Players can all be the same rank yet view the game completely differently. In this article, I will go over a few pro players and their TFT playstyles, but also analyze how different game mechanics help shape their viewpoints.
There are a lot of great TFT players in North America, and they approach the game very differently from each other. TFT may not have mechanical requirements, but there is a lot of player expression. You might ask “Well aren't there just correct and incorrect decisions? Everything has an EV, and statistics are generally consistent, right?” Let us dive into why the value changes based on perspective and how some top players take different approaches to success.
When we think of a max value playstyle, we generally are referring to creating the strongest boards possible in the late game and using our gold as effectively as possible. Rolling at higher levels gives our shops a higher estimated value, and usually can cap out harder. While this has many perks, we are not able to do this consistently.Different metas can favor higher tempo, reroll comps and simply make reaching late game boards much harder.
While I think this playstyle can be less consistent, someone who excels at this high value playstyle and can make me eat my words is K3soju, as he is able to lose streak while minimizing hp loss and cap out boards incredibly well. He knows how to spend as little gold as possible to have the highest chance of creating a strong board late game.
I also think two overarching concepts in TFT are macro vs micro. Macro being lobby direction, what line you are taking, early/mid game tempo, and more. Micro is unit positioning, specific team fight interactions, and generally turn to turn decisions. K3soju excels at micro, as he optimizes his comp’s strength by knowing what upgrades to prioritize, item slamming versus greeding, and certain augment interactions with comps.
Players have certain strengths like getting the most out of your hp and capping out boards, and K3soju is one of the best and really scary when he is loss streaking.
A key characteristic of players as well is their ability to play AD, AP, or both. We also have players that focus on specific comps, along with fully flexible players that view the game in terms of frontline and backline. I think Ramblinnn falls into the latter. He also generally plays towards the AP tree and understands the strength of underrated units.
Ramblinnn is someone who doesn’t need to play a lot of games, as he is great at understanding the game and learning from observation. Also generally, more players flex towards AD comps, and being able to play AP at a high level is huge as you are less contested.
I also think certain players are more aware of their spot in a game which allows them to make critical decisions more consistently. Being able to think of the lobby from a holistic perspective is less common of a skill, as it can be very difficult to process several micro decisions while thinking of the big picture, not just for your team but for the lobby.
Very often we can look at boards and go “How was this team not top 4”, while there are generally several factors at play, understanding what comps your competition is playing, the power spikes of those and the matchups between teams, it becomes easier to answer this question. I think Ramblinnn is great at analyzing where the shortcomings came from and can identify the root cause of a weaker placement more accurately than most.
There are a lot of players I could go over, but I think Robin is a well-known and solid choice to represent a sort of middle ground between Ramblinnn and K3soju’s playstyle. He is very consistent in tournaments as he brings a focused gameplan and understands his position in a lobby very well.
Players in TFT sometimes underrate the value of focusing on specific lines and executing those at a high level instead of playing full flex. When you enter a tournament, stakes are higher, and competition is fiercer. Too often, we see people deviate from their game plan due to match conditions and pressure. There is also far more nuance to different comps than people realize and learning every comp at a top level is extremely difficult. When you compete at a high level in anything you practice, practice, practice.
Robin plays flexibly but lets his items and certain openers guide his game plan early on. This allows Robin to focus on several variables that other players may lack in due to a fragile strategy. He is strong at creating consistent boards, solid itemization, and generally doesn’t have gaps in his gameplay. He is aware of key power spikes and is willing to spend more gold to reach these.
Finding the balance between tempo and value is crucial, and I think Robin excels at this balance, and his tournament results show that.
I just want to clarify that my analysis of players is my opinion, and this is meant to try and give some insight into play styles as people always ask about this and there is less discussion of the topic. Diving into different game perspectives also allows players to understand the game at a higher level and expand on the nuance of TFT. I think all these players excel at every aspect of the game, and just because I say something is a strength of one player doesn’t mean the others are bad at it.
In conclusion, there are several ways to approach TFT, and prioritizing different aspects of the game leads to play style differences. Understanding these views of the game can help you identify your own playstyle and improve on that, which allows you to ask the correct questions when learning the game. Truly understanding the game mechanics, and the conclusions you come to about them in different sets, is how you can improve and grow.
