your interest thresholds while seeing how strong your opener becomes.
Do not level aggressively from a weak position just to follow these timings. If you cannot win rounds, protect your economy and maintain a clean loss streak instead.
Stage 3
Level to 6 on 3-2 and continue looking for ways to improve your board without rolling.
You may be able to activate 5 Elderwood during the mid game, but do not keep weaker units purely for the trait. Natural two star champions or a strong unit from another trait may provide far more board strength.
If you are rich or protecting a win streak, you can level to 7 on 3-5. Otherwise, wait until 4-1. Avoid rolling unless your board is extremely weak or you have several important pairs that would noticeably improve it.
The most important thing during Stage 3 is to keep building a stronger board. Do not become attached to your early game setup if the shop gives you better units.
Stage 4
Look to reach Level 8 around 4-2. If you are rich or protecting a win streak, you can level slightly earlier, but make sure you still have enough gold to continue towards Level 9.
Start adding any strong 4-cost champions you find naturally, even if they are not part of your final board. Units such as Aphelios can hold carry items, while natural 4-cost frontline units can replace weaker early game tanks and help preserve your health.
If your board is still strong, continue saving towards Level 9. If you are taking heavy damage, roll a small amount for upgrades before rebuilding your economy.
You do not need to complete the Final Forest board at Level 8. Use the strongest units you find and keep enough gold to continue your Level 9 push.
Stage 5
Aim to reach Level 9 around 5-2 with roughly 40 gold remaining. This gives you enough money to begin buying and upgrading your late game champions.
Once you reach Level 9, gradually replace the weakest parts of your board with units such as Draven, Maokai, Gnar, Ivern and Taric. Keep any upgraded 4-costs until you find a genuine improvement.
Do not completely rebuild the board in one movement unless you know exactly what you are replacing. Add your strongest 5-costs, activate useful traits and transfer your items once the correct carries and tanks appear.
If reaching Level 9 would leave you with no gold to roll, wait another round. The aim is not just to reach Level 9, it is to have enough money left to build a strong board once you get there.
Fast 9 Comps to Play
Once you reach Level 9, the board you play will depend on your items and which champions you find. Here are our current Fast 9 comps for Set 18.
The Final Forest
The same comp used throughout our leveling examples. This board plays around Draven and Ezreal, supported by a strong Elderwood frontline.
These boards are strong examples, but you do not need to copy them perfectly. Play whichever one best matches your items and the champions you find during your Level 9 rolldown.
