TFT’s midset update has arrived, bringing in a swath of new units and Traits, as well as a big change to the set’s signature items. Shadow items are out, replaced by Radiant items. Each player received one Radiant item per game and the items give fantastic effects, sometimes just for the holder and sometimes for the entire team. With all the new TFT content, Hotspawn is here to cover the best comps to help you navigate the early days of Set 5.5.
TFT Set 5.5 is out now. Stay ahead of the game with these new comps. (Image courtesy of Riot Games)
Like we did for Set 5, we’ll cover the core units of each comp, the items you’ll need, and what makes them strong in the current meta. We’ll also include tips for how to set yourself up in the early game and what you’ll need to do to pilot them to a first-place finish.
Draconic Zyra
Core Units: Sett, Zyra, Galio
This is the comp that has been terrorizing the early days of set 5.5 so much that the devs felt the need to release a hotfix just a day after launch to tone it down. The comp revolves around the Draconic trait and the way it supercharges your economy during the mid-game. Players with at least three Draconic champions receive eggs after each round that eventually hatch into gold, consumables, Draconic units, or even items.
There are a number of ways to play this comp, especially with the addition of Galio opening up the possibility of an early 5 Draconic comp. In the end, the best versions of this comp will revolve around Zyra as the main carry.
Spear of Shojin is essentially mandatory for Zyra, but otherwise, there are plenty of options. AP and attack speed items work well, so things like Jeweled Gauntlet/Infinity Edge, Rabadon’s Deathcap, Archangel’s Staff, and Guinsoo’s Rageblade will be your go-to’s.
Early Game
You want to get Draconic out as soon as possible to build economy and push levels ahead of your lobby. The comp is relatively weak early, so the main priority here is to minimize damage taken by finishing off a few enemy units each round. With that in mind, try to put together whatever frontline you can around either Skirmishers or Brawlers. Units that can hold Zyra items are Kalista, Ziggs, Kha’zix, Syndra, or Soraka.
Late Game
The initial iteration of this comp in 5.5 almost always included Abomination units starting at level 6. With a hotfix nerfing the Monstrosity’s damage potential, it might still be viable but no longer mandatory. If you do run Abomination,put tank items on those units for the Monstrosity and always keep a look out for an Abom spatula. Otherwise, simply load up a traditional tank like Rell, Garen, or Galio.
The goal with this comp is to get to level 8 and then slow roll until you hit 3 star Zyra. Once that happens, you can easily drop the other Draconic units in favor of four and five cost units to round out the comp. If you can’t hit Zyra 3, her items transfer perfectly to Heimerdinger in the late game.
Cannoneer Lucian
Core Units: Senna, Galio, Lucian
One of the most exciting new unit added for set 5.5, Lucian carries two new traits, Cannoneer and Sentinel, and packs a serious punch as an AD carry. His ult is fantastic at melting frontlines and can often find access to backline carries.
Several things make Lucian valuable right now. First, he does great damage even at 1 star as opposed to some of the other 4-cost carries. Second, he can function with a number of different supporting casts. Most often, he’ll be paired with the other three Cannoneers for insane burst damage, but two can also work if you need a more defensive comp.
Finally, he can make great use of a huge variety of items. Any AD items are gonna be incredibly strong options. Deathblade, Bloodthirster, and Last Whisper seem like his best choices, but things like Hand of Justice, Infinity Edge, and Giantslayer all work reasonably well. If you find yourself playing 6 Sentinels, Warmog’s can be a sneaky strong choice because it gives Lucian the 120% Attack Speed buff at the start of combat.
Early Game
There are several strong early AD carries in the meta right now. Kled, Tristana, Kalista, and Varus all work if that’s what you hit. Still, the easiest route to a Lucian game is likely with the Sentinels/Skirmisher start. Both Olaf, Irelia, and Udyr all make solid AD item holders until you can find a Lucian.
Late Game
Two things are gonna be essential during the late game: armor shred and strong frontline. The first is simple. Either build a Last Whisper on Lucian or run Akshan so his spell can help Lucian cut through beefy frontlines.
Late game frontline will depend on your lobby and what units you hit. The Revenant trio is always viable, but you might find that your game calls for Mystics or Ironclad units to counter specific opponents.
Forgotten Miss Fortune
Core Units: Hecarim, Thresh, Nautilus, Miss Fortune, Rell
Another new Cannoneer unit makes an appearance here in a comp that uses her as an AP carry. Once again, Spear of Shojin is pretty necessary so she can get multiple casts off, and the usual suite of AP and Attack Speed items complement her nicely. Guinsoo’s Rageblade/Archangel’s Staff and Jeweled Gauntlet/Infinity Edge are her best combos for maximum damage.
The idea here is to slow roll at level 7 in order to 3-star Miss Fortune and turn her into a backline-melting machine. If you can, 3-star Hecairm is also a huge boon, but his items can easily go on Rell or Garen in the late game if you can’t find enough ponies.
