Teamfight Tactics (Set 18: Enchanted Wilds): Complete Guide

TFT fundamentals (economy, leveling, items, positioning) plus a full breakdown of Set 18, Enchanted Wilds: the Wisps mechanic, every trait, Solar/Lunar Eclipse, Riftbeasts, the 5-costs, and the comps performing on Patch 18.3.

Researched September 2026 — current as of Set 18 "Enchanted Wilds" (launched August 26, 2026), Patch 18.3 / 18.3b. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

Gold interest is your engine. You earn 1 bonus gold per 10 gold banked, up to 5 at 50 gold. Get to 50 and play around it.
Streaks pay. Win streaks and loss streaks both give bonus gold. Committing to one beats bouncing between them.
Level on the standard curve (see below) unless you're playing a reroll comp.
Slam items early. A completed item on board now is worth more than a "perfect" item later.
Play what the game gives you. Your augments, items, and early upgrades should decide your comp, not a comp you memorized.
Scout. Click opponents' boards to see what they're playing and avoid contesting the same units.
Wisps are free power. Set 18's Wisps appear in your shop every other round; learn which categories to buy (below).
Top 4 is a win. Ranked LP rewards top 4; bottom 4 costs you. Play consistent, not greedy.

Core Mechanics

Economy

Source	Notes
Base income	Fixed gold each round
Interest	+1 per 10 gold held, max +5 at 50
Streak bonus	Grows with longer win or loss streaks
PvP win	+1 gold

Rule: don't spend below an interest breakpoint (10/20/30/40/50) unless you're deliberately rolling or leveling for a power spike.

Leveling Curve (Standard)

A common default that works for most "fast 8" comps:

Stage 2: level 4 at 2-1, level 5 at 2-5.
Stage 3: level 6 at 3-2, level 7 around 4-1.
Stage 4: level 8 at 4-2 (or 4-5 if weak), roll to stabilize.
Stage 5: level 9 when you're healthy and rich enough.

Reroll comps instead stay at a low level (5, 6, or 7) and roll excess gold above 50 to 3-star 1- to 3-cost carries.

Items

Nine components combine into full items: B.F. Sword, Recurve Bow, Needlessly Large Rod, Tear of the Goddess, Chain Vest, Negatron Cloak, Giant's Belt, Sparring Gloves, and Frying Pan/Spatula (for Emblems).

Carry items go on one unit (the one your comp is built around).
Tank items on your frontline: armor and magic resist, or items like Warmog's Armor and Bramble Vest.
Use the in-game recommended items on each champion to learn quickly.

Positioning

Tanks in front, carries in the back corner.
Spread out against AoE-heavy comps.
Reposition against assassins (they jump to the back row) by moving your carry or placing a tank beside it.
Set 18 targeting rework: units no longer retarget after crowd control effects. Position so your carry isn't the first thing the enemy frontline reaches.

Set 18 Mechanic: Wisps

Wisps are one-time purchasable effects that appear in the rightmost shop slot on alternating planning phases (at most one per round).
There are over 150 Wisps split into seven categories, each with its own visual indicator: Champion, Combat, Misc, Shop, Gold/XP, Risky, Item.
The category is visible in the shop; the exact effect is revealed when you buy it.
After stage 5, every other Wisp is guaranteed to be Combat-focused.
Blossom is the trait that empowers Wisps (stronger effects and more than one per shop at higher breakpoints).

How to use them:

Early: Gold/XP and Item Wisps help tempo and economy.
Mid: Champion and Shop Wisps help you find upgrades.
Late: Combat Wisps win fights.
Risky Wisps are gambles; take them when you're healthy or already desperate, not when you're at 40 HP and stable.

Traits

Origins

Trait	Breakpoints	What it does
Blackthorn	2/4/6	The ally on the Blackthorn hex is sacrificed before combat, granting your champions Health
Blossom	3/5/7/9/11	Empowers Wisps after combat; champions gain AD, AP, and max Health
Coven	3/4/5/7	Gather Essence from kills and lost combats; cash it in for rewards
Elderwood	3/5/7/9/11	Gain placeable plants that grow stronger, culminating in forest effects
Fae	2/4	Earn Pixies by dealing damage, healing, or shielding; they grant AD/AP and healing when low
Flora Fatalis	1/2	Harvest enemies on takedown, gaining mana and healing nearby allies
Inferno	2/3/5/7	Burn and wound; at higher tiers shop slots ignite and roll higher-cost champions
Lunar	2/3/4/5	Lunars and adjacent allies gain attack speed and AP (doubled for Lunars)
Primal	2/4	Choose from four blessings; a second blessing at 4
Riftbeast	3/5/7/10	Alpha Mark grants a Riftbeast its unique buff; every 3 combats your next shop is overrun with Riftbeasts; higher tiers make Riftbeasts grow during combat; +2 team size at the top tier
Rival	1	Only your strongest Rival is active; takedowns give bonuses
Solar	3	Combined with 3 Lunar, activates Eclipse
Sprykin	3/5/7	Gain a Big Furry Friend (BFF); drop a Sprykin on it to pick a Rider

