After returning to Teamfight Tactics in season 4.5, Olaf has frequently been ranked among the strongest carries in the game by various stats websites. However, you need to build a reasonable composition to maximize Olaf’s power. The following guides from top 100 Challenger player – Gunmay will help you effectively harness Olaf’s strength.
According to Gunmay, the composition revolving around Olaf will include two main parts: damage and utility. The damage part will consist of Olaf and the Butcher champions. Utility champions like Morgana, Sivir, Janna… will provide healing effects, damage buffs, attack speed, and crowd control for the team.
The advice from this Challenger player is to stick with 3 Butchers in every match and not push to 6 champions. The first reason is that 6 Butchers are too expensive; besides Olaf, you will have to buy Tryndamere (another 4 gold champion), so players won’t have enough gold to level up steadily.
Furthermore, champions like Zed, Darius, and Tryndamere only provide damage. Without items, they will be completely “useless.” Therefore, stopping at 3 Butchers and adding champions that provide crowd control and utility to the composition is a more optimal choice. At that point, your main carry Olaf will survive much longer and deal significant damage.
Regarding how to build the composition, Gunmay believes that Brawlers and Marksmen are the two best starting methods for this playstyle. This is because champions like Shyvana, Tristana, or even Nidalee can effectively hold items before you acquire Olaf. Starting with these methods will help players maintain a stable amount of health and have enough gold to level up to 8 as quickly as possible.
When you have an Olaf unit, you should not place this champion on the battlefield immediately. As mentioned above, Olaf needs the effect of 3 Butchers to ensure recovery. If you leave this unit alone on the battlefield, you are likely to lose the match. The best strategy is to level up consistently, buying all the Pyke, Samira units you see. Only when you reach level 8 or obtain Samira from the common pick round, should you bring Olaf onto the field.
In terms of item builds for Olaf, the duo of Runaan’s Hurricane and Infinity Edge are the most important items. The additional bolts from Runaan’s Hurricane also trigger Olaf’s splash damage effect, significantly increasing damage for this unit. From there, you can stack Infinity Edge very quickly.
For defensive items, Guardian Angel is the safest choice to help Olaf survive against strong damage dealer compositions. If you have too many Wooden Arrows, crafting Rapid Firecannon is also highly suitable for Olaf as this unit can dodge many dangerous abilities. For the secondary carry – Samira, a Giant Slayer is more than enough for her.