Early Game
The best time to run this comp is when you can upgrade an early AP carry or get dropped a Miss Fortune from Stage 1. If that happens, get her in early to start building up the stacking Forgotten bonus for each round won.
Otherwise, lean this direction if you hit several Cavaliers early. Kled, Sejuani, and Hecarim are all solid early game tanks to build around, and then you only need an AP item holder like Syndra, Varus, or Soraka to bridge the gap until you hit your carry.
Late Game
The most common version of this comp is fairly strict with its units. Viego makes for a strong fourth Forgotten unit and potential secondary carry in the right scenario. Garen and Galio give you 4 Knights and the crucial MR shred from Garen’s spell. Nautilus and Galio can be dropped for Mystics, Sejuani, or Lucian if you want a second carry and have AD items.
Rangers
Core Units: Sejuani, Aphelios, Rell, Akshan
This comp is an update to the 4 Rangers comp that features both of the game’s new Legendary units in its final form. Both Akshan and Aphelios serve as strong AD carries, with Aphelios being more reliable to hit and Akshan offering better late game scaling alongside the armor shred that the comp desperately needs.
The itemization is going to be similar no matter which of the two you run, though Aphelios uses Shojin quite well after the update to his spell for Set 5.5. Otherwise any combination of AD and attack speed items will suffice, with Deathblade, and Bloodthirster being the most versatile.
Getting to the completed comp can be somewhat difficult unless you have a strong economy or keep your HP high through the midgame, so don’t expect to force this every game. When it does hit though, Rangers can tear through a lobby,
Early Game
Compositions that pivot well into Aphelios are Redeemed with Varus as an Aphelios item holder or potentially Draconic. Ashe can even be a late game carry with the right items but it doesn’t feel as consistent as Aphelios. Skirmishers are another option to hold AD items, but the transition to Rangers is pretty tough.
Late Game
This is where the Rangers comp really shines. There’s almost no dead weight at all, and if you can make it to the Gwen/Fiddle/Ivern/Volibear frontline, you’re set. You have multiple great tanks, AP and AD item users, and the ability to access every enemy on the board.
Reroll Rats
Core Units: Poppy, Kled, Ziggs, Tristana, Kennen, Lulu
This is a comp that was starting to make waves at the end of Set 5, and it’s only been bolstered with the addition of Tristana as another strong, low-cost Hellion unit. Ideally, she’ll be serving as our main carry here, dishing out major damage thanks to the synergy between her two traits, Hellion and Cannoneers.
The plan here is typically to 3-star Tristana by slow-rolling at level 6 and load her up with AD items so she can jump around the board and assassinate backline carries. Be careful with how you position her because she will jump right in front of many units with CC abilities. If your lobby is particularly bad in that regard, you can frontline her so she’ll jump away from enemies entirely.
The other major option is the Kled carry style, in which you don’t buy experience for the entire first stage and save money to roll down for 3-star Kled. He needs Runaan’s Hurricane and Bloodthirster to be super impactful, so this version is somewhat harder to force than Tristana.
Early Game
Pick up every Hellion unit you can find. If you natural a lot of Kleds or Poppys, consider rolling at level 5 to 3-star them. Otherwise, push to 6 and roll for Tristana. Feel free to mix and max your Hellions with whatever units you hit with shared Traits. That can be Knights, Cavaliers, Cannoneers, Skirmishers, or even Spellweavers.
Late Game
If you can hit Kled or Tristana 3-star, you should be strong enough to start a win streak and push levels with the econ you build. As you get later into the game, you’ll want to start replacing some of the weaker Hellions that you didn’t 3-star. Often your final comp will only include 4 Hellions, with Poppy and Ziggs being first on the chopping block.
The way to actually win lobbies with this comp is to hit Teemo as a second carry or to hit a Hellion spatula at some point in the game. If that happens, 6 or even 8 Hellions become playable, with Lucian serving as the best holder for the spat. If you don’t get that RNG blessing, just start putting in strong units like Heimerdinger and the Revenant trio towards the late game.
Set 5 Comps That Still Work
These are a few comps that are largely unchanged from the previous patch, but still have a place in the meta right now.
Dawnbringer Karma
Karma still plays exactly as she did in Set 5, with none of the Dawnbringer units being removed. Garen is still necessary if you want to win lobbies, but Karma is as consistent as ever.
Redeemed Vel’koz
Some might say it’s boring. Some might even say it’s underpowered after the Redeemed nerf on patch 11.15. However, it’s largely uncontested right now, and Vel’koz can still vaporize a board with the right items.
Nightbringer Yasuo
He may not have the added AP from the Dragonslayer trait anymore, but Yasuo is still a menace with the right items. A 3-star version is still capable of winning lobbies, especially with an itemized Aphelios providing some secondary DPS.
Assassin Nocturne
Possibly the sleeper OP comp of this patch, Nocturne got a nice buff in the form of an additional strong Revenant unit in Fiddlesticks. With Runaan’s Hurricane and Last Whisper, Nocturne shreds through backlines before they can do any damage. If you luck into an Assassin spat, you might just dominate the lobby.
