After about a week of release, the meta of patch 12.1 has stabilized, and players can easily recognize the dominance of Team Builder. Numerous statistics websites regarding Teamfight Tactics rate Team Builder as S tier (very strong composition). As a result, in high-rank lobbies, it is common to see two to three players aiming for the Team Builder composition.
So why could Team Builder make such a spectacular comeback after a long absence in patch 11.24? The first reason lies in the considerable buff this system received, as the Tech Bear gained quite a bit of defensive stats in the recent patch. Additionally, the buff to Seraphine’s ability damage also significantly enhances Team Builder compared to the previous version.
We need to remember that buffing the Tech Bear’s defensive stats ensures that this unit can definitely cast its abilities and provide a large amount of attack stats for the composition. This, combined with the buffed ability damage of Seraphine, makes Team Builder much more resilient, while also ensuring that the backline can deal substantial damage.
Not stopping there, the ability to cheat unit count also grants Team Builder a very high win streak potential in the mid-game. Furthermore, this is a composition that you can build in almost any scenario as it can utilize most items, from physical to magical. In fact, in some cases, you can even push Ezreal to 3 stars to add a large amount of physical damage to this composition.
Another great point of Team Builder is that it is not afraid of Assassins like most other backline compositions. With a basic Team Builder setup, there will be 3 strong crowd control units in the backline, including Zilean, Orianna, and Janna. These units can even prevent the dashing abilities of Akali, helping the composition to survive remarkably well. Combined with the continuous healing buff from Seraphine, it becomes quite challenging for Assassins to take them down.
Additionally, this composition proves to be extremely flexible in choosing carry units, allowing players to “pivot” easily. Besides Seraphine as a carry, you can also choose to play around other units like Fiora, Kai’Sa, and Jhin in the late game. Therefore, even when facing difficulties in building the composition, players still have effective ways to address damage issues.
In conclusion, with strong buffs and no fear of compositions considered meta, Team Builder is becoming a highly effective ranking strategy. Players should leverage this powerful composition to climb ranks as quickly as possible before Team Builder gets “nerfed” in the upcoming patch 12.2.