TFT Economy Guide: Interest, Streaks and When to Roll

Where gold comes from

• Passive income: the base gold every player gets each round.
• Interest: 1 gold for every 10 gold you hold at the end of the round, up to 5.
• Streaks: winning or losing several rounds in a row pays extra gold, and more as the streak grows.
• Wins: winning a player round pays extra gold on its own.
• PvE rounds: orbs dropped by minions and monsters hold gold, items or champions.

In game, hover the gold icon next to the shop to see next round's income line by line: passive income, interest, streak and win gold. This guide is about when each of those lines matters.

How interest works

Interest looks at the gold you hold when the round ends: 1 at 10 gold, 2 at 20, 3 at 30, 4 at 40 and 5 at 50. Gold above 50 adds nothing, so the excess is there to be spent.

Watch the breakpoints. Ending a round on 38 gold pays 3 interest, on 40 it pays 4: those 2 gold earn you 1 gold every round. With 46 gold you can spend 6, but the 7th drops you to 3 interest.

Interest compounds when it starts early. A player entering stage 3 on 50 gold collects 5 extra gold every round, which turns into a level or an extra roll down within a few rounds. If you are 1 or 2 gold short of a breakpoint, selling a useless unit from the bench to reach it is free interest.

Streak gold: win streaks and loss streaks

Win or lose several rounds in a row and you get extra gold every round; the amount grows with the streak and then caps out. The gold tooltip in game shows what your current streak pays.

A win streak pays twice: you get the streak gold and you lose no health. If your start is strong (early 2-stars, good items), spending some gold to keep the streak alive, for example by leveling early, is usually worth it.

A loss streak can be a deliberate plan. With a weak start, instead of sinking gold into the board you grow your interest, collect streak gold and pick first on the carousel. The price is health: every loss costs some, and losses hurt more in later stages. End the loss streak by the middle of stage 3 at the latest and power up.

The most expensive mistake is the middle ground: winning one and losing one resets the streak every time, so you lose both gold and health. Either power up and win, or keep the board weak on purpose and ride the streak.

When to roll and when to level

A roll costs 2 gold and shows 5 new champions; 4 gold buys 4 XP. Gold goes either into power now (rolling) or into better shop odds and one more unit on the board (leveling).

• Leveling raises the odds of expensive champions: the 4-cost chance is 10% at level 7 and 30% at level 8.
• Rolling at the wrong level wastes gold. At level 6 each slot has only a 5% chance to be a 4-cost.
• A roll down means spending most of your gold at once to finish your board. It usually happens on the round you hit a new level: your odds are at their best and you move before your opponents do.
• Saving gold at low health makes no sense: interest does nothing for an eliminated player.

Know what a level costs. Level 7 to 8 takes 56 XP, which is 56 gold from an empty bar. Level 8 to 9 takes 68 XP, or 68 gold. The 2 XP you get at the start of every round trims that bill a little.

One more number: 50 gold is 25 rolls, or 125 shop slots. At level 8, about 38 of them are 4-costs on average. With 14 different 4-cost champions, the one you want gets roughly 3 copies of that.

Roll Odds Calculator · Level and XP Planner

Health is a resource

Think of health as something you can spend, just like gold. Losses in stage 2 cost little, so turning that health into interest and streak gold makes sense. With high health you can be greedy; with low health you play to win every round.

• High health: keep your 50 gold and roll only the excess.
• Medium health: on key rounds (a new level, the start of stage 4) do not be afraid to go down to 20 or 30 gold.
• Low health: the next loss can knock you out. Spend close to all your gold on the strongest board you can make.

Because loss damage grows every stage and each surviving enemy unit adds more, a single late loss can cost as much health as several early ones. That is why holding gold for interest in stage 5 gets expensive fast.

Stage by stage examples

• 2-1: first augment. If you have no 2-stars and the lobby looks strong, be open to a loss streak and do not sink gold into weak units.
• 3-2 with 34 gold and a weak board: spend 4 gold on 2 rolls and you sit at 30 with 3 interest, the same 3 you get at 34. Those 2 rolls are free as far as interest goes.
• 4-1 at level 7 with 20 XP in the bar and 60 gold: level 8 needs 36 more XP, which is 36 gold. Level up and spend the remaining 24 gold on 12 rolls.
• 4-2: last augment. If your health is critical and your board is not good enough for top 4, do not wait: roll all your gold.
• Stage 5 and later: interest is worth less and less, so turn gold into power before the game ends. Getting knocked out on 50 gold is the most expensive mistake in the game.

Fast 8, reroll and slowroll · Meta comps

Frequently asked questions

How is interest calculated in TFT?

You earn 1 gold for every 10 gold you hold at the end of a round, up to 5. Interest maxes out at 50 gold; anything above that adds nothing.

When should you roll in TFT?

On the round you hit a new level, when your health gets low, or when you are at the right level for your comp. Otherwise stay above 50 gold and roll only the excess.

Is it worth playing a loss streak?

With a weak start, yes: you collect interest and streak gold and pick first on the carousel. Health is the price, so end the streak by the middle of stage 3 at the latest and power up.

Should you save more than 50 gold?

Not for interest: it caps at 5 gold on 50. Holding a bit more for a big level or roll down can make sense, but every gold above 50 earns no interest.