If you pay a little attention, you’ll notice that in the current meta of Teamfight Tactics, the presence rate of Assassin team compositions has significantly decreased. Of course, Talon and other Assassin units are still incredibly strong, but the numerous nerfs have made them require higher conditions to rank up effectively, such as leveling champions to 3 stars, beautiful tech cores… This has led to a resurgence of several backline-focused team compositions in the meta, as Assassins no longer pose a frequent threat.
So the question arises, why has the team composition titled Mage – Giant emerged at a time when Assassins are declining in pick rate? The simple answer lies in the fact that the units in this composition can safely take over the damage-dealing role against the enemy’s backline that Assassins leave behind. This is a crucial factor that has quickly given this team comp a 54.8% top placement rate in the current meta, an incredibly impressive figure.
To effectively build this team composition, you need to remember that Mage – Giant heavily relies on level. Reaching level 8 is crucial for this team as players need to upgrade all the 4-cost champions in the composition for their strength to be sufficient to compete against other teams. Therefore, you shouldn’t play according to a specific template in the early and mid-game; as long as the composition can maintain health and gold well, it is already usable.
With one of the main carries being 3-cost Senna, many people mistakenly believe that the Mage – Giant team should stop at level 7 and roll for this unit at 3 stars. This is only correct if you can naturally buy many Senna and just need to invest another 20-30 gold to complete the upgrade to 3 stars. If you only have enough champions to upgrade to 2 stars or have been waiting a long time to get 4 Senna after stage 4, trying to upgrade this unit to 3 stars is akin to “self-sabotage.”
For a team composition that utilizes 3 Mystic, prioritizing cores related to this system is always essential when selecting upgrades. If you can pick the core Share the Glory (especially in the bottom 2 rows), this team comp will be very dangerous as Seraphine and Orianna become significantly stronger. Additionally, upgrading to enhance the tankiness for the Guardian or Giant systems is also a solid choice when facing opponents with powerful carries.
In terms of items, with the responsibility of dealing primary physical damage, Senna should hold Infinity Edge, Giant Slayer, and Dragon’s Claw. For Seraphine, the Shojin Spear is the best item as it helps this unit charge energy. Meanwhile, you should assemble as many Chalices of Power as possible, sometimes even including the Thief’s Claw to enhance defensive capabilities.
