Set 18 Trait Rundown: Inferno Explained

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.

If you enjoy watching your enemies slowly burn away, then Inferno is the trait for you!

Once you activate Inferno, your attacks and abilities apply Burns that deal true damage over time based on your target’s maximum health while also applying Wound to reduce their healing.

But that’s not all. At 3 Inferno, any shop slot that doesn’t contain an Inferno champion ignites after combat, upgrading the next champion that appears by one tier. This gives you more chances to find higher cost units naturally.

So let’s jump into the champions and learn everything you need to know about the Inferno trait.

This guide was written by Oli.

When using Inferno to build towards a late-game board, try to activate 3 early so you get more chances at higher-cost units.

Here are a few comps that play around the Inferno trait.

Solar Flare

Our Solar Flare comp plays around Varus, Akali and Camille, with Ornn as your main tank. Varus and Akali activate Inferno early, while Amumu joins later to bring you up to 3 Inferno.

An Ornn and Leona frontline with Varus or Akali is a good starting point, adding Camille as you find her. Stay at level 5 to reroll your cheap units, prioritising whichever carries suit your items and upgrades.

You're going to want Ornn upgraded and itemised so he can print an Artifact for Akali. Some of her best ones are Lich Bane and Seeker's Armguard.

Several natural copies or an augment like No Scout No Pivot are good indicators to play this board.

[Solar Flare Comp Guide]

Carries: Ornn, Varus, Camille and Akali
Leveling: Level 5 Slow Roll

The Final Forest

Our Final Forest comp uses Draven, Ezreal and Kennen as carries, with Maokai tanking. Amumu and Kennen keep 2 Inferno active on your finished board, providing burn and anti-heal.

Elderwood with Xayah is a natural opener, with Varus, Shen and Akali giving you a route into 3 Inferno through the midgame. Blossom with Yunara is another option as the stronger Wisps can generate a bunch of resources.

Level Up! or an encounter that provides extra gold can help you afford this level 9 board. An early Maokai or Ivern is another strong indicator, giving them more time to scale, while an Executioner Emblem works well on Draven.

[The Final Forest Comp Guide]

Carries: Maokai, Draven, Ezreal and Kennen
Leveling: Fast 9

Inferno Trait Bonus

Champions: Akali 1g / Varus 1g / Shen 2g / Amumu 4g / Kennen 5g / Lux 5g

Inferno damage Burns and Wounds enemies for X seconds. Inferno Burns stack with other Burns.

• (2) Burn
• (3) After combat, 1 of your shop slots without an Inferno champion ignites, rolling a champion one tier higher
• (5) 2 Ignite shop slots, Burn 3%
• (7) 4 Ignite shop slots, Burn 4%

Inferno Champions and Synergy

Here’s a rundown of the traits you can branch into from Inferno.

• Akali - Adaptor / Ravager
• Varus - Rapidfire
• Shen - Defender
• Amumu - Juggernaut
• Kennen - Executioner
• Lux - Avatar

Akali Adaptor Ravager Inferno 1g

[Link to Champion Page]

Starting off, we have Akali, a 1-cost champion with three traits.

Akali is an Adaptor, meaning her ability changes depending on whether you build AD or AP. In her AD form, she throws a volley of kunai at her target, dealing physical damage, and if the target is already burning, she’ll deal bonus damage, that's where activating Inferno will come into play. If you opt for an AP build, Akali will immediately cast her ability again whenever it scores a kill.

Varus Rapidfire Inferno 1g

[Link to Champion Page]

Inferno has two 1-cost champions, with the second being Varus. His ability, Piercing Arrow, has him briefly wind up before firing an arrow through the largest group of enemies in a line. The arrow deals physical damage to all enemies it hits, although the damage is reduced for each enemy it passes through. 

Shen Defender Inferno 2g

[Link to Champion Page]

Next we have our first frontline champion, Shen. Shen is more of a utility tank, providing valuable support for your melee carries, which can make him a great fit alongside champions like Akali.

Shen’s ability, Ki Barrier, grants both himself and a nearby damaged ally a shield for a few seconds. Their next attack also gains attack speed and deals bonus magic damage, giving your frontline and carries a nice boost. While Amumu will usually be your primary tank in Inferno comps, Shen is a great secondary frontline unit that adds plenty of value.

Amumu Juggernaut Inferno 4g

[Link to Champion Page]

We have everyone's favorite emotional Yordle, Amumu. Amumu has both a passive and an active for his Tantrum ability. The Passive is already strong as every second, Amumu restores health and deals magic damage to enemies close to him, this can stack up nicely if you have Inverno activated.

For his active, Amumu deals magic damage to enemies and stun them for a few seconds, increased if the target is burning. Amumu is likely to be the glue that holds Inferno comps together as his kit becomes even stronger with Inferno activated.

Kennen Executioner Inferno 5g

[Link to Champion Page]

Another Yordle joining the Inferno gang is Kennen. If you enjoy diving straight into the enemy team, Kennen is going to be one of your favourite champions this set.

Kennen’s ability has him charge up, gaining ability power for every burning enemy before granting himself a shield and dashing through a nearby group of enemies, dealing magic damage to each target he passes through. But that’s not all, after his dash, he unleashes a firestorm that deals magic damage split between all enemies caught in the area.

With so much built into his kit, Kennen looks like he has incredible carry potential. Once he’s upgraded and itemized, the little Yordle will cause massive problems for enemy boards.

Lux Avatar Inferno 5g

[Link to Champion Page]

Lastly, we have another 5-cost Inferno, Lux. Similar to Set 2 Lux, Lux can fit into almost any comp since she can appear with different Origin traits.

Lux’s Final Spark spell fires a massive laser towards the largest group of enemies, dealing loads of magic damage. If you have Inferno Lux, then she’ll get a nice bonus on her ability; she will restore mana whenever she scores a takedown, giving her incredible snowball potential. Once she starts changing casts together, she can quickly take over a fight almost by herself.

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!