The newest in-depth guide is here! It’s time for one of the newest traits in Teamfight Tactics that came along with The Neon Nights, The Striker Composition.
Introduction
The Striker composition is one of those compositions that focus purely on attack damage. They are a kind of like ad carries in The League of Legends. Although they champions definitely don’t feel like adc’s.
The Striker composition guide will show you how to manipulate the board and get the best out of your units in every game you opt for them. They are really strong composition and they are in great harmony with The Hextech composition. But unlike The Hextech composition, The Striker’s are actually pretty well. You are more likely to win a game where your main composition are the Strikers and your supporting one are The Hextechs, than vice versa.
The thing to know about Strikers in Teamfight Tactics, is that they are strong, like really strong. But their problem is, since their bonus is strong but pretty basic, they can get countered. And get countered hard. You can counter them with The Bodyguards or Bruisers, or basically the items like Titan’s Resolve or The Bramble’s vest. So they are a bit like a double edged sword. But you can’t win if you don’t risk, am I right?
The Striker composition is actually pretty well balanced, having both pretty strong units, but the ones that are on the weaker side too.
This composition is somewhat Augment dependant since there are only 5 units that carry The Striker badge, so if you want to have the full potential of The Striker Composition unlocked, you will need The Striker Emblem that can be acquired trough an Augment, item + Spatula or trough Carousel.
With this Striker master guide you will learn the best way to utilize the strongest units in The Striker composition, and how to make use of those weaker ones too.
The Striker trait
Strikers gain bonus Attack Damage.
- 2
- 30 Attack Damage
- 4
- 70 Attack Damage
- 6
- 120 Attack Damage
Champions
- Jarvan
- Rek’Sai
- Gnar
- Irelia
- Sivir
Jarvan
The infamous Jar Jar Binks. Nah I’m just kidding. Although Jar Jar would be a better choice then this poor soul.
Jarvan came along when the Hextech trait was introduced in set 6.5. While the set was still in beta, everyone was talking about how op he is with the buff of attack speed that he brings to the game. I just don’t see it to be honest. You see, he does give that buff, but since he is a frontline champion, he only buffs to those around him, and around him are ofc tanks, that really don’t care about his stupid buff. And if you try to be a smartass and place Sivir or Lucian somewhere near the front rows, they will get instantly crushed since they can not cope with the amount of damage that the frontline is exposed to.
He is quite a cheap unit, costing just 1 gold coin. But I really fail to see his point in game so far, he isn’t good with Hextechs nor is he good with Strikers, he is just there. Well since he is already here and we can’t really do anything about that, then there is no other option than to buy him.
Since he is pretty cheap, that means that there are a lot of Jarvans in the pool, so at least you can always upgrade him to level 3 pretty early in the game. Not like that will help you in anyway, but it’s just cool to have a lot of level three units on board.
I really wouldn’t waste items on him, but if you are feeling courageous, then you can equip him with The Bramble’s Vest, The Warmog’s Armor and The Sunfire Cape. But that would be a waste.
His position is in the garbage. Nah just kidding, place him somewhere in the frontline so he can die pretty quickly so you don’t have to look at him.
Ability: Ageless Standard
Jarvan calls down his standard to a nearby location, granting all nearby allies bonus Attack Speed for 5 seconds.
Rek’Sai
Rek Sai came with the arrival of The Patch 12.5. She fits in the Striker, Mutant and Bruiser traits making her quite a versatile pick. She is quite strong and a pretty damn cheap champion with a price of just two gold coins.
She is a good pick for any of the said traits so don’t hesitate to chose her whenever you have a chance. He is great as a second option in some compositions as well like a Striker fill for Hextechs and Mutant fill for Arcanists.
She is equipped with utility kit that disrupts enemy’s front line, disabling them for some time while your carries shred them into pieces. She can hold a position for quite a long time and it is not likely to be the champion that dies as soon as the game starts.
You have to make a decision if you are going to use items on her since there is a lot of stronger picks than her in the game, but then again if you have The Magnetic remover you can always use it as the game progresses. Ideal items for her are The Titans Resolve, The Sunfire Cape, The Warmogs Armor, The Brambles vest and The Dragons claw. But I would save all of those for something stronger.
