If you’re interested in getting started with Riot’s new autobattler, Teamfight Tactics, or you’re keen on learning more, this tier list should help you.
The tiers are based on a mixture of criteria, including innate carry ability, composition synergy, crowd control capability, and flexibility.
S tier (The top dogs)
- Teemo
- Garen
- Darius
- Viego
- Rell
- Ivern
This tier represents the strongest units in the game. They’re each powerful stand-alone units that work well in almost every comp.
Each of these units are all five-costs, except for Ivern and Rell, who are both four-cost units. The duo is somewhat difficult to reliably find game to game, but the payoff of fielding these units always outweighs the difficulty of playing them.
Teemo, Garen, Darius, and Viego are each the premier carry of their vertical traits. If you two-star any one of them and can spare the items to build onto them, then it should be difficult to finish toward the bottom of any lobby—especially with Teemo because of his high DPS output and the attack speed debuff he applies to the enemy team.
Rell and Ivern, however, act more like support units and bring a great amount of utility to a team composition. Rell is everything you could ask for in a frontliner: high HP, a meaty shield, and an ability that applies crowd control. Ivern is similar, but instead of a shield, he summons Daisy, which is a great ability because he essentially acts as two champions in one.
A tier (Consistently strong)
- Kindred
- Kayle
- Volibear
- Heimerdinger
- Karma
- Riven
- Mordekaiser
- Draven
- Morgana
- Yasuo
- Vel’Koz
- Diana
Every single one of these champions has the ability to carry a game if they’re built correctly into a solid team composition.
Kindred can single-handedly win you a match. But seeing as though she relies on the timing of her ability to save her teammates’ lives and that she doesn’t output all that much damage herself, her usefulness can feel a little unreliable.
Kayle is the best carry in the game without a doubt. Anyone who’s played a few games of TFT this set knows how utterly useless it can feel fighting a strong Kayle board. Kayle does require a specific team composition and set of items to thrive, however, so it’s just a little harder to reliably find success with her because of her rigid playstyle.
Volibear, Morgana, and Diana are three of the best CC champions in this set. Each of them do require an item like Guardian’s Angel, though, because their survivability isn’t too impressive.
The rest of the champions in this tier are all great options for your team and should consistently perform well in a variety of different compositions.
B tier (Reliable)
- Varus
- Jax
- Nautilus
- Soraka
- Hecarim
- Ryze
- Aphelios
- Katarina
- Nocturne
- Nunu
- Syndra
- Brand
- Lee Sin
- Kennen
- Taric
The champions in this tier are either somewhat underwhelming carries or the upper echelon of the supporting crew.
Aphelios, Lee Sin, Katarina, Nocturne, and Jax are all carry champions that are regularly played, even in high Elo. But they’re usually only played when you feel forced into that direction.
Jax and Aphelios are supposed to be good carries for their traits but are both a little underpowered at the moment. Katarina, Lee Sin, and Nocturne are all strong and unique options in the current meta but fall off in the late game if you fail to three-star them.
Kennen, Syndra, and Ryze are all underrated champions that can be three-starred as carries or left at two-star and positioned next to a carry champion to protect them with their strong crowd control abilities.
Taric, Nunu, Nautilus, and Hecarim are all strong frontline units, but each requires other units to empower them into their best selves.
C tier (Average)
- LeBlanc
- Lissandra
- Kha’Zix
- Ashe
- Zyra
- Trundle
- Pantheon
- Thresh
- Warwick
- Viktor
- Lux
- Vayne
Except for Vayne and Kha’Zix, all of these units are handy support style units. In most cases, they’re needed to reach trait numbers or as early-game carries and item holders for better carries later on.
Vayne can be a true late-game carry. Her success hinges on acquiring three specific items, high-rolling early Vaynes to forego the need to roll a lot of your gold, and also being able to field the six-piece Forgotten trait as early as you can. Without these three checks, Vayne is likely to lose most of the early to mid stages of a game.
Kha’Zix, on the other hand, can’t deal enough damage to be played after stage four. Despite that sounding absolutely awful, Kha’Zix makes up for it with his early-game dominance. If you hit an early two-star Kha’Zix, it’s almost always worth playing two Assassins. Enjoy your early win streak.
D tier (Underwhelming)
- Vladimir
- Aatrox
- Ziggs
- Sett
- Nidalee
- Udyr
- Poppy
These champions are almost exclusively used early with the intent of selling them for better champions later on. Vladimir and Sett have both had their short stints in the meta. But with recent nerfs and a lack of utility in their kits, they serve little to no purpose on any board.
Nidalee is the only three-cost champion here and is in an extremely disappointing state right now. Without any survivability and an ability that’s essentially a kamikaze-style dive onto the enemy’s side of the board, she generally dies before she can output any damage. In all cases, she should play second-fiddle to her Dawnbringer ally, Riven.
E tier (Poor)
- Gragas
- Leona
- Kled
Each of these units needs to be buffed. They’re the worst of the bunch and they practically offer very little.
Gragas, Leona, and Kled each have their use. Gragas can be used for an early Dawnbringer trait until you find a Soraka or Garen. Leona is used for Redeemed until you find a spatula or Rell. And Kled is used to enable a fast level five strategy in which players can win a streak with five Hellions.
You’re sometimes forced to use them for their synergies, but that’s as far as they go.
This tier list is a starting point for TFT. It’s bound to change and it’s admittedly incredibly subjective. We’ll make sure to update it as the meta shapes and forms in the months and patches to come.
