Teamfight Tactics (TFT) is Riot Games’ free-to-play auto-battler set in the League of Legends universe. Eight players share one lobby, draft champions from a common pool, field them on a hex board, and let each round play out automatically. You do not control units in combat; you win by building the strongest possible team between rounds. The last players standing place the highest.
How Teamfight Tactics Works
A game is a series of rounds. Early neutral (PvE) rounds let you farm gold and items against monsters; the rest are player-versus-player rounds where your board fights another player’s board, and the loser takes damage based on the enemy’s surviving units. Lose all your health and you are eliminated.
Between rounds you spend gold in a randomized shop to buy champions, sell units you no longer need, and level up to field more units at once. Buy three copies of the same champion and they automatically combine into a stronger, higher-star version.
Economy, Leveling and Items
Gold is the engine of every game. You earn a base amount each round, a bonus for win or loss streaks, and interest on the gold you have banked. Deciding when to spend and when to save for interest is the core economic skill in TFT.
Leveling raises your team size and improves the odds of finding higher-cost champions in your shop. Items are built by combining components dropped from PvE rounds and the shared draft (carousel); a completed item can dramatically swing how strong a carry unit becomes.
Traits and Synergies
Every champion carries trait tags, such as an origin and a class. Fielding enough champions that share a trait activates a synergy bonus, and stacking the right traits is what turns a handful of units into a coherent, powerful team. Strong boards are built around hitting these trait breakpoints while still fielding a clear damage carry and a durable frontline.
Climbing the Ranked Ladder
TFT has its own ranked ladder running from the lowest tiers up to the top. Because the game rewards placement rather than only first place, finishing in the top four counts as a positive result. Consistent top-four finishes climb the ladder faster than occasionally winning and frequently busting, so playing for reliable placement is the higher-percentage approach.
Every Set Changes the Meta
Riot rotates the entire roster of champions, traits, and items every few months in a new Set, and balance patches adjust the strongest comps in between. The specific best team therefore changes constantly, even though the underlying skills (economy, leveling, itemization, positioning) carry over from Set to Set. Always check the current patch for the live meta before locking in a comp.
Ready to build a team? See our guide to the best TFT team comps for the evergreen principles behind every winning board.