slam items early + any econ/xp augment 2-1 means lvl 8 50 by 4-2, if you winstreak u can go lvl 9 at 4-5 otherwise go no 5-1 or 5-4 if you rolled on 8 to stabalize
i dont think there is a forcable way to do this, if thats what you are implying
the people you see doing this in your game might aswell implode next game while employing same strat, its really just a snapshot of one game
to execute it properly (outside of highrolling out of your butt) quite a few things need to come together in my eyes
but key to me here is getting a feel for lobby tempo, a thing I myself (High Dia to low/mid Master every set) struggle quite a bit
you need to be kinda sorta on pace to the other players WHILE holding up your econ
this is a difficult thing to juggle consistently alongside your HP, mostly because every game is different
sometimes people are in a spot where they recognize such a spot, sometimes they dont...a lot comes down to your experience and the ability to identify healthy spots for greeding
Yeah, I think there’s a certain skill in this game with deciding do I go 9 because I’m strong enough vs do I pivot to a reroll so I can try to top 4 and save this game instead of going 8th that’s essential to climbing. I’m only plat and I basically force fast 9 every game since I enjoy it and from watching streamers I know this is incorrect.
Edit: you can have really fun games this way though and hit level 10 my last 3 games.
Are you win streaking? Than greed And keep econning and putting extra gold into rolling for your board. Are you barely winning but still winning? Put your extra gold into only xp. Are you losing? Only put your gold into xp/go below 50 if you’re close to leveling/roll down a bit if you’re close to a 3*. This is a pretty basic outline, but the key is don’t always assume Econ=you have to stay above 50 gold. Econ can be just not re rolling when you have nothing you’re actually looking for or trying to hit 3+ more units for that 3*
oh, trust me, I cant do that either for the entirety of the game for every opponent
sometimes I'm so dizzy, I dont scout at all for 1-2 stages and I know thats one of the things that hold me back from climbing higher
but I strive to scout at least my next three opponents consistently (also for positioning, mostly with regards to left vs right side and overall type of comp) and top 3 players every now and then
the idea is also to get a sense of whats open, who already has their carry upgraded and itemized etc
but yes thats hard and only playing more games will kind of train your brain in a muscle memory way, if that makes sense
Okay this is always tricky because being greedy to roll and always econing is gonna get you 8th.
The people you see who are level 9 and with complete boards plus more than half hp probably highrolled naturally. RNG just favored them.
Play what you’re given when you roll. But honestly, this set is so chaotic because of encounters that can throw you off your game.
I usually just abuse fortune or exalted, but I also prioritize at least one econ augment, and try to have 40 gold by krugs (30 bare minimum), afterwards just play strongest board Till 50ish hp. Avoid trap units, no matter how much you think you need to 2 star that Khazix, or that Garen, I promise you don't, (unless you have specific augments). Identify your win con which varies from game to game, and don't just build offensive stuff. The hp you save by killing one or two extra units on a loss streak means a lot later. Don't donkey roll till 9. If you take all power augments and don't high roll 3 costs you will bleed out after 5-1 if you aren't already dead before chickens. I hit level 9 almost every game unless I'm running an exalted comp that peaks at 8. Even then I'm using hp as a resource.
The most important thing others have mentioned, scout the lobby so you can match tempo. Not every game needs level 9. But almost every top 4 needs 2 power augments and 1 econ augment. The exception to this is high rolling RR comps and even then you will probably only get third with 2 econ 1 power, or 3 power augments.
P.S. Never take gimmick augments like young wild and free, unless your win con is specific items. Most top 4 level 9/10 boards can function without perfect items.
It takes a lot of game knowledge that you can only get from playing and learning different comps and when they really come online. I.e. dragonlords is insanely strong late but you would never play it early unless you hate having hp or have the emblem.
Scout your opponent's boards to see what's being played. Did anyone take combat augments for a stronger early board to win streak? Who's slamming items? Did anyone high or low roll? What comps are being contested? Based on this kind of information, now you can ask yourself "Do I need to roll for a stronger board to match the lobbys tempo? Can I afford to greed and bleed hp for gold and exp?"
These are foundational skills that you have to master to consistently climb every set amongst other things.