Classes

Trait	Breakpoints	What it does
Adaptor	2/3/4	Abilities change based on whether AD or AP is higher
Brawler	2/4/6	Team gains health; Brawlers gain much more
Defender	2/4/6	Team gains armor and MR; Defenders gain more
Executioner	2/3/4	Abilities can crit; enemies bleed for bonus true damage
Hunter	2/3/4/5	AD, plus damage amp when staying on the same target
Invoker	2/3/4/5	Mana regen for the team, more for Invokers
Juggernaut	2/4/6	Durability for the team and Juggernauts
Rapidfire	2/3/4/5	Team attack speed; Rapidfire units stack more per attack
Ravager	2/4/6	Omnivamp and bonus damage, doubled on enemies below 50% HP
Spellweaver	2/4/6	AP for the team; Spellweavers gain more when casting
Summoner	2/3	Empowers summons and plants
Vanguard	2/4/6	Shields at combat start and below 50% HP; durability while shielded at 6

Many 5-costs also carry unique one-unit traits (e.g. Draven's Bounty Seeker, Lux's Avatar, Ivern's Greenfather).

Eclipse (Solar + Lunar)

Field 3 Solar and 3 Lunar at the same time to activate Eclipse. Solar on its own gives your champions a small max-Health shield and bonus magic damage; with Eclipse active, after 10 seconds of combat the Eclipse kills the lowest-Health enemy, repeating every 3.5 seconds. That makes it a strong late-game line for boards that can survive the first 10 seconds — build a durable frontline around it.

Riftbeasts

The jungle-monster units:

Cost	Riftbeasts
1	Cinderling, Pebbles
2	Gromp, Murkwolf, Scuttlecrab
3	Krug, Mama Beak
4	Brambleback, Sentinel
5	The Elder Dragon (takes two slots)

At 10 Riftbeasts you get +2 team size — a rare, very strong capstone.

5-Cost Champions

Champion	Role in comps
Alune	Lunar/Spellweaver mage; moon-themed AoE
Ashe	Hunter/Blossom carry; damaging arrow trails and slows
Draven	Bounty Seeker; bleed-and-axe single-target carry
The Elder Dragon	Riftbeast; two-slot unit with AoE and invulnerable flight
Gnar	Sprykin/Elderwood/Brawler; transforms into Mega Gnar
Ivern	Greenfather; shields allies, grants attack speed
Kennen	Inferno/Executioner; rushes through burning enemies
Lux	Avatar; flexible-origin laser mage
Maokai	Juggernaut/Old Growth; spawns saplings, heals off max HP
Taric	Emerald Aspect/Vanguard; pairs with an ally for shields

Patch 18.3 Meta

What changed in 18.3 (September 22, 2026):

Many Blossom charms/Wisps were nerfed (for example, Blaze damage 1.5% to 1.25% max Health; Blood Money cost 1g to 2g).
The top breakpoints of Hunter, Defender, Invoker, and Inferno were nerfed, since emblems were pushing them too easily.
Coven earns more Essence per loss (18/25/32/60 to 22/28/35/60), better for loss-streak play.
Buffs to Karma (now a viable mid-game reroll carry), Gromp, and Murkwolf/Warwick, reviving "Wolf Bros" boards. Veigar was trimmed (AP per kill 3% to 2%).
Many combat augments buffed: Hold the Line (AD 9% to 11%), Jeweled Lotus (crit 10% to 15%), Spirit of Redemption (heal 7.5% to 9%).

Earlier Set 18 system changes (18.1): the Carousel returned with chances at higher-cost champions, the targeting rework (no retargeting after CC), missed loot from the 4-7 PvE round and later now carries over to following rounds, and several high-variance opening encounters (Loot Subscription, Artifact Anvil, Reroll Start) were removed in favor of more standardized ones.

Comps Performing on 18.3b

Tier lists shift with every b-patch; this snapshot is from TFT Academy on 18.3b (they rated no comp S tier this patch):

Comp	Carry	Style
Ashe Juggernauts	Ashe	Fast 8/9, Juggernaut frontline
Aphelios Nidalee	Aphelios, Nidalee	Dual carry
6 Juggernaut AP	Amumu	Full trait; Juggernaut Emblem helps (rising)
Soraka Flex	Malphite	Flexible; Executioner Emblem
Ahri Morgana	Ahri	Mage board
Lunarwood Kha'Zix	Kha'Zix	Lunar + Elderwood (falling after adjustments)
Azir Rammus	Azir	Reroll-leaning trait board

General read: most strong boards are fast 8 (level 8 and roll), with some reroll lines like Azir. Check a live stats site before ranked — these move quickly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forcing one comp every game regardless of augments and items.
Rolling below 50 gold in stage 2–3 without a clear reason.
Holding components on the bench. Slam them.
Ignoring Wisps or buying Risky Wisps when you're low and can't afford a bad outcome.
Contesting the same comp as two other players. Scout, then pivot.
Leaving your carry in the corner the