TFT: Compo Assassin and Desert on Teamfight Tactics

Our articles on TFT Tactical Combat: Assassin and Desert composition on Teamfight Tactics How to play the Assassin / Desert composition? The writing explains everything: tips, composition, items, progress and positioning!

With the 6 Assassins and 4 Deserts bonus buffs in 10.2 on Teamfight Tactics, this new build finds itself front and center and is very strong if you find a Spatula early in the game.

• Read also | Our tier list of compositions
• Read also | Our guides on TFT set 2

The Assassin/Desert Comp

Significant buffs on bonuses 6 Assassins and 4 Desert gave birth to this composition ex nihilo in 10.2. Thanks to the formidable damage of Kha'Zix, which will face opponents who have no armor, this composition is one of the strongest in the meta if you get your hands on one  Spatula for  Youmuu Specter Blade at the start of the game.

Preferred items

This composition can also use boilerplate objects, such as the  Zephyr on one of your Assassins for example. Finally, at the end of the game, it makes sense to start collecting objects for Zed on Carousels ( Guardian angel,  Redemption,  Warmog, living armor,  dragon claw...)

Start of the game and progress

If you get a Spatula when first Carousel, you should seriously consider going with this composition. Otherwise, if you want to force it, you will usually have to voluntarily lose the first rounds in order to be first to choose on the second Carrousel, and pray that there is another Spatula and you can have it.

Once your Spatula recovered, the plan is quite simple for this composition: you will want to play quickly with 3 Assassins + 2 Deserts (Diana, The White et Qiyana + renekton et Azir for example). and build your economy, since it is at level 8 that composition comes into its own. It is also possible to use Wood + Druid, with LeBlanc to make the transition to the Assassins.

To levels 6 and 7, you can add nocturne et Rek'Sai temporarily, the latter then being able to carry the objects that will go to Kha'Zix afterwards. Another possibility is to give them to Nocturne, even if it means selling it later and replacing it with another copy when you have Kha'Zix level 2.

Au 7 level, if you have Kha'Zix, you can already switch to 6 Assassins + 2 Deserts, and you can then roll a bit to try to find Kha'Zix level 2 and your other upgrades. Pay attention, however, to do not fall below 20 or 30 gold, to can pass level 8 quickly (at most in round 5-1) to enter the fourth Desert.

It is not interesting to pass 9 level in this composition: you won't really have a reason to roll a lot at level 8 once you have your level 2 units since you don't have any legendaries or champions to go to level 3, and it will then be possible to to add Zed instead of a Assassin and enter a third Summoner. With this in mind, it can be interesting to collect items for Zed on late-game Carousels.

Endgame and transitions

As said above, if the composition at level 8 is rather carved in stone, it will not be uncommon for you to push to level 9 since you don't really have any reason to roll much at level 8. As a result, you will be able to enter different units depending on the situation.

Positioning Tips

It is essential to have your units which are not Assassins (usually Azir ou sivir et renekton) on the backline, to force opposing champions forward, leaving their backline vulnerable to your units. Your champion equipped with the Youmuu should be positioned in a place forcing him to jump: if he is in range of an opposing champion, he will not jump.

Make sure to position your Qiyana in the middle of 4 other units in order to take advantage of your Iron Solari Medallion and your Herald of Zeke at most. For the corner in which you put your units, try to have your Assassins as opposed to opposing lanes if possible, so that they are targeted first.

This positioning can be modified according to the Elementary boxes. This composition works best on Hell cards, which provides attack speed from the start of mid-game fights. The Mountain cards will also be interesting, allowing you to enter Taliyah ou malphite for the bonus Mountain with Qiyana in the middle of the game. Finally, the Cloud cards will make the latter interesting too, especially with Lux Clouds at level 9.