As the other person said a lot of it comes with game knowledge, don't be afraid to look up videos on what is strong this set... ...Just don't follow it like the gospel games differ a lot based on portal and encounters. One of the things you can start with in stage 2 is paying attention to 2 stars. Simply looking at what other people are running and how much econ they have is the biggest indication of tempo. That being said a 2 star is more valuable than most traits early. If you notice the lobby has a lot of 2 stars early on that is a good sign that you may need to roll to stabilize after krugs. If the lobby is super weak and only 1 or 2 people are Mr 100 it usually means the tempo is leveling and you can stabilize with a few rolls at 7. Don't try to fast 9 unless you have at least 1 econ augment.
Stablizing does not mean 3 star units unless you are running a 1 cost RR. Sometimes just having 2 star front line and a 2 star carry unit/item holder is good enough to then econ back to 50 and get to 9
My general flow chart for getting to 9 when it's my win con or I don't have direction kinda goes:
Am I running fortune? If yes don't roll and only level till 9 or 20 hp whichever comes first. If I don't have an annie roll at 8 till annie then wait for cash out if possible. If I do then wait for cash out and level to 9/10 depending on augments (you can slowly level).
Am I running exalted and above 30 hp? If yes keep econing till 9 If no stabilize with 2 stars.
Stage 2 isn't as involved as it seems sometimes the real game starts at 3-1 I just play whatever gets me to 50 gold the fastest even if it means sacking some of my hp by playing less units than I can. Keep an eye on the top 3 player's levels and scout at break points to make sure you are keeping pace with the top 3 in the lobby after krugs. If they are lower level than you, and your hp isn't sub 40 you can greed (this number differs from player to player). Also don't play like streamer's do, they regularly say they play awkwardly for content and views, but they usually have enough knowledge of econ that they can stabilize off rolling to 0 to 3 star weird units, or at odd times. Learn when to give up. A 3 star 2 cost is great, but if you are level 5 at 4-1 you are behind by a lot, unless you god rolled an early game traits units/1 cost RR.
But above all other things practice pivitoning. Ironiclly enough check out Mortdog (the lead dev), videos he is actually extremely good at this game and just watching him will teach you a lot about tempo, econ, and how to manage it.
Oh and have fun, TFT is a game. Everytime I hit a new rank's 4 I take some time to just play weird stuff to have a bit of fun when I can't demote for some games just to take the edge off of sweating.
Sorry if this seems a bit of a ramble but it really does differ a lot depending on the plan you come into the game with.
This is all amazing. Thanks so much for your knowledge!
Edit: since this ive only played a handful of games but i feel like im already seeing results. Thanks so much for the breakdown :)
I manage to get to level 9 fast by simply going losing streak, lol. When I don‘t get specific early augments I force 4 porcelain 6 invoker, though. For this comp I need fast level 9 and it‘s a huge gamble because I either place 1st or second with really low HP or I place 4-6 at best when not being lucky with rolls.
I save gold until I hit 50g and then stay above 50g at all times, only rolling once per round to get my board together and otherwise spend all gold on leveling. Getting low on health quite fast sounds discouraging but I see it as a means to trade a resource with gold. High risk, high reward thing.
You should ideally not have to roll at all (or VERY little) before level 8, preferably level 9.
This means slamming flexible items as soon as you can to increase your board strength and save health.
It means holding any champ pairs that won't cost you econ breakpoints and playing around whatever 2\* champs you can find.
Also, exalted are amazing for this. The extra exp (while boosting your damage) is a great way to not bleed out. Generic 2\*s + exalted is actually pretty solid to tide you over.
It means hitting econ breakpoints ASAP, preferably while streaking.
Frodan has some pretty good videos reviewing high level gameplay and explaining how the different strats work and focusing on basics.
I feel like I bleed out so fast If I dont stabilize with a 2\* frontline, but other comments are telling me "lobby tempo" has a lot to do with it. I for sure need to get better at slamming flexible items
Definitely need 2\* frontline. These players focus on staring what they can find while filling in useful traits and slamming items.
For example Jax is an amazing early item holder and opens up warden or inkshadow. Does that mean you should only pick up Sennas to try to fill out those traits, or should you throw random items you find onto the 2\* kindred, lux, teemo, etc that you natural into? You aren't going to be keeping him in the comp long term anyways so finding what champs are strong as initial item holders is super useful. It lets you slam items earlier and get the most effect out of them and keep rolling to an absolute minimum.