She is ideally placed in the front line taking as much aggro as it is possible and wreaking havoc with her ultimate while disabling the most important units in the enemy’s team.
She is relatively easy to level up since she is pretty cheap so you are likely to get her to level three pretty soon, and he can be very important in those stages of the game.
Ability: Furious Bite
Rek’Sai bites her target, dealing 125% of her Attack Damage and bonus damage and healing herself. If Rek’sai has already bit her target, she heals for more.
Gnar
Gnar is a champion who is in the spotlight in the latest patch, brings three characteristics to the field or the bench. Gnar can be described as Yordle and Socialite, as well as Striker which makes him a great option for a variety of combinations. Due to his versatility, he becomes perfect glue that connects many impossible compositions. He is a fantastic striker. Because he’s an Socialite He provides you with that vital boost in any game. The 5 Socialite bonus has some serious damage. It’s a method to inflict unimaginable pain on your adversaries. But, it could be difficult to acquire because it comes with a high risk and a high chance of loss. Gnar is an excellent option for all your opponents. If you do include the trait of The Augment to him, Gnar will become a four trait threat that can wipe off his enemies.
For most of the time, I would just position him wherever his Socialite spot appears since he is a strong and reliable pick that has a lot of sustain while dealing some serious damage to his enemies. He is a good striker, that’s for sure, and Riot really hit the jackpot by naming him as one of the Strikers who needed his versatility a lot and also his utility as well. He has that big knock-up, push, whatever you wanna call it, which damages the first enemy and brings aoe damage to a place where his rock hits the field.
His items should be The Warmog’s Armor, The Sunfire Cape, some augment trait if you have it, and you can go Guinsoo’s Rageblade as it is universally good on most of the champions. You can go for The Spear of Shojin if you like too.
He should be leveled ASAP, but if you are going for The Yordle comp, that won’t be much of an issue since the units level themselves after each combat.
If you have a better pick for a Socialite spot, then he is an aggressive frontline and sustain champion, and he should be equipped with the items that are compatible with that strategy.
If you are going for the striker comp, you will already have some strong front line, so you can place him a hex or two behind your primary tanks since he is more of a bruiser than a tank.
Ability: GNAR!
Gnar transforms into Mega Gnar for the rest of combat. Mega Gnar throws a boulder at the farthest enemy within boulder range, dealing a percentage of his Attack Damage plus bonus damage as physical damage to all enemies it passes through.
While in Mega Gnar form, Gnar is melee, gains Health, and his mana costs are reduced by 20.
Irelia
Irelia is one of the stronger champions in the game now. She is ranked S or A tier by many websites that follow TFT.
The problem with Irelia is that she is part of Scrap trait that isn’t that amazing to be honest. They are underplayed so that is a chance to get some units fast, but most of them just have a better trait that is overplayed, like Irelia does with The Striker trait.
She is quite viable choice and can cause a lot od damage. She has been nerfed a little bit, but still can kick some ass when she is on some higher level and with some cool items.
She is quite a costly unit with a price of 4 golden coins per unit, making her an epic unit when it comes to the unit ranking and pricing.
She shines the brightest when she is a part of The Striker Composition, but if you are in luck and get some nice items for Scrap Composition, she can be a serious threat for all her enemies.
Since she is quite expensive I don’t expect you to get her to level three many times, since that can be really hard task to do, but if you can do it, you should do it by all means.
Her position should be somewhere in the second row, behind the frontliners, far enough not to take initial aggro, but close enough so she can start attacking soon when the battle begins, so she can fill up her mana and cast her ultimate.
Her items should be focused on pure attack damage that is in great harmony with The Striker trait. The best items for Irelia in TFT are The Infinity Edge, The Last Whisper and The Hand of Justice. She can also benefit from The Guinsoo’s Rageblade and The Edge of Night.
Ability: Bladesurge
Irelia dashes to her target, striking them for 180% of her Attack Damage plus bonus damage as physical damage. If this kills the target, she Bladesurges again at the lowest Health enemy.
Sivir
Sivir, like every other Hextech unit came along with the set 6.5.
