Riot Games always aims to make their games simple and accessible to players, so when designing Teamfight Tactics, they only included 2 main types of damage: magic damage and physical damage, while true damage is also present but highly limited. Therefore, as Season 3 begins with many compositions capable of dealing massive damage, players gradually find ways to counterattack aggressive compositions with the super defensive Vanguard – Mystic team comp.
Gameplay
The Vanguard – Mystic composition is based on a fundamental principle – “Not losing is winning”. With Vanguards providing armor and Mystics providing magic resistance for the entire team, your Vanguard champions will be extremely difficult to take down unless the opponent has true damage or is significantly higher in level than you. Moreover, the Vanguards in Season 3 are not only tanky but also deal great damage, so you can rest assured that you won’t lack damage.
Building the Composition
Although it’s called Vanguard – Mystic, for most of the match, you won’t need the Mystic buff, the reason is quite simple: compositions that deal massive magic damage require a full setup, and units like Miss Fortune cost 5 gold, meaning you’ll need them towards the end of the game. Therefore, at the beginning of the game, you shouldn’t buy Sona too early; just gradually upgrade your Vanguards and include small but effective combos like Pirates and Cannoneers to survive, which is a better choice.
In the mid-game, if you see the opponent has a lot of magic damage, you should try to obtain a 2 Mystic combo while also trying to get Gnar, the strongest Vanguard unit. Ezreal is also a highly valuable unit during this mid-game phase as he has a skill that increases 40% energy gain against enemies. If the opponent can’t use their abilities, they will definitely be helpless against the substantial armor from 4 Vanguards.
In the late game, you have 2 main playstyles: one is to stay at level 8 and find ways to upgrade Jayce and Mordekaiser to 3 stars, which will become your main carry in the later stages. The other choice is to save gold and level up to level 9, at which point you will need to use a strong single-target carry that does not require a trait – the best pick is probably Kayle.
Suitable Items
The 2 units Jayce and Mordekaiser are not only your tanks but also your main carry throughout the match, so make sure to equip them with items. The best item is the Ionic Spark, which reduces the enemy’s magic resistance by 50%, making the damage from the Vanguards enough to take down the enemy frontline.
For expensive units like Lulu, a Shojin Spear is more than enough for her to hex the enemy continuously. If you choose to level up to 9 and play Kayle as your main carry, the combination of Guinsoo’s Rageblade, Infinity Edge, and Guardian Angel is the strongest to allow this champion to “shred” the enemy team.
