How to Play TFT: Beginner's Guide (Set 18)
In TFT, 8 players buy champions, place them on a board and watch the fights play out on their own; when your health hits zero you are out. A top 4 finish counts as a win, and you get there by managing gold, combining copies of the same champion and activating traits.
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How a game flows: stages, rounds and health
The game is split into stages, and rounds are written like "3-2": the first number is the stage, the second the round within it. Stage 1 has 4 rounds: a carousel and 3 PvE rounds. From stage 2 on, every stage has 7 rounds: 3 player fights, a carousel, 2 more player fights and a PvE round at the end.
In PvE rounds you fight minions and monsters. They drop orbs with gold, items or champions; walk your Tactician over them to collect. In player rounds you are paired with an opponent. If you lose, your Tactician takes damage: it grows with every stage, and each enemy unit still alive adds to it. When your health reaches zero, you are out.
On the carousel everyone picks one free champion from the ring in the middle, and the champions come with items. The players with the lowest health pick first. That is a small catch-up mechanic: falling behind gets you first pick of the item you want.
Losses cost little health early and a lot late. A few losses in stage 2 will not end your game; two or three in a row after stage 5 can.
Shop, bench and board
Every round the shop shows 5 champions. A champion you buy lands on your bench first; drag it onto the board to make it fight. The number of champions you can field equals your level: at level 6 you field 6 units.
The Reroll button refreshes the shop for 2 gold. 4 gold buys 4 XP, and you get 2 XP for free at the start of every round. The Lock button keeps the shop for one round: if useful champions show up but you cannot afford them yet, lock it.
The shop draws from a pool shared by the whole lobby. A champion everyone collects gets hard to find, and one nobody plays shows up more often. The pool has 30 copies of each 1-cost champion and only 9 of each 5-cost.
To sell a champion, drag it to one of the bottom corners of the screen. Its items are not lost; they go back to your bench. When the bench fills up, sell what you do not need: an empty slot is worth more than a 1-star rotting on the bench.
From 1 star to 3 stars
Three copies of the same champion merge into a 2-star automatically. Three 2-stars merge into a 3-star, so a 3-star takes 9 copies in total. Each star level is a big jump in health and damage.
Copies on the bench count too: with 2 copies on the bench, buying the third from the shop makes a 2-star right away. That is why holding pairs is valuable early. In stage 2, the number of 2-stars on the board usually decides who wins.
Expensive champions have small pools: 10 copies of each 4-cost and 9 of each 5-cost. 3-starring them is rare, and most comps play them at 2 stars. Comps built on 3-starring a cheap champion are called reroll comps.
Traits and breakpoints
Every champion has one or more traits. Field enough different champions with the same trait and it activates, giving a bonus. The breakpoints depend on the trait. For a 2/4/6 trait, 3 units give you the 2-unit bonus and the 4th unit unlocks the next tier.
Two copies of the same champion count once for a trait; only different champions move the counter. Units on the bench do not count either, only the ones on the board. If you are one unit short of a breakpoint, adding a cheap champion with that trait is often the cheapest power spike there is.
Emblems built from the Spatula give their holder an extra trait. They are how you reach an extra breakpoint or give your carry the trait it wants.
Items: from components to completed items
You collect components from PvE rounds and the carousel. Give two components to the same champion and they combine into a completed item. A champion holds up to 3 items.
Slamming items early is usually right: a component sitting on the bench wins you nothing. Putting items on a temporary holder is safe too, because selling that champion sends the items back to your bench for your real carry.
Who gets what: damage items (attack speed, crit, ability power, mana) go on the carry; health, armor and magic resist items go on the frontline tank. Stacking items on a few units beats spreading them around.
You do not have to memorize which two components build what: the item cheat sheet shows every recipe on one screen.
Augments
You pick an augment 3 times per game: on rounds 2-1, 3-2 and 4-2. An augment is a permanent bonus: economy such as gold or XP, raw combat power, items, or a boost to a specific trait.
At the first augment your comp is not settled yet, so flexible options (economy, items, general power) are safer. By the last pick your comp is set, so an augment that boosts the trait or carry you are playing makes more sense.
Positioning: frontline, backline, corners
Melee units and tanks go in the front row, ranged carries in the back. Most units attack the nearest enemy, so the tank soaks damage up front while the carry hits from behind.
Champions fill their mana by attacking and by taking damage, and cast their ability when it is full. A tank taking hits up front casts sooner. Putting your carry in a corner with a tank in front of it is the simplest way to protect it.
Check your opponents' boards before the fight by clicking their portraits on the scoreboard. If a strong opponent's carry sits in the right corner, shifting your tank to that side or moving your own carry to the opposite corner can win a round on its own.
How to pick a comp
Do not lock into one comp at the start. In stage 2 play the strongest board you have, watch which items and 2-stars you get, and pick a direction as stage 3 ends. If you are new, learn 2 or 3 comps from the meta list: know their carry, its items and when the comp rolls.
The playstyle label on each comp page (Reroll, Fast 8, Slow Roll) tells you when to level and when to roll. The leveling guide explains what those labels mean, and the economy guide covers how to manage your gold.
Meta comps · TFT Comps Guide · Economy guide · Leveling strategies
Frequently asked questions
How many players are in a TFT game and how do you win?
A lobby has 8 players. When your health hits zero you are eliminated; a top 4 finish counts as a win, and first place is the best result.
How do you make 2-star and 3-star champions in TFT?
Three copies of the same champion make a 2-star, and three 2-stars make a 3-star, so a 3-star takes 9 copies. Copies on your bench count too.
When do augments show up in TFT?
There are 3 augment picks per game: on rounds 2-1, 3-2 and 4-2.
How many items can a champion hold?
Up to 3. Two components on the same champion combine into a completed item, and selling the champion returns its items to your bench.
How many champions can I put on the board?
As many as your level. At level 7 you field 7 units, and every level adds one more slot.
Source: Community Dragon (In-game text, checked 2026-11-08) · Community Dragon (Patch 18.6 game data, checked 2026-11-08)