Hey! I started in Set 4 so I think I can help here based on what I remember doing as I was learning. I kind of had a hyperbolic time chamber training though as most of my friends I started with were already Diamond (now we're all Master!) so all my first games were normals with them lol
In general, especially as you get better, you'll be doing it based on the items and units that you're building up. Another way, and what I recommend especially as you're starting is using your Chosen to give you direction. I remember when I was starting out I'd grab the chosen and then use
https://app.mobalytics.gg/tft/team-comps to see if there was something that includes the unit or that chosen type. Right now I do something similar where:
- Brawler Chosen = Brawler + Dragonsoul with Shyvana carry
- Tristana, Yasuo, or Syphoner Nasus = Re-roll those champs to 3* (well, only if I hit enough Yasuo or Nasus by Krugs but I think you should be able to do it regardless at lower Elo)
- Mage Chosen = Mage Re-Roll
- Elderwood Chosen I don't go into Elderwood Asol but imo you could go for it and it'll probably work out as you're learning
- Keeper Chosen = Try out Keeper
Just off the top of my head. I think you won't have tooo much trouble just trying to force these different things as you climb until you're probably high Gold or low Plat. I mostly forced two comps I liked for a while as I learned the game and I think that finding some that you like and seeing the different ways you can go into it are a very good way to learn. For example, use Kayle or Slayers as your aim for Level 8 and learn what early game units can hold items to eventually become Kayle and how to transition using that. Afterwards, it'll help you learn how to do it for other comps.
There's few cases where you want to 3* most champions. If it's your main carry or they're very useful and you have like 5+ of them naturally, you can consider it. If you aren't going to itemize a 3*, it's unlikely you want that Champion 3*'d. In most cases the gold could go to more useful things like upgrading other parts of your board or levelling. I think the main things that are 3*'d are:
- 1 costs that can be the primary carry or you find them quickly (Tristana, Yasuo, Twisted Fate, Brand, Questionably Nasus)
- 1 costs that you find along the way for your primary carry and because you're throwing a Locket on it which scales with * level (Diana in Spirit Sharpshooter)
- 2 costs that provide insane utility and are the main tank in the comp that you're just re-rolling in (Annie, Lulu in Mage Re-roll)
- 2 costs that you found the chosen of or were re-rolling for other units and just hit (Teemo in Spirit Sharpshooter)
- 3 costs that is your primary carry (Kennan, Sivir, Shyvana, Nunu, Kalista, Katarina, Akali)
- 4 costs because you high rolled out of your mind and already had like 4, found a chosen, and have a Neeko or something (This is usually close to an autowin if you hit it because of how rare it is)
- 5 costs because you're the luckiest person on the planet. These are designed to be an autowin unless something goes horribly wrong.
If you're re-rolling to hit 3* of something, you're committing to that composition. If not, you're aiming for something else and you've already committed to not doing that re-roll comp. Usually, pushing levels is the way I like to play unless I have 5+ of a unit I know is good if you 3* to be the main part of the comp.
You would slowroll at:
LV 5 for 1 cost units
LV 7 for 2* units
LV 7 or 8 for 3* units depending on how screwed you are
For the 1 cost units, if I've committed to re-rolling but haven't hit after Wolves while slowrolling, I'll often roll down to 20 gold to try and find it after because it's usually doomed if I don't for something like Yasuo / Nasus. I'm just trying to scrap a Top 6 or maybe Top 4 at that point. A lot of the game is about turning 8ths into 6ths and 6ths into 4ths and whatnot.
Not usually worth griefing until you're at the end game, only a few players are left, and you see they're close to hitting a 3* 4 cost or 5 cost unit. If they're one away from a 4 or 5 cost 3*, definitely hold it.
If you hold it, then yes. Think of each champion as like a card in a deck. Every game of TFT starts with the same deck. As you take cards out of the deck to thin it out, the chances of pulling other stuff increases. I usually buy out the shop down to whatever doesn't cost me interest and then sell the next turn for the following reasons:
* increase chance of something I want in next shop by a little
* if there's a second of an item I bought, then I now have a pair and may be able to upgrade it which is VERY strong early game (and can be more important than a synergy or provide a pivoting opportunity)
* even numbers in gold feel good :3
Items are the hardest thing to learn. After hundreds of games you'll finally start figuring out more of "why" items are good which will make it easier, but uh, think of it as just "damage, damage, defensive" on most carries with defensive being usually one of Quicksilver Sash, Guardian Angel, or if you have to, Trap Claw. You usually want 3 items on your main carry, aura items on something beside your carry, and your frontline should have defensive items that help them soak up longer yes.
I used to have this open as I played to help know what to throw onto champions I wasn't as familiar with. It's what people usually throw on them:
https://lolchess.gg/statistics/items
I think positioning is really hard to figure out. I normally would start out with just your damage backlined and your tanks frontlined. Put one unit in front of your carry if you're afraid of assassins. This was a cool beginners guide in the last set:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c4LHINf6NKpDQ3vyXNX8lRx36eUQfeSP9kk8ZEVX0vA/edit
Positioning is what I'm probably weakest at.
It can be but it's hard and I don't recommend learning this way tbh. I think being strong is best.
Unfortunately not really. I think Normals are fine though. Just don't worry about winning / losing.
Other
I highly recommend giving this tweet thread a read. It helps a lot with giving yourself a "normal" way of playing before you start deviating.
This is also something I read when I was starting out that really helped me think about the game in a better way:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Competitiv...how_to_properly_playing_flex_mismatchedsocks/
