Your First Game

This guide walks you through an entire TFT match step by step, from clicking the play button to the final result screen. Do not worry about playing optimally. The goal of your first few games is simply to understand the flow of a match and have fun.

Queuing Up

Open the League of Legends client (or the TFT mobile app), select Teamfight Tactics from the game mode selector, and click play. You will be matched with 7 other players. Once all 8 players are found, the match loads and you are placed on the game board.

Stage 1: The Opening

Shared Draft (Carousel)

Your very first experience in a match is the shared draft, also called the carousel. All 8 players stand in a circle around a group of champions, each holding an item component. After a brief countdown, everyone is released to grab a champion. Walk into the champion you want to claim it.

Do not stress over this first pick. Any champion and item will work fine for your first game. You will learn what to prioritize here over time.

PvE Rounds

After the shared draft, you play a few PvE rounds (Stage 1-1 through 1-3 or 1-4, depending on the set). During these rounds, your champions fight AI-controlled minions rather than other players. These rounds are easy and serve as your warm-up.

  • Defeating minions drops loot orbs containing gold, item components, or champions.
  • Pick up everything that drops. Items and gold appear on your board, and you collect them automatically at the end of the round.

Buying Your First Champions

Between rounds, the champion shop at the bottom of the screen offers 5 random champions. Spend your gold to buy the ones that look interesting.

Beginner tips for shopping:

  • Buy pairs. If you see a champion you already own, buy another copy. Collecting 3 copies of the same champion creates a powerful 2-star upgrade, making that unit significantly stronger.
  • Do not reroll yet. Early in the game, save your 2 gold and let the free shop refreshes do the work.
  • Fill your board. Put as many champions as your level allows onto the board. More champions fighting means more damage dealt and less damage taken.

Placing Champions

Drag champions from your bench onto the hex grid. At the start of the game you are level 3 or 4, meaning you can place 3 or 4 champions on the board. A good starting approach is to place melee champions (short-range fighters) in the front rows and ranged champions in the back rows.

Your First PvP Round

Starting in Stage 2, you begin fighting other players' teams. Combat is automatic. You watch your champions fight and see the result.

  • If you win: The remaining enemy champions would have dealt damage to your opponent. You earn a small gold bonus.
  • If you lose: The surviving enemy champions deal damage to your Little Legend based on their number and star level. Your health bar decreases.

Losing rounds early is completely normal and not a cause for concern. You have 100 health points, and early damage is low.

The Mid-Game

As you progress through Stages 2, 3, and 4, the rhythm of the game becomes familiar:

  1. Planning phase: Buy champions, rearrange your board, equip items.
  2. Combat phase: Watch the round play out.
  3. Repeat.

During this time, focus on:

  • Upgrading champions. Keep buying copies to create 2-star units.
  • Combining items. When you have two item components, drag one onto a champion that already holds another component to create a completed item. Completed items are much more powerful.
  • Leveling up. Spend gold on XP to increase your level. Higher level means more champions on the board, which is a major power spike.
  • Watching the trait panel. The left side of your screen shows which traits are active. Try to build toward activating synergies by fielding champions that share traits.

Elimination and Top 4

As the game progresses, damage ramps up. Players whose health reaches zero are eliminated and finish in 8th, 7th, 6th place, and so on. The last player standing finishes 1st.

In TFT, finishing in the top 4 is considered a win. The ranked system rewards top-4 finishes with LP gains, and most players measure success by how consistently they finish in the top half of the lobby. You do not need to finish 1st to have a great game.

What Happens When You Lose All HP

When your health hits zero, your Little Legend plays a defeat animation and you are removed from the match. You can stay to watch the remaining players or exit to the results screen. There is no penalty for leaving once you are eliminated.

Practical Tips for Beginners

  • Do not worry about optimal play. Your first several games are for learning the interface and rhythm. Improvement comes naturally.
  • Experiment freely. Try different champions, different positions, different item combinations. There is no wrong way to learn.
  • Buy pairs whenever possible. Upgrading to 2-star is the single biggest power spike you can get early on.
  • Put your items on someone. An item sitting on your bench does nothing. Even if you are not sure of the best holder, equipping an item on any champion is better than leaving it unused.
  • Read the trait tooltips. Hover over traits on the left panel to understand what bonuses your team is getting. This helps you start recognizing which combinations are strong.
  • Scout other players. Click on opponents in the minimap to see what they are building. This is a habit that will serve you well as you improve.

After the Game

Once the match ends, you will see a results screen showing final placements. You earn experience toward your TFT pass (which unlocks cosmetic rewards) regardless of placement. Queue up for another game and try something different. Every match teaches you something new.