Sivir is quite a powerful unit but the problem is that she is too expensive and I don’t think she is worth the money. Okay let me paraphrase that. I think that she is really stuck in Lucian’s shadow, not because she is not worth 4 golden coins, but for the reason that Lucian is worth so much more than 3 golden coins and plus he is much easier to level up than Sivir.
That doesn’t mean that she is bad, her ultimate is pretty strong and can shred enemy’s backline units from far away. This makes her very powerful in teamfights.
She also carries The Hextech and The Striker trait making her quite compatible with Jarvan, but unfortunately for Sivir, Jarvan is trash so he won’t be much assistance to her.
In both her traits she will be the first or the second carry. With the Hextech trait, the carry position will definitely be taken by Lucian, but Sivir is a great backup for him, while with strikers she can do it on her own.
She benefits from ad items, and armour penetration combined with a dash of attack speed. The perfect items for her are The Infinity Edge, The Guinsoo’s Rageblade and The Last Whisper. Some good choices are also The Edge of Night, The Quicksilver and The Bloodthierster.
She should be positioned like a simple adc, protected from the fire. The best place for her would be somewhere in the backline while your tanks take all of the aggro. She should be on of the last living units in every battle you fight.
Ability: On the Hunt
For the next 5 seconds, Sivir grants herself bonus Attack Speed and her attacks bounce, dealing 40% of her Attack Damage to enemies hit.
Supporting champions
Since there aren’t that many units in The Striker Composition, you will need some help. The Strikers are in great harmony with The Hextech composition and will create one great synergy, but only under the condition that The Striker trait is the main one and The Hextech trait is just there as a support. We will also add one Socialite, you know, for good luck.
- Sejuani
- Lucian
- Senna
Sejuani
Sejuani came along with The Neon Nights patch. I think she is rather good, and deserves a place in the current patch.
Sejuani is a tank, like she is in The normal League of Legends. She is an aggressive frontliner with loads of sustain and crowd control. Riot games implemented this perfectly and she is now one of the most valuable champions in the game. When it comes to the tanky ones of course.
She holds on three traits, with them being The Bruiser trait, The Enforcer Trait and The Hextech Trait. She can work with all of them and for every single one her job is almost always the same, and the only difference is the bonuses that she will receive from the particular composition you are going for in that respective game.
She will always be a frontliner designed to take as much aggro as it is humanly possible, but instead of being just a meat for pounding (sorry kids), she also carries some utility with her kit. That basically means that her team could benefit greatly from her ultimate, and her enemies won’t, as it tends to be.
Her positioning should always be in the front two rows, taking as much damage and trying to survive as long as she can, so the more powerful units, in the form of damage, can clear the debris from the enemy’s side of the field.
Her items should always be the ones that provide the most sustain, but depending on what do you need in particular game its hard to tell. But again, there aren’t a million of them, are there? For some bonus armour you should always go for The Titan’s Resolve and The Bramble’s Vest. The Sunfire Cape works well too! For Magic Resist there is The Spirit Visage and The Dragon’s Claw. And for HP, and overall good item is always The Warmog’s Armour.
She is among the cheaper units in the game, with the price of just two golden coins so that makes her available for upgrading to the maximum level. The only problem is she does hold on to 3 traits, so she is very much needed for a lot of compositions.
Ability: Arctic Assault
Sejuani signals Bristle to charge, dealing magic damage and stunning her target. She then gains Frost Armor, granting her Armor and Magic Resist for 4 seconds
Lucian
Lucian is the strongest unit for both of his traits. He is a Hextech Twinshot, and a pretty strong one.
Lucian costs three golden coins and you get a lot for that price. He is like a cheaper version of Zeri, but equally strong. His ultimate lets him become untargetable every time he casts his spell, while dealing damage to his enemies. With a reasonable cost and high damage output, Lucian quickly became the sensation of the set 6.5.
When we are already talking about set 6.5, let’s also say that Lucian came along with the said set and The Hextech composition. He is a main carry for Hextechs and Twinshots.
If you play your cards right he can carry you like a mother carries her newborn child. With a good choice of items and a little bit help from lady luck, you will have him at level three and with full items. It is important to note that you should protect him by all means since he tends to be quite squishy.