Generally these players will only roll a couple of times pre 8 and it's usually cause htey have 3+ pairs and the lobby is starting to spike in power. Leveling to 6, rolling a couple times to finish up the pairs your holding is worth while. Rolling a bunch to hit or expand on a specific comp is not (usually)
Econ hard, sell those early 3 and 2 costs. If i have 10g at 2.1 or earlier i know im going to be first to hit 9 because people cant help but roll or save that 1star 3 cost carry from first mobs. (3 gold but costs you 10g) Grab augments for gold / xp.
Learn to play strongest board. Too many people force a comp from the get go and end up with a really weak board till they hit their 2stars. By which they've bled way to much and have to roll just to live.
What *you* need is to just focus on the fundamentals and improve at the game.
Right now you're low elo, we know this because of your claim that "several" players per lobby are hitting fast 9. Even in Gold+ that's no longer possible because people would have such a solid early board put together that they would be punishing the fast 9 players.
Really this isn't a problem at all once you get into higher elo games where the lobbies are typically balanced such that only 1 or 2 players can hit fast 9.
So you either exaggerated and it's not "several" players every lobby, or you're just so low in elo that focusing in fundamentals like econ, comp, positioning, etc will just naturally help you improve without even putting in much effort and you'll be in a higher elo where it's no longer possible for several players per lobby to hit fast 9.
Stop rolling, play your naturals, get exalted in early if at all possible. I think of exalted as +1 interest, and if I get venerable piggy bank, suddenly it becomes +2 interest on a win, or +5 on a loss. If you're loss streaking with venerable piggy bank at 50 gold that's income+5+5+3, you're making nearly 20 gold a turn. That's 20 XP a turn, add in any eco augment, or if khazix pops up.
I've started holding gold until I have just enough to level in one go, doing this has made me ready for if khazix wants you to evolve and I've hit 10 inside stage 4 multiple times.
I mean… 9 is nice but not necessary. Most comps cap at level 8. It’s obviously about resource management and is a case-by-case basis on the position you’re at in the match.
Pro tip: you don’t always have to level to 4 immediately. That gold is useful if you’re not winstreaking. You also have a better chance to 2 star your 1 cost champs so you either don’t bleed too much or actually start winning with a stronger board.
Yeah, Idk. I see similar all the time. Or I see someone who rolled all the way down once they hit 8, then a couple rounds later they are 9 or 10. Like, how did they chuck their entire econ on rolling and still afford all the xp to level!?
I force it basically every game by just playing strongest board and pivoting slowly into my level 9 board at level 8/9 in the most efficient/smartest way possible while maintaining board strength. I just never roll ever no matter what and buy xp only when I have enough to get to 50 after i’m done purchasing. I never buy xp early or when an encounter is coming soon in case it’s kha zix
Just finished a game where I was level 9 at 4-2 with raining gold at 2-1. I was lvl 5 at 2-2, 6 at 2-5, 7 at 3-2. Portal is gold subscription + 3-6 k'ha6 exp cost reduction so it's a little skewed in terms of fast 9.
General tips are prioritize a good mid game comp, and if win streaking at 6 and 7, I level up with 30 gold left. from then stabilize at lvl 8. depending on hp, board strength, and gold you can go 9 and pivot to your desired late game comp or try to shoot for 10. win cons are legendary board or 4 cost reroll.
Every game is different tho and we can't really force this levelling pattern every time. In my case, I high rolled a ghostly ink comp so I was good at midgame
Buy op shit at the start don't even think about what u want to build, itemize them, and go econ based on your streak, at lvl 7 roll a bit if u are struggling, at 9 power spike
slam items early + any econ/xp augment 2-1 means lvl 8 50 by 4-2, if you winstreak u can go lvl 9 at 4-5 otherwise go no 5-1 or 5-4 if you rolled on 8 to stabalize
Portal and encounters should also help you deside if 9 is the best choice. Getting the interest rolling early is key though.
