TFT: Compo Initiator or Protector and Mystic on Teamfight Tactics

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

The composition Initiator or Protector / Mystic Teamfight Tactics comes in two different flavors but basically works the same way: 4 Initiators or 4 Protectors that you'll try to get to level 3, and 4 Mystics to have an extremely hard team to kill.

• Read also | Our tier list of compositions.
• Read also | Our guides to TFT set 3.

The composition Initiator or Protector / Mystic

In the version Initiator, you will use Jayce in carry for damage and Mordekaiser which will be nearly unkillable. In this objective, you will have to pass these two champions to the 3 level, to make them particularly tanky. It is recommended over Protectors if you have a lot of Chopsticks too big.

The version Protective is perhaps even more powerful than that Initiator, but depends even more on the units 3 level (Jarvan IV, Rakan et Xin Zhao). As a result, it should be avoided if other players are also trying to build a roster based on these champions in your game.

When to Play This Comp and Victory Conditions

These two compositions are rather dependent on what your opponents are playing. We recommend that you meet the following conditions before considering playing them:

• You have a lot of Protectors orInitiators early in the game.
• No more than two people want to play this composition (for Initiators in particular), and you have the correct components (defensive, and Chopsticks too big for Initiators).
• You are against comps that rely on magic damage : Wizards, Star Guardians, Rebels... Against compositions like Cyborg, Atomizer or Sniper you risk being in trouble.

If you want to win the game, you will usually need:

• To have the complete composition with your 3 level units (Xin Zhao, Rakan et Jarvan IV ou Jayce et Mordekaiser) and your 4 Mystics with Lulu 2 level and Lance de Shojin.
• Facing compositions you favor against in the late game: Rebels, Wizards, Star Guardians... You will hardly make top 1 against a player of snipers for example.

Preferred items

Spatula and other objects

If you find a  Spatula, do a  celestial orb ( + ) to get 2 Celestial Beings (with the Initiators) or 4 (with the Protectors) is interesting. It is also possible to make a  Protector's Breastplate ( + ) to be able to add another unit of your choice in place of Jarvan IV ou neeko. For the Initiators, switch Jayce en Infiltrator ( + ) is interesting so that it goes directly to attack the opposing backline.

In one composition as in the other, a  Lance de Shojin is always a good object to give to Lulu or to Soraka so that they use their utility more regularly.

Course of the game

As said above, this composition is separated into two versions depending on the units you will find at the start of the game, your components and what your opponents are playing. For version Protective in particular, it is only slightly recommended to play it if other players are also playing these champions, since this will considerably reduce your chances of having them in the game. 3 level. This is also the case for the Initiators, although they are less essential.

Early game (levels 3/4/5)

In either case, you will try to have 4 Protectors ou 4 Intiateurs as quickly as possible. In the first case, try to add other strong units individually at the beginning of the game the time to find neeko (Caitlyn with another Chrono for example). In the other, you can combine Leona with another Initiator and cyborgs in order to be effective from 4 level.

With the Initiators, you will want to have Jayce as soon as possible have the synergy at 4, and add a Pirate spatial (Graves ou Darius). This will allow you to take advantage of the power of your 4 Initiators at the start of the game to generate additional gold: you will need it. Whether you play Protective or not, the strategy will be the same: you will have to try to upgrade to 50 gold ASAP, then " slow roll (roll each round staying above 50 gold) to find your champions 3 level. With the Protectors, you are looking for them all, while for the Initiators focus on Jayce et Mordekaiser. In this scenario, you can pass level 6 before starting to slow roll.

• Read also | Our guide to the slow roll strategy.

Midgame (levels 6/7)

By the way, think about buying Sona, Karma et Soraka if you come across them, since you will need them later. At 6 level, you can simply add more celestial beings with your Protectors to go to 4 (with Ashe et Kassadine for example), or simply directly add two mystics. The scenario is quite similar if you play the Initiators. Since you won't be buying XP for a while, you should fall behind other players, but you can catch up late game, as you will be very strong once your level 3 champions are unlocked which will allow you to go on a winning streak and boost your economy.

For this purpose, you will generally want to roll further and go below 50 gold, down to 20 or 30 for example, when you only need a few copies to reach your important upgrades (Xin Zhao, Rakan, or Jayce et Mordekaiser). It will also be necessary to do this if you are too weak and cannot afford to wait.

Endgame (level 8+)

At this point, from stage 5 in general, you should try to pass 8 level hoping to find the few units you are missing later (if you are still missing some). It is important to get to level 8 as soon as you can to find Lulu and go home 4 Mystique. Also consider taking her if she is present at a carousel.

Once 8 level, if you have completed your composition, you will be strong enough to allow you to save up to 20 or 30 gold again and resume a slow roll rhythm to upgrade even more units to level 3 if you are short of them (neeko, Sona, Jarvan IV) or level 2 (Wukong, Soraka, Lulu).

Different possible transitions

There are different options when playing this composition, which bring different strengths, especially if you don't need to 4 Mystics (because your opponents play more physical damage for example).

Positioning Tips

These two compositions are rather flexible and logical in terms of positioning: you want your frontline in front and your Mystics behind. Generally, your carries will go more towards the middle of the board so that they are the main targets of the opponents (since they are the most tanky), while your support units will go more to the side.

In the case of Protectors, it may be interesting to have Rakan set back behind Xin Zhao et Jarvan IV, especially if it is not yet 3 level : he benefits from 2 squares of attack range and can then survive longer to launch his zone control. neeko can also be positioned directly in front of the mass of opposing champions to stun as many as possible with his ultimate before dying.