After a period of meta stabilization, the Dark Star – Marksman composition is now the strongest team comp in Teamfight Tactics, boasting incredible damage from Jhin. However, winning and climbing ranks with this setup is not simple, and the following tips from Challenger players will help you master this composition.
B.F. Sword is the crucial item
Like all compositions using Jhin as the carry, B.F. Sword is the item players desire the most when playing the Dark Star – Marksman build. This becomes even more important as the Sorcerer meta begins to resurge, and there are very annoying Infiltrator compositions in the meta; you need Guardian Angel to ensure your carry survives.
Furthermore, B.F. Sword is also used to combine into Infinity Edge, which interacts extremely powerfully with the damage stacking ability of Dark Star. With this core item, your Jhin can deal an immense amount of damage, making it difficult for opponents to withstand. Therefore, the advice is to only play Dark Star – Marksman if you have at least 2 B.F. Swords; if the creeps drop only defensive items or Tear of the Goddess, then skip this team comp.
Never only buy Dark Star units
It’s true that this composition focuses on the Dark Star trait, but some units of this trait aren’t related to the nature of this composition. For example, Shaco, who is a carry and it’s hard to equip both of these champions adequately. Therefore, you should only select quality Dark Star units that do not require items, such as Jarvan IV, Karma, or Mordekaiser.
Additionally, the Dark Star trait’s essence is strong towards the end of the game. At levels 6-7, it’s very difficult to have a complete team composition that ensures your carry survives and deals damage. This leads to the situation where, while building your team, don’t focus solely on the units in the guide; buy other strong units available in the shop. You may not use them in the late game, but they can help you survive through the difficult mid-game phase.
Never position your team too close together
Whether due to habit or other reasons, many players tend to position their teams extremely close together, regardless of the team comp they are playing. This makes it very easy for your entire team to get hit by area-of-effect abilities; even melee carries from opponents save time moving with this formation.
Therefore, for Teamfight Tactics experts, unless you are playing a Rebel team, they rarely position their teams too closely. Especially with the Dark Star – Marksman team, your Jhin needs to have a sufficient distance from opponents to deal damage; thus, push your frontline units to the very top of the board, maintaining distance for your carries to deal damage from the backline. If you’re worried about Infiltrators, consider adding a control unit like Lulu nearby to mitigate the opponents’ damage.