TFTraitsTFT Positioning & Targeting
Place both boards and see who every champion attacks when combat starts, and the path a unit walks when its target is out of reach.
// CONCEPTS
How targeting works in TFT
Targeting
Champions will always target the closest enemy champion. When several enemies are equally close, the targeting priority is role based: Tanks > then everyone else > Reapers.
Re-targeting
This is one of the most important concepts in the game, but one that many fail to consider. Once a champion loses its target (typically after killing it), it will re-target the closest enemy champion. You should always place your champions in a position that protects your ranged carries and your melee damage dealers. Once your main tank dies, you do not want the enemy champions to re-target your weak damage dealers; instead they should re-target your off tanks.
Movement
A champion will always have a target, regardless of whether they can reach it with their range. If their range is too short, they will attempt to walk close to the champion. Based on our observation of the game, a champion will, once it has moved one hex, reconsider, i.e. now that I have moved one hex closer to my target, is that target still the closest enemy in range? If it is not, then your champion will re-target. This is what allows us to make melee champions rotate around the sides and target enemy backliners instead of enemy champions.
Targeted count
The number we display in our tool on the grid above the champions is how many enemy champions are targeting your specific champion. A good position typically means your main tank will be tanking the highest enemy damage dealer. This might mean you should not position your tank in the center, but rather position your main tank to the side. If you have a tank that does not have items, positioning them at the center (if running multiple tanks) is typically optimal, as this distributes 1-2 targets to your non-itemized tanks, making them cast their ability faster due to the increased mana generation from being targeted.
// FAQ
Positioning questions
What is the best position for a tank?
A tank should typically be placed on the frontline (first row). There are some cases where you want to position your tanks on the second or third row, if you wish to force the enemy team to reposition, allowing your ranged carries to stay in place and not waste time on walking.
How many tanks should I have?
To put it simply, your tanks serve two primary purposes: first, to "aggro", i.e. become the target of the enemy team's damage dealers, so that they target the tank instead of your weaker damage dealers, and secondly to mitigate as much damage as possible. The team whose frontline dies first typically loses the round. Generally speaking you should have at least 1 main tank. That is your strongest tank, the one that you itemize. Adding items to your tank might make him 3-5x better at mitigating damage compared to a non-itemized tank. For most comps you want to focus most of the enemy champions to target your main tank. A typical mistake is to put your itemized main tank in the center of the first row and surround the main tank with off tanks (non-itemized tanks); this is bad because the enemy carries will then attack your off tanks instead of targeting your main tank. Your main tank should be the first to die, as it gives your other frontline champions an opportunity to cast their ability. If you play something like 4-6 Vanguards (set 18) you do not want to focus enemy targeting on one main tank; instead you want to evenly split the enemy targeting between your tanks so that you get the most of the initial shield that Vanguards get on combat start.
Where should I position my melee damage dealers?
Contrary to how most play melee, you should not make the melee hit the enemy tanks at the start. Instead you should try to position your frontline tanks and your melees so that they are forced to walk around your tanks and start attacking the enemy backline instead. This is not always possible, but that should always be your first priority. The second priority is to try to make the enemy melee damage dealers attack your tanks, while your melee damage dealers attack the enemy melee damage dealers. Try to experiment with the positioning using the tool. Typically avoid the edges of the first and second row, to prevent your melee getting targeted. Placing your melee on the third or fourth row can be very effective. One important consideration is enemy "re-targeting": if the enemy main ranged carry is in the corner and it kills its initial target, it will re-target a champion, which might be your melee champion. Make sure to position your main tank to protect your melee. Never use a non-itemized tank next to your melee champions.