Teamfight Tactics: What is it and is it Worth Playing in 2021?

Teamfight Tactics is a PC and Mobile auto battler, strategy game where you are pitted against 7 other players with the same goal of being the last man standing. Each player starts with 100 health and can lower the health of other players by beating them through one on one battle. You win a battle by eliminating a players team of champions using your own crafted team. Every round, you are given the opportunity to buy and sell various champions that you can use to fight for you in battle or save to create stronger tiered units.

The complexity of TFT comes from the traits that each champion has and how they interact with others. Traits gives certain boosts or advantages in battle that can be used to defeat other teams. For example, a common trait used in the current meta is Brawler. Brawler units gain a set boost to their health and attack stats, increasing based on every two unique brawler units you have on the board (2, 4, 6, and 8 respectively). In addition to this, you are also given various items that you can attach to your champions, given them stat and unique item boost. Learning what items are good on what units is part of the ever changing and complex landscape of TFT.

Now that the introduction is over, I am going to dive into the second question of my title: Is it worth playing? My answer is YES and here are a few reasons why.

Teamfight Tactics has a low learning curve and a high skill cap

TFT, while appearing to be complex at first, is relatively easy to learn. There are a lot of in-game tools that have been added over time to minimize the need to memorize different champions and item combinations. Once you play it once, you understand the goal and overall feel of the game. Additionally, the game itself is relatively slow-paced, meaning you have time to explore the layout and think about your next move. There is a scene for casual and more advanced players with Normal and Ranked game modes as well.

However, just because the game itself can be learned quickly does not mean the skill cap is low. On the contrary, only 0.010% of players make it to the highest rank of Challenger and the average player ends up somewhere around Silver 1. To put that into perspective, there are 6 tiers above silver and only two below it; each with sub rankings that one must climb through to reach the next tier.

Another part of what makes TFT complex is its economy system. Players earn economy or gold through several means:

• Interest — Players gain 1 gold for every 10 gold in their bank (capping at 5 gold per turn or 50 gold)
• Win/Loss streaks — Players gain bonus gold by winning or losing consecutive battles in a row. This results in different strategies around intentionally losing, spending or rolling to increase a players odds of win streaking by creating a stronger team, and when to change comps.
• Selling Units — Selling units gives players gold depending on the units tier (1, 2, or 3) and its cost (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5). Some may choose to hold on to units to play later, while others may opt into selling it to gain more interest.

On top of this, you add unit placement, when to level, transitioning into different comps, and keeping an eye on other players and you have a very complex game giving TFT a very high skill cap. Because of this, TFT can be viewed and played by casual and competitive players.

Teamfight Tactics is constantly changing

Since its release in the summer of 2019, there have been 4 sets of TFT. Every set has new champions, traits, items and themes. Some traits and champions have been reused and recycled between sets, keeping gameplay familiar enough to its user base, but new enough to want to keep playing. Unlike traditional games like Call of Duty, Mario Kart, etc. that require you to continually purchase new DLC’s or games to gain a different experience, TFT provides a different experience at a low cost of FREE. The game itself cost nothing, which means when new seasons come out you can look forward to new gameplay without the commitment of paying. This is beneficial, especially when you may not like certain changes from sets or patches (we are looking at you set 2…). Of course, if you love TFT as much as I do, you can buy cosmetic items and/or battle passes to enjoy during the season.

Because every set is different and last a little less than a year, I find that just as I am getting bored with the game a new set comes out. On top of this, you can look forward to a mid set patch that removes and adds several champions, items, and traits to the game that give another exciting feel of newness. TFT will never remain the same, which gives its player base a reason to keep playing and competitors an opportunity to show off their skills and versatility.

Teamfight Tactics is available on PC, Mac, and Mobile

One of the coolest aspects of TFT is that its available on so many platforms. Need something to do while riding the bus to work? Take your phone out and play a game of TFT. Not a PC guy, but own a Mac? TFT will work on that! And while the PC/Mac version is easier to play on, Riot Games has developed a mobile version that is relatively fluid and easy to transition to. I do prefer playing on my PC, but there are times when TFT on the couch is more appealing. On mobile, you can play on Android and Apple cell phones and tablets with an internet connection. Because TFT is not a heavy game when it comes to graphics, it can easily be played on most computers, old and new.

Still not sure if TFT is right for you? Try it for free on your phone or tablet and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below!