Recently, melee carry champions in Teamfight Tactics have weakened significantly due to the impact of the meta and numerous nerfs from Riot. However, in the current patch 11.20, Jax – Knight is one of the few formations utilizing melee carries that still ranks at the top of the meta. The last time the Jax – Knight composition achieved this was in patch 11.16, before this unit was heavily nerfed. So, what has brought this somewhat “clunky” team comp back into the meta?
The first factor influencing the return of Team Jax – Knight is that formations revolving around Lucian and Aphelios have weakened significantly. With the nerf to the Guardians trait and Aphelios himself, these formations are no longer the optimal choice for ranking up. As a result, melee carry champions like Jax are no longer frequently taken down by Lucian or Aphelios before reaching the enemy’s backline.
At that point, the ranged physical carry frequently chosen by players is Draven, who poses a much easier challenge for the Jax – Knight formation since Draven has a range of only 3 squares and relies entirely on auto-attacks. This short attack range makes Draven easy to approach and take down, allowing the Jax – Knight formation to perform much better.
Additionally, Riot’s buff to the damage output for the Warrior system at the 3-unit threshold has significantly improved this team comp’s performance. This change allows players to have extremely high damage output from Irelia and Olaf in the early game, leading to a much higher win rate. At that point, you can accumulate enough gold and health to level up and pivot to using more expensive champions like Jax, Rell, or Viego.
This additional damage also allows Jax to utilize many defensive items that inflict effects, such as the Green Bow or Bloodthirster. This increases Jax’s resilience significantly, allowing him to survive the large amounts of damage dealt by opponents. We must remember that Jax was previously nerfed for health stats, so being allowed to equip multiple defensive items is a crucial factor.
The final reason for the return of Team Jax – Knight is the formation’s excellent utilization of the Radiant Items at stage 5-1. In the late game, Garen or Viego are champions with an extremely high potential for surprise. These units can effectively use almost all Radiant Items and generate significant damage in the late game. Even when using tank-oriented items, these pieces can create ample space for Jax to deal damage.
In summary, with strong counter formations being nerfed and its own buffs, Team Jax – Knight has been able to return to the meta after a long absence. If you have yet to reach your desired rank in patch 11.20, then Jax – Knight is an excellent choice to use in the current version.
