Thornmail
It must be stated that Thornmail has never been “out of meta” in Teamfight Tactics. The popularity of this item only decreased in patch 12.6 when Riot nerfed many physical carries and allowed magic damage units to shine instead. Then, when patch 12.8 was released, Thornmail returned to its position as the “king of all items” as there are many compositions using physical carries dominating the current meta.
Looking at the list of the strongest compositions in patch 12.8, we can easily recognize that their carries all utilize critical damage as their strength. The Assassin team goes without saying, while compositions using Marksmen like Jhin – The Innovator and Ashe – The Syndicate all feature carries wielding Infinity Edge. Even a “strange” composition with a high top 4 rate like Mage – Idol revolves around Senna holding Infinity Edge. Therefore, Thornmail is an item that must be owned to survive in the current meta.
Frozen Heart
Quite similar to Thornmail, the rise of Frozen Heart in recent patches has been supported by the fact that many physical carry compositions are in the meta. A special thing is that compositions revolving around Marksmen often do not use high attack speed items like Guinsoo’s Rageblade. At most, you will combine it with Zeke’s Herald to buff your carry, which makes the attack speed slow effect from Frozen Heart even more effective.
Moreover, Ekko’s extreme popularity in the current meta also helps Frozen Heart be used more as this item fits perfectly with The Boy Who Reverses Time. It can be said that even after being nerfed, Ekko is still an indispensable champion in Assassin or Innovator compositions with the ability to disrupt gameplay and prevent enemy carries from dealing damage. Additionally, you can also equip this item for backline units to counter opposing Assassins.
Statikk Shiv
It seems that the Recycling craze from patch 12.7 has not cooled down, so after moving to the new patch, Blitzcrank is still a unit that is used very often. Clearly, the ability to “kidnap” an enemy champion and force the opponent to reposition their carry away from a good spot is a tremendous power of Blitzcrank that any player wants to have. To counter this annoying champion, Statikk Shiv is an essential item that helps your carry stay in a safe position without fear of being pulled.
Besides, the added effect of 20% attack speed for the champion holding it is also extremely useful and helps your carry deal damage very effectively. For example, with Jhin, that attack speed stat will convert into AD for this champion. With the ability to keep your carry in a safe position while also increasing damage, there is nothing to criticize about Statikk Shiv.