Riot Games have been branching out of their most popular MOBA League of Legends. With the first-person shooter Valorant, the card game Legends of Runeterra and the auto battler Teamfight Tactics (TFT), it can be seen that Riot are trialling new game types to attract fans.
Teamfight Tactics was released on June 26 in 2019. The auto battler game could be compared to a virtual chess game, but instead with 8 players... that's one long round of chess. Players must place units strategically on the hexagon board in order to build their team against the enemy.
TFT provided Riot with a brand new type of gameplay which is similar to Dota's Auto-Chess game. It was very successful in its first year, perhaps due to the number of Riot fans that willingly support any game released by the big company.
How To Play TFT (The Basics)
The endgame of TFT is to be the final player left out of 8 by picking up gold, items and having knowledge of how each of your units synergise together.
TFT has a unique way in which the game works. Players will start on a carousel from which they will take items and units. As the game gets underway, the players will purchase and sell units from the shop which can be added or removed to the board to assist in the fighting.
Building items will also contribute to a win as the team becomes stronger. Purchasing or earning EXP will mean that more units can be placed on the board which provides a stronger team as well.
Putting units together that synergise will offer you enhanced buffs to increase stats on your team. This could be by increasing a unit's AD (Attack Damage) or AP (Ability Power). Percentages such as true damage or critical strike can also be buffed in TFT which shows how useful it is to know which units work well together.
The Board
The TFT board consists of hexagons. A player will have a 4x7 hexagonal board and a substitute bench which holds 9 other champions.
The board will hold your extra champions until they are needed on the grid. And the number of units you can have on your board is the same as your player level. So, a level four player could only have four champions.
The Champions and Traits
Just as in many other Runeterra spin-offs, the characters played with are called champions. And each champion is taken directly from League of Legends. Familiar faces such as Jhin, Irelia, and Tahm Kench can be played.
Your champion's traits are categorised between origins and classes. Every champion will have at least one of each type. And here is where the synergy comes in, as playing champions with the same traits as the ones on your board provides you with additional benefits.
Levelling Up
Levelling up in TFT is done by earning EXP which is found in the EXP bar. Once your ball is filled you will level up.
Players earn EXP at the beginning of the round or it can also be purchased by exchanging four gold for four EXP.
As stated before, the level you are at determines the number of units you can have on your board.
Items
Items provide champions with effects that will better their gameplay. Players can buy components of the items which give stat boosts and build them into a completed item which will have an active effect on the champion.
TFT brings exciting developments in the style of gameplay that is becoming popular. The complex nature of the game provides fans with a deeper sense of achievement at winning and that is why it has become so popular.