The Emergence of the Olaf – Shapeshifter Composition in TFT Season 12
In patch 14.18 of TFT Season 12, Olaf has received considerable buffs from Riot Games as his maximum energy has significantly decreased from 80 to 50 points. Moreover, the damage from each jump of this unit’s passive has also been greatly increased, allowing Olaf to “clear” the battlefield quickly. However, this unit’s inherent weakness is dealing single-target damage and requires time to dominate the field. With the Frostbite trait lacking any strong tank units to buy time for Olaf to deal damage, this unit seems a bit “weak” in the current meta.
Nevertheless, some high-level players have found a solution to this problem by combining Olaf with the recently buffed 4 Shapeshifter trait. In fact, Shapeshifters like Shyvana or Neeko even provide healing reduction effects (2 Dragon trait) or healing to help Olaf take down opponents more easily. This has created optimal conditions for the “logger” unit to sweep through opponents and help players achieve victory.
Building the Olaf – Shapeshifter Composition in TFT Season 12
In the early game, players can aim to use the 1-cost Hunter duo of Twitch and Nomsy to ensure damage output. 1-cost Shapeshifters like Elise and Jayce are also very suitable to stand in the frontline and protect the carries. One small note is that players should equip items for Olaf, such as Sterak’s Claw or Bloodthirster, on Jayce as this unit is an extremely efficient item holder.
By the mid-game, players need to hold onto as much gold as possible and level up consistently to reach level 8 as quickly as they can. 3-cost Shapeshifters like Swain or Neeko will be valuable additions to ensure strong frontline durability. If possible, Hwei will be a worthy investment at level 7 as it helps players activate the 3 Frostbite trait and provides a significant amount of magic damage.
After reaching level 8, players should spend gold and look for key 4-cost champions like Olaf, Varus, and Nasus. If possible, buy all of these units during the reroll process to nurture the hope of upgrading them to 3 stars. With the various Blessings in Season 12 providing Champion Duplicators, players can completely hold onto these units and unleash a “decisive blow” when upgrading one of them to 3 stars.
Some Notes When Building the Composition
Although Olaf is a melee champion, players should not place him in the front row of the composition. Instead, positioning him in the second row and letting opponents attack the tank champions will help Olaf deal damage much more safely. Additionally, the Augments that provide supportive items are very powerful with this composition. Having items like Zeke’s Herald, Chain Vest… will help Olaf deal damage significantly more effectively.