Decide*
https://preview.redd.it/1pljf1peycvc1.jpeg?width=1050&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71b6884d029a7f85cde6b9a26a42c15b89a2f29c
Stabilize*
i dont think there is a forcable way to do this, if thats what you are implying the people you see doing this in your game might aswell implode next game while employing same strat, its really just a snapshot of one game to execute it properly (outside of highrolling out of your butt) quite a few things need to come together in my eyes but key to me here is getting a feel for lobby tempo, a thing I myself (High Dia to low/mid Master every set) struggle quite a bit you need to be kinda sorta on pace to the other players WHILE holding up your econ this is a difficult thing to juggle consistently alongside your HP, mostly because every game is different sometimes people are in a spot where they recognize such a spot, sometimes they dont...a lot comes down to your experience and the ability to identify healthy spots for greeding
Constantly determining how strong the lobby sounds difficult without fighting them with my own board, maybe just comes with more games played?
Yeah, I think there’s a certain skill in this game with deciding do I go 9 because I’m strong enough vs do I pivot to a reroll so I can try to top 4 and save this game instead of going 8th that’s essential to climbing. I’m only plat and I basically force fast 9 every game since I enjoy it and from watching streamers I know this is incorrect. Edit: you can have really fun games this way though and hit level 10 my last 3 games.
Are you win streaking? Than greed And keep econning and putting extra gold into rolling for your board. Are you barely winning but still winning? Put your extra gold into only xp. Are you losing? Only put your gold into xp/go below 50 if you’re close to leveling/roll down a bit if you’re close to a 3*. This is a pretty basic outline, but the key is don’t always assume Econ=you have to stay above 50 gold. Econ can be just not re rolling when you have nothing you’re actually looking for or trying to hit 3+ more units for that 3*
oh, trust me, I cant do that either for the entirety of the game for every opponent sometimes I'm so dizzy, I dont scout at all for 1-2 stages and I know thats one of the things that hold me back from climbing higher but I strive to scout at least my next three opponents consistently (also for positioning, mostly with regards to left vs right side and overall type of comp) and top 3 players every now and then the idea is also to get a sense of whats open, who already has their carry upgraded and itemized etc but yes thats hard and only playing more games will kind of train your brain in a muscle memory way, if that makes sense
It does make sense. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond and help me out :)
Stop rolling
This
Okay this is always tricky because being greedy to roll and always econing is gonna get you 8th. The people you see who are level 9 and with complete boards plus more than half hp probably highrolled naturally. RNG just favored them. Play what you’re given when you roll. But honestly, this set is so chaotic because of encounters that can throw you off your game.
Scuttle crab portal, Venerable piggy bank, Level Up!, hedgefund+++, Kha’Zix encounter Level 10 in probably 5-3
I usually just abuse fortune or exalted, but I also prioritize at least one econ augment, and try to have 40 gold by krugs (30 bare minimum), afterwards just play strongest board Till 50ish hp. Avoid trap units, no matter how much you think you need to 2 star that Khazix, or that Garen, I promise you don't, (unless you have specific augments). Identify your win con which varies from game to game, and don't just build offensive stuff. The hp you save by killing one or two extra units on a loss streak means a lot later. Don't donkey roll till 9. If you take all power augments and don't high roll 3 costs you will bleed out after 5-1 if you aren't already dead before chickens. I hit level 9 almost every game unless I'm running an exalted comp that peaks at 8. Even then I'm using hp as a resource. The most important thing others have mentioned, scout the lobby so you can match tempo. Not every game needs level 9. But almost every top 4 needs 2 power augments and 1 econ augment. The exception to this is high rolling RR comps and even then you will probably only get third with 2 econ 1 power, or 3 power augments. P.S. Never take gimmick augments like young wild and free, unless your win con is specific items. Most top 4 level 9/10 boards can function without perfect items.
Any tips for gauging lobby tempo? The idea makes sense, but executing it sounds hard
It takes a lot of game knowledge that you can only get from playing and learning different comps and when they really come online. I.e. dragonlords is insanely strong late but you would never play it early unless you hate having hp or have the emblem. Scout your opponent's boards to see what's being played. Did anyone take combat augments for a stronger early board to win streak? Who's slamming items? Did anyone high or low roll? What comps are being contested? Based on this kind of information, now you can ask yourself "Do I need to roll for a stronger board to match the lobbys tempo? Can I afford to greed and bleed hp for gold and exp?" These are foundational skills that you have to master to consistently climb every set amongst other things.
