In Season 6 of Teamfight Tactics, Riot created a very special Mage unit with incredible durability, Vex. This made the Mage composition in Season 6 extremely strong in several patches because the team comp was difficult to take down while the core champions at the back dealt massive damage. Additionally, Malzahar’s ability to reduce magic resistance made the entire Mage team deal significantly more damage.
When Vex was nerfed, Chinese players did not give up on the Mage composition and adapted it to fit the current meta. After some testing, they discovered how to reduce the number of Mage units and only play with 4 champions. Instead, players would add Sorcerer and Scholar units to enhance Vex’s durability and allow Malzahar to cast spells continuously. So how is this composition built? Let’s find out.
The usual start you should aim for is to activate 3 Yordles with Poppy, Ziggs, and Lulu. After that, you can combine cost-effective Mage units like Twisted Fate or Swain. If you are lucky enough to have Malzahar or Vex, you should place them on the board immediately to ensure durability and damage output.
By the mid-game, you should put Vex and Malzahar on the board as soon as possible to achieve 4 Mages and gain significant spell damage. Taric is also a unit you should buy at this stage as it provides substantial healing and, most importantly, activates the 2 Sorcerer effect along with Lulu. If you don’t have Malzahar yet, Twisted Fate is the unit you should focus your items on.
Heading into the late game, you will have two options: stop at level 7 to roll for 3-star units or push to level 8. Generally, the option to push to level 8 is often preferred as players will have more slots to bring in some Scholar units like Janna and Yuumi. Additionally, this playstyle also aims for Lux as a core unit, a familiar champion for Mage players. You should only reroll at level 7 if you naturally acquire Malzahar and Vex while leveling up.
Regarding the technological core, upgrading the Trade Area is extremely important if you want to build this team comp. With this core, you will have more opportunities to acquire valuable power spikes, such as 3 Yordles early game or saving gold when rerolling for Malzahar and Vex. Moreover, the Shield of the Ancients core is also a good option. Additionally, upgrades that provide gold and items like the Tycoon or Pandora’s Box are essential to optimize the team’s strength.
As for the “signature” items, they are probably very familiar to Mage players since Vex always uses defensive items like Warmog’s Blood Armor and Thornmail. Meanwhile, Malzahar needs Morello’s Evil Tome and Blue Buff to cast spells continuously. You can also use the Gemstone Gloves or Hextech Gunblade to supplement damage or healing for this unit.
