5 Tips to Reach Master Rank in Teamfight Tactics

I recently reached Master rank in Teamfight Tactics on NA and EUW, and I wanted to share 5 tips that helped me get there. I hope these tips can help you too.

Tip #1: Master your comp

If you want to rank up in TFT, you’ll need to be able to play better than your opponents. There are 3 main ways to improve:

Play the game.
Read/watch guides.
Watch tournaments and Twitch streamers.

Try to master at least 2 comps so that if one comp is heavily contested, you can switch to the other. I reached Master rank, by mainly playing Cybernetics, Rebels, and Mech/Riven + Sorcerers. If you play the meta comps, you’ll generally place higher. You can find the strongest comps here.

Tip #2: Scout

There are two main reasons to look at your opponents’ boards:

To see your opponents’ comps – so that you can avoid contesting the 6 Brawler/Blaster players.
To see your opponents’ positioning – to dodge Zephyr, Shroud, Blitz, Infiltrators, and placing your own for max effectiveness.

Use your hotkeys (default q and r) to scroll through your opponents’ boards at least once every 2 rounds. During the later stages of the game, I do it every round.

Tip #3: Have a plan, but be flexible

From the first carousel, think about what comp you’d like to play.

If I’m playing Cybernetics, I try to get a bow (for Last Whisper on Vayne) or vest (for Red Buff on Lucian).
If I’m playing Riven + Sorcerer, I try to get rod (for Rabadon’s on Riven) or tear for Blue Buff.
If I’m playing Mech + Infiltrators, I try to get vest for Bramble Vest on the Mech.

I always scout the other players to see what comps they are planning to play. If I picked up a rod with the intention to play Riven + Sorcerer, but 6 other players are picking up a lot of sorcerers, I could consider going Cybernetics instead and put the rod on Vi or any other Cybernetic to receive the trait buff.

Adjust your plan based on what the game gives you. If the NPC rounds give you strong items for a certain comp, consider switching to that comp. If you are finding a lot of Rebels, then consider playing Rebels. But don’t forget to scout first!

If you avoid heavily contested comps, you’ll get better results! It really hurts when you see multiple 4-cost units in your shop that don’t fit into your comp.

Tip #4: Find solutions to your problems

You can’t do the same thing over and over and expect better results. To rank up you’ll need to improve. Think about the problems you are having, and consider possible solutions. Here are some examples:

Problem: My carry got Zephyred and I lost the round.

Solution: Move your carry 1 second before the round starts OR build QSS on your carry.

Problem: Brawler/Blaster is meta but it is heavily contested and my results are poor.

Solution: Play the meta comps that are less contested in your lobby. In this case, Cybernetics or Riven + Sorcerers.

Tip #5: Watch streams and tournaments

This is the best way to improve your ranking. See what comps the pros are playing, the items they build, and how they position their units, then emulate them. My favorite YouTube channel for tournaments is Teamfight Tactics by Giant Slayer. Its hosts provide incredible insight and you can see multiple players POV in a single match. Teamfight Tactics on Twitch lets you get into the minds of some of the best players in the game.

Conclusion

Reach Master rank by playing comps effectively, scouting regularly, having a plan, fixing your mistakes, and watching the true masters of the game!