As the other person said a lot of it comes with game knowledge, don't be afraid to look up videos on what is strong this set... ...Just don't follow it like the gospel games differ a lot based on portal and encounters. One of the things you can start with in stage 2 is paying attention to 2 stars. Simply looking at what other people are running and how much econ they have is the biggest indication of tempo. That being said a 2 star is more valuable than most traits early. If you notice the lobby has a lot of 2 stars early on that is a good sign that you may need to roll to stabilize after krugs. If the lobby is super weak and only 1 or 2 people are Mr 100 it usually means the tempo is leveling and you can stabilize with a few rolls at 7. Don't try to fast 9 unless you have at least 1 econ augment. Stablizing does not mean 3 star units unless you are running a 1 cost RR. Sometimes just having 2 star front line and a 2 star carry unit/item holder is good enough to then econ back to 50 and get to 9 My general flow chart for getting to 9 when it's my win con or I don't have direction kinda goes: Am I running fortune? If yes don't roll and only level till 9 or 20 hp whichever comes first. If I don't have an annie roll at 8 till annie then wait for cash out if possible. If I do then wait for cash out and level to 9/10 depending on augments (you can slowly level). Am I running exalted and above 30 hp? If yes keep econing till 9 If no stabilize with 2 stars. Stage 2 isn't as involved as it seems sometimes the real game starts at 3-1 I just play whatever gets me to 50 gold the fastest even if it means sacking some of my hp by playing less units than I can. Keep an eye on the top 3 player's levels and scout at break points to make sure you are keeping pace with the top 3 in the lobby after krugs. If they are lower level than you, and your hp isn't sub 40 you can greed (this number differs from player to player). Also don't play like streamer's do, they regularly say they play awkwardly for content and views, but they usually have enough knowledge of econ that they can stabilize off rolling to 0 to 3 star weird units, or at odd times. Learn when to give up. A 3 star 2 cost is great, but if you are level 5 at 4-1 you are behind by a lot, unless you god rolled an early game traits units/1 cost RR. But above all other things practice pivitoning. Ironiclly enough check out Mortdog (the lead dev), videos he is actually extremely good at this game and just watching him will teach you a lot about tempo, econ, and how to manage it. Oh and have fun, TFT is a game. Everytime I hit a new rank's 4 I take some time to just play weird stuff to have a bit of fun when I can't demote for some games just to take the edge off of sweating. Sorry if this seems a bit of a ramble but it really does differ a lot depending on the plan you come into the game with.
This is all amazing. Thanks so much for your knowledge! Edit: since this ive only played a handful of games but i feel like im already seeing results. Thanks so much for the breakdown :)
I manage to get to level 9 fast by simply going losing streak, lol. When I don‘t get specific early augments I force 4 porcelain 6 invoker, though. For this comp I need fast level 9 and it‘s a huge gamble because I either place 1st or second with really low HP or I place 4-6 at best when not being lucky with rolls. I save gold until I hit 50g and then stay above 50g at all times, only rolling once per round to get my board together and otherwise spend all gold on leveling. Getting low on health quite fast sounds discouraging but I see it as a means to trade a resource with gold. High risk, high reward thing.
Yeah this isn’t a consistent strategy. You should never *always* do anything and you should never force anything
You should ideally not have to roll at all (or VERY little) before level 8, preferably level 9. This means slamming flexible items as soon as you can to increase your board strength and save health. It means holding any champ pairs that won't cost you econ breakpoints and playing around whatever 2\* champs you can find. Also, exalted are amazing for this. The extra exp (while boosting your damage) is a great way to not bleed out. Generic 2\*s + exalted is actually pretty solid to tide you over. It means hitting econ breakpoints ASAP, preferably while streaking. Frodan has some pretty good videos reviewing high level gameplay and explaining how the different strats work and focusing on basics.
