In the recent patches of Teamfight Tactics season 6, we can see that the Challenger system has been significantly weakened by Riot. We can mention direct adjustments such as the reduced attack speed bonus in patch 11.24, as well as the mass weakening of several key champions like Yone and Kai’Sa.
Despite being continuously weakened, the Challenger composition remains an extremely effective ranking strategy, even after the release of patch 12.1. In fact, a player with the account Infernixx on the Western Europe server climbed to the top 1 Challenger position by utilizing this composition with the two main stars being Fiora and Yone. So why does this team comp remain so strong despite the nerfs? Let’s find out.
First, we need to mention the decline of the two compositions Brawler – Chemtech and Kai’Sa – Idol. These are two compositions that own a very “tanky” frontline that is hard to defeat due to the large health of Brawlers and Titans. With a composition that needs to eliminate opponents quickly to activate the Challenger effect, those overly strong tank units are a hard counter that players find difficult to deal with.
When the aforementioned compositions are nerfed, players will no longer have to face such strong frontlines. Of course, the Guardian units are still extremely popular in the current meta, but this type of champion does not have good damage output, so the Challenger system isn’t worried at all. This allows the Challenger system, with its strong snowballing capability in battles, to rise rapidly in the meta of patch 12.1.
Next, the Challenger composition has no fear of any Assassin team comps, even though this playstyle is extremely hot right now. In terms of damage, both Yone and Fiora outperform the Assassin units, while their survivability is excellent due to the use of Guardian Angel or built-in healing. As a result, the Challenger team often excels over Assassin compositions in terms of “toughness,” even against 3-star units.
Additionally, with the extremely flexible tribe – system of the Challenger units, you can gain many powerful effects in the late game to secure victory. Desirable units like Yuumi and Jayce synergize very well with the Challenger team, not to mention options like Braum and Leona… With this versatility, the Challenger composition is quite difficult to read in the late game and can create breakthrough power if you have the tribe – system emblem activated.
In conclusion, with the lack of heavy counters, the Challenger team with its two main units, Fiora and Yone, is proving to be extremely strong in the current meta. This is not an unfamiliar playstyle, so you can apply it immediately to your ranking climb without needing to research or change your playstyle too much.