Teamfight Tactics (TFT) is a strategy auto-battler built into the League of Legends client where eight players draft champions, build a team with powerful trait synergies, and watch their units fight automatically — the last player standing wins. If you have never played before, this guide walks you through every core concept from launching the game to winning your first match.
What you need to get started
TFT is free to play and launches directly from the League of Legends client — no separate download is required. You will need a Riot Games account, the League client installed on your PC or Mac, and a few minutes to complete the new-player tutorial the first time you open TFT. On mobile, the game is available as TFT: Teamfight Tactics on iOS and Android. All versions share the same core rules.
How to play Teamfight Tactics
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Step 1: Launch TFT from the League of Legends client
Open the League of Legends client and click TFT in the left navigation bar. You will see three main game modes: Ranked (earns League Points and competes for a rank), Normal (a pressure-free way to practice), and Hyper Roll (a faster, condensed version of the game). For your first game, select Normal, then hit the Play button. You will be matched with seven other players — four human opponents (in a real game) or bots while you are learning.
Click TFT in the client's left menu, pick a mode, and press Play to enter a match. -
Step 2: Buy champions and place them on the board
At the start of each round you are given gold and presented with a Shop showing five random champions for sale. Click a champion to buy them — they appear in your reserve bench below the board. To deploy them in battle, drag them from the bench onto a hex on your side of the board (the bottom half). Each champion has a cost from 1 to 5 gold that reflects how rare and powerful they are. You can sell any champion back to the bench to recoup gold. At the start of the game you can hold up to 9 champions on the bench and deploy as many as your level allows.
Buy champions from the Shop and drag them to your board before each combat phase begins. -
Step 3: Activate traits to power up your team
Every champion in TFT belongs to one or more traits (also called synergies or origins). When you field enough champions sharing the same trait, that trait activates and grants a bonus to your entire team — for example, three Mage champions might double their spell power, while four Warriors might gain bonus armor. The trait panel on the left of the screen shows which traits are active and how many more champions you need to reach the next bonus threshold. Building your team around two or three complementary traits is the foundation of every winning composition in TFT.
Traits light up when you field enough matching champions — each one grants a team-wide bonus. -
Step 4: Manage your gold, interest, and level-ups
Smart economy separates good TFT players from great ones. You earn interest: +1 gold for every 10 gold you have saved, up to a maximum of +5 gold per round when you hold 50 gold. You also earn a small bonus for win streaks or lose streaks, so sometimes it is better to save gold than to spend it. To field more champions at once, spend 4 gold to buy 4 XP (press F by default), which increases your level and opens another board slot. You can also spend 2 gold to reroll the Shop (press D) if you need a specific champion. The key tension in TFT is deciding when to spend on XP or rerolls versus saving gold to accumulate interest.
Track your gold closely — interest, level costs, and rerolls all compete for the same budget. -
Step 5: Fight through rounds and be the last one standing
TFT is divided into stages, each containing several rounds. Most rounds pit your team against another player's team — combat is fully automatic, so there is nothing to click during the fight itself. If you win, your surviving champions deal damage to the losing player's health bar. If you lose, the surviving enemy units deal damage to your health bar. Players start with 100 health (the exact amount can vary by set). When a player's health hits zero they are eliminated. The last player alive wins the match. Between rounds you have a brief planning phase to buy champions, reposition units, and adjust your strategy.
Champions battle automatically — the outcome determines how much damage the losing player takes.
Tips for your first few games
- Do not force a composition early. Look at the champions appearing in your Shop during the first few rounds and pivot toward the ones you see most frequently — those will be easier to upgrade.
- Upgrade champions to 2-star and 3-star. Buying three copies of the same champion automatically upgrades them to a stronger 2-star version (nine copies for a 3-star). Upgraded champions are dramatically more powerful.
- Positioning matters. Place your tankiest champions in the front rows to absorb damage, and your fragile damage-dealers in the back rows where they can safely attack.
- Save gold early. Try to reach 50 gold saved by the mid-game so you earn maximum interest every round. Only start spending heavily once you have a clear game plan.
- Losing is fine early. A loss streak is worth bonus gold. A slow start with a strong economy often leads to a top-four finish.
Frequently asked questions
Is Teamfight Tactics free to play?
Yes. TFT is completely free to play on PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. Cosmetic items like Little Legends (your avatar on the board) and boards can be purchased, but they have no effect on gameplay.
How long does a game of TFT take?
A standard Normal or Ranked game lasts roughly 30 to 45 minutes. Hyper Roll games are faster, typically finishing in 15 to 20 minutes, making it a great mode for learning the basics quickly.
What is the difference between TFT and League of Legends?
In League of Legends you control a single champion in real time on a map. In TFT you draft a team of champions, position them on a grid, and watch automated combat play out — the strategic decisions happen before each fight, not during it. The two games share champions and lore but have completely different gameplay.
How do I get better champions in the Shop?
Higher-cost champions (4g and 5g) appear more frequently as you level up. Spending gold to buy XP raises your level, which increases the odds of seeing rarer units in your Shop each round. Rerolling the shop at lower levels is generally less efficient for finding expensive champions.
What happens when a champion reaches 3-star?
A 3-star champion is made from nine copies of the same unit (three 2-star copies). They are massively more powerful than their 1-star version and can single-handedly carry a match. Completing a 3-star on a key champion is one of the most satisfying moments in TFT.
Ready to play
TFT rewards players who learn the rhythm of saving gold, spotting which champions are in abundance, and building synergies that compound into something stronger than the sum of their parts. Start with Normal mode, focus on completing two strong traits, and let the economy knowledge develop naturally over a handful of games. For the latest set information and patch notes, visit the official Teamfight Tactics website.