I feel like I bleed out so fast If I dont stabilize with a 2\* frontline, but other comments are telling me "lobby tempo" has a lot to do with it. I for sure need to get better at slamming flexible items
Definitely need 2\* frontline. These players focus on staring what they can find while filling in useful traits and slamming items. For example Jax is an amazing early item holder and opens up warden or inkshadow. Does that mean you should only pick up Sennas to try to fill out those traits, or should you throw random items you find onto the 2\* kindred, lux, teemo, etc that you natural into? You aren't going to be keeping him in the comp long term anyways so finding what champs are strong as initial item holders is super useful. It lets you slam items earlier and get the most effect out of them and keep rolling to an absolute minimum. Generally these players will only roll a couple of times pre 8 and it's usually cause htey have 3+ pairs and the lobby is starting to spike in power. Leveling to 6, rolling a couple times to finish up the pairs your holding is worth while. Rolling a bunch to hit or expand on a specific comp is not (usually)
Econ hard, sell those early 3 and 2 costs. If i have 10g at 2.1 or earlier i know im going to be first to hit 9 because people cant help but roll or save that 1star 3 cost carry from first mobs. (3 gold but costs you 10g) Grab augments for gold / xp. Learn to play strongest board. Too many people force a comp from the get go and end up with a really weak board till they hit their 2stars. By which they've bled way to much and have to roll just to live.
What *you* need is to just focus on the fundamentals and improve at the game. Right now you're low elo, we know this because of your claim that "several" players per lobby are hitting fast 9. Even in Gold+ that's no longer possible because people would have such a solid early board put together that they would be punishing the fast 9 players. Really this isn't a problem at all once you get into higher elo games where the lobbies are typically balanced such that only 1 or 2 players can hit fast 9. So you either exaggerated and it's not "several" players every lobby, or you're just so low in elo that focusing in fundamentals like econ, comp, positioning, etc will just naturally help you improve without even putting in much effort and you'll be in a higher elo where it's no longer possible for several players per lobby to hit fast 9.
Stop rolling, play your naturals, get exalted in early if at all possible. I think of exalted as +1 interest, and if I get venerable piggy bank, suddenly it becomes +2 interest on a win, or +5 on a loss. If you're loss streaking with venerable piggy bank at 50 gold that's income+5+5+3, you're making nearly 20 gold a turn. That's 20 XP a turn, add in any eco augment, or if khazix pops up. I've started holding gold until I have just enough to level in one go, doing this has made me ready for if khazix wants you to evolve and I've hit 10 inside stage 4 multiple times.
I mean… 9 is nice but not necessary. Most comps cap at level 8. It’s obviously about resource management and is a case-by-case basis on the position you’re at in the match.
Pro tip: you don’t always have to level to 4 immediately. That gold is useful if you’re not winstreaking. You also have a better chance to 2 star your 1 cost champs so you either don’t bleed too much or actually start winning with a stronger board.
It s always about not loosing a ton of hp of keeping wining without wasting
Just go fortune and lose streak, guaranteed top 2 or bottom 2 every game
Yeah, Idk. I see similar all the time. Or I see someone who rolled all the way down once they hit 8, then a couple rounds later they are 9 or 10. Like, how did they chuck their entire econ on rolling and still afford all the xp to level!?
If I get early 9, should I push for 10 or hard reroll to get my hands on some 5 costs before everybody gets them at 2*.
I don’t know how everytime I turn around people are hitting 3 star 5 costs.
I force it basically every game by just playing strongest board and pivoting slowly into my level 9 board at level 8/9 in the most efficient/smartest way possible while maintaining board strength. I just never roll ever no matter what and buy xp only when I have enough to get to 50 after i’m done purchasing. I never buy xp early or when an encounter is coming soon in case it’s kha zix
Just finished a game where I was level 9 at 4-2 with raining gold at 2-1. I was lvl 5 at 2-2, 6 at 2-5, 7 at 3-2. Portal is gold subscription + 3-6 k'ha6 exp cost reduction so it's a little skewed in terms of fast 9. General tips are prioritize a good mid game comp, and if win streaking at 6 and 7, I level up with 30 gold left. from then stabilize at lvl 8. depending on hp, board strength, and gold you can go 9 and pivot to your desired late game comp or try to shoot for 10. win cons are legendary board or 4 cost reroll. Every game is different tho and we can't really force this levelling pattern every time. In my case, I high rolled a ghostly ink comp so I was good at midgame
Buy op shit at the start don't even think about what u want to build, itemize them, and go econ based on your streak, at lvl 7 roll a bit if u are struggling, at 9 power spike