Since he is mid range with it comes to the price, you won’t be finding him on every corner and your best chances for obtaining him are somewhere trough mid to late game. You should definitely spend all your gold on a chance to level him up, since Lucian on level three is pretty strong unit, and that should be considered a priority.
He benefits from ADC items like The Guinsoo’s Rageblade that works perfectly with this ultimate, The Bloodthirster that works great with Guinsoo’s and The Infinity Edge that works perfectly with both of the said items. In addition to that you can always go for The Edge of Night and Quicksilver for some form of sustain.
He should be positioned somewhere in the mid-back line, preferably in the back, protected from attacks of the enemy frontline units.
Ability: Relentless Pursuit
Lucian dashes away from his current target and fires shots at nearby enemies that deal magic damage.
Senna
Senna The Socialite Enchantress, was born in the long-awaited patch 6.5. The abilities she has to support players in game are extremely effective and can be seen throughout combat in the TFT arenas. If used properly she could also cause severe damage. If the game permits, with making the spot somewhere in the backline, you should place her in the Socialite place.
Apart from damage to her enemies, she also has a built-in healing kit like Seraphine so she is pretty gold efficient champion, that has many uses in game and she is a must have pick for any of her traits. Also she works as a glue that connects two very compatible synergies, The Socialite and The Enchanter traits.
While she’s an easy squishy champ, and the damage that she has won’t be as strong until she is at her highest level. Her price is 3 gold coins. It is expected that she will appear at some point in the middle of the game. It will take lots of money to get the third level on Senna. If you do not have the ability to manage the economy in game effectively, you will not be able to fully utilize her potential.
Her placement should be somewhere in the back of the field, but she might go even somewhere through the middle of the arena if The Socialite spot is placed there. The more she is placed at the front of the map, the higher the chances of her being killed off early in the fight. You will need to find a balance for her placement and have some strong front line if you want her to survive and heal your other champions while dishing out tons of damage.
She benefits mostly from AP items, but this can be upgraded with some form of sustain or Attack speed as well. I would recommend The Hextech Gunblade as your primary item since she deals damage, heals her allies, and if you have this item, she will heal herself as well. That is the core item for her build, whether you are going for The Socialite or The Enchanter composition. The Second item can be some form of AP, with The Rabbadon’s Death Cap being the best solution for obvious reasons, but it can even be a mix of AP and mana, with the items in question being The Chalice of Power or The Archangel’s Staff. The third item is decided by the current game you are playing. It should ultimately be a decision between The Guinsoo’s Rageblade and The Edge of The Night or The Quicksilver.
As I said earlier, she should be a priority for leveling and levelled to level three as fast as you can, but that won’t be an easy task, so be prepared to lose a lot of HP until you manage to do that.
Ability: Piercing Darkness
Senna fires a beam in the direction of her target, dealing 160% of her Attack Damage as physical damage to all enemies hit. For each enemy hit, she heals the lowest health ally for 50% of the damage dealt.
The Striker Composition
The In-Game guide
Early game
This is pretty hard composition to get a hold of in the earliest moments of the game, since there aren’t many units to chose from. This is why you should use some Hextechs as well while waiting for Strikers. You should start the game with Jarvan and then go for Sejuani and Rek’Sai, then you will have 2 Bruisers, 2 Hextechs and 2 Stikers in your composition, so that is a solid choice for an early game.
Mid game
This is the most important part of the game when it come to The Striker composition. This is the time where you need to acquire the most of your units, since almost all of them are in this price range. You should get Gnar, Sivir, Irelia and Lucian as a fill for an Augment or an Emblem. Senna would come in handy too.
Late game
This is the time to buy some epic units if you haven’t had a chance until now. Since the most expensive unit in this composition is an epic unit with the price of 4 gold coins, you will not focus on trying to reach units that cost 5 gold, but instead you will use your remaining gold on levelling up your units and securing your win.
Conclusion
The Striker composition is a strong one, but it can be quite tricky. The absence of many units is not a bad thing since it leaves the doors open for some additional traits to shine along with your Strikers. The only catch that can cause some issues is the absence of the 5 cost unit since they are legit op.
Stay tuned since every day new stuff about Teamfight Tactics is coming, only on The Games Cabin!