In Teamfight Tactics season 5.5, Aphelios is arguably the most buffed champion as Riot has significantly increased the damage of his skill, Dark Passage. This change has completely altered the playstyle of Aphelios and the Marksman team composition as a whole. Now you only need to reach 2 Marksmen and use 4 Maokai to maximize the damage Aphelios deals every time he casts his ability.
The principle behind the Maokai – Marksman composition is actually very simple. Aphelios along with one other Marksman unit will serve as the main damage dealer positioned at the backline. Meanwhile, other units will be responsible for tanking and shielding at the front line to draw damage from the opponent. Therefore, you should choose units with traits that have good tanking abilities like Sejuani, Rell, Nautilus…
Although the focus is on Aphelios as the carry in the late game, the perfect starting unit for this composition is Kalista. The reason is quite understandable as Kalista holds the perfect item for Aphelios. After acquiring Kalista, you should buy Irelia to activate the Legion effect; moreover, this is also a unit with excellent tanking capabilities.
By the mid-game, what you need to do is build a front line capable of tanking with Sejuani and Lee Sin. You shouldn’t focus too much on the backline units during levels 6-7 because if you roll for Aphelios, it will be hard to level him up to 2 stars. Instead, investing in upgrading front line units will be a smarter choice for preserving health.
Moving into the late game, you will seek to roll for key units like Rell, Aphelios, and Diana. Galio is also a unit worth investing in because the range of his Durand’s Shield ability is very wide and can help Aphelios avoid being attacked by enemy Assassins. If you can roll for Akshan, then put this unit on the board immediately. In case you have “bad luck”, Ashe is a decent choice to activate the Marksman trait and add some crowd control for the team.
Regarding item construction, you should prioritize acquiring tank items in the first three shared selection rounds. Obtaining items like Fire Cloak, Warmog’s Armor… early will make your front line incredibly strong, allowing players to save a lot of health this way. In the late game, a Frozen Heart for Diana is also a good choice to counter the enemy’s carries.
For your main damage dealer unit – Aphelios, the Death’s Blade is an essential item. The reason is that Aphelios’s abilities have a significantly high scaling based on AD, so the Death’s Blade is the best choice. You can also use Guinsoo’s Rageblade to increase attack speed and energy regeneration for this champion. For the third item slot, Infinity Edge, Bloodthirster, or Runaan’s Hurricane are all good options for Aphelios.
