Are you tired of playing League of Legends, but still love the lore?
Would you like to try a game different from the RTS you’re familiar with?
Then let’s see how you can get started on Riot’s auto-battler Teamfight Tactics that has gathered over 80 million players since its 2019 release.
Review: What Is Teamfight Tactics (TFT)? Is It Worth It In 2021?
Teamfight Tactics, (commonly known as TFT) is an auto-battler game that was initially released in 2019. TFT is developed and published by Riot Games, the developers of League Of Legends.
Teamfight Tactics is based on Dota Auto Chess, much like League Of Legends is based on Dota 2. In Dota Auto Chess, each game consists of 8 players, all of which build their team and try to be the last one standing. Teamfight Tactics follow the same principle.
Teamfight Tactics was originally released as a game mode for League Of Legends on Windows and macOS in June 2019. Due to its popularity, it got a port to mobile devices as a standalone game in March 2020. The iOS and Android versions have a cross-platform feature, meaning that PC players can play with mobile players.
The game also features a shared progression system, allowing you to use the same account on your PC and your phone. At the time of writing, the game has a roster of 58 champions.
Teamfight Tactics Trailer
| Pros | Cons |
| Free-to-Play | Not as entertaining for non-LoL players |
| Cross-Platform with Mobile Devices | Matches can extend beyond 30 minutes |
| Easy to start; Hard to master | A lot of technicalities to learn |
Is undeniable that the Teamfight Tactics gameplay is similar to other auto-battlers, like Hearthstone or Dota Auto Chess. Each game is divided into different rounds, and each round is divided into stages. You build your team in-between each round, during each stage warm-up.
Before the first round, there’s a stage known as The Carousel. There, you’ll pick your first champion. After that, you will need to buy your champions from the shop, with the gold you accumulate throughout the stages.
Every round, you’ll be matched up randomly against other players or AI enemies. Your team will battle one enemy automatically.
Whoever loses will take damage from every champion left on the enemy’s side of the board. A player is eliminated from the match when health reaches zero.
Throughout each match, you’ll collect items, which you can equip to your champions to make them stronger. You could also save your gold, leading to its interest increasing. This means that the more gold you save, the more gold you earn.
The best thing about Teamfight Tactics is that, like every other Riot Games creation, it’s free to play. The game is solely supported by the in-game purchases users make. The items (avatars, arena skins, and animations) are purely cosmetic, providing no gameplay advantage.
A typical Teamfight Tactics match lasts around 30-40 minutes. Depending on how much time it takes to eliminate every player, this can go down to 25 minutes or up to more than 45 minutes.
But, how easy is it to install Teamfight Tactics?
How to Install/Uninstall Teamfight Tactics?
If you wish to play Teamfight Tactics on your Windows PC or macOS, you’ll have to download League of Legends and make a Riot account. Once you’ve installed LoL on your device, you can choose the TFT game mode from the top menu.
If you’d like to play TFT on your mobile phone, you’ll have to download it through Apple’s App Store or Google Play Store.
But, what if you want to play TFT with your friends?
How to Add Friends in Teamfight Tactics?
There are a few different ways to add friends in Teamfight Tactics.
a) In-Game
The most straightforward one is by adding them in-game. If you’re on Windows or macOS, you’ll have to launch League Of Legends and add your friends through its client.
To do that, go to the Social tab, and click on the Add Friend symbol. Then, simply input your friend’s username. Wait until they accept your request so that you can play Teamfight Tactics together.
Adding friends on Teamfight Tactics can also be done through your mobile device. To do that, you’ll need to launch the game and tap on the top right Friends icon. Then, you’ll just need to input your friend’s username, and you’re set.
b) Teamfight Tactics Discord Servers
While there are tons of TFT discord servers, there are three of them which stand out. These are:
- Teamfight Tactics: This is the official Teamfight Tactics discord server. If you’re looking for gamers who are as passionate about TFT as you, then this is the place to be.
- ESL Teamfight Tactics: If you’re looking to get into the competitive scene of TFT, then this server is for you. They are the ones who organize the ESL championships for TF
G1 Community
Here’s where both amateur and pro TFT players gather.
While the G1 community isn’t dedicated to Teamfight Tactics, it is still one of the best places to meet players to play with or against.
Inside, you can share memes, plays, or anything else related that comes to your mind.
Besides, there’ll be sweet giveaways being announced very soon… So join in and don’t miss them.
Teamfight Tactics Beginners Guide (Tips & Tricks)
As we previously said, Teamfight Tactics isn’t beginner-friendly. Nevertheless, there are a few basic steps you need to follow and a bunch of fundamental info you need to know.
Firstly, let’s talk about the way each match works, before moving on to tips. The initial phase of each match is The Carousel, where you pick your first champion. This is a fairly important part of the match, so you’ll need to learn which champions and items are the best ones to aim for.
Then comes the first three stages of the first round, where your champion will fight minions. You have a few seconds each round to prepare your team for the fight of that stage. Always keep an eye out for the timer.
When your champions fight, their mana bar increases. Once that bar fills up they will use their abilities.
Every time your champions beat a minion or another champion, there’s a chance that an item drops. Each item gives the champion certain abilities or buffs.
After the initial round, the PvP starts. This is where you start playing against other players. This is the point when you need to strategize. Your goal is to be the last one standing, and you won’t do that by just standing around.
You’ll have to manage your gold, buy, and upgrade your champions while the timer keeps ticking down.
There are a few special stages in each match, including another Carousel and Armory stages.
During the second Carousel stage, the player with the lowest health gets to pick first. This means that they can get the best champion for themselves, which can be a gamechanger.
During the Armory stages, you’ll be able to choose between two items, which can change the course of the match.
The first tip we can give is to try out the tutorial. The tutorial does a great job of introducing you to the fundamental mechanics of the game.
Along with the tutorial, you’ll need to gather as much info about the game as possible. While it’s boring to study stuff if you want to git gud you’ll need to understand how every item and champion works.
Once you’ve done all of the above, you must improve your macro skills. Every Teamfight Tactics match can be lost if you don’t manage your economy well. To improve these skills, you should always learn from your losses. Maybe you shouldn’t have rolled on that stage of the match. You will always make mistakes as a beginner, but the best way is to look back on them and learn as much as you can from them.
Our last tip is to always enjoy the game. There will be times when you’ll be on a huge losing streak and others when you won’t stop winning. This will not only make you feel better but will also help you in reaching the higher ranks of Teamfight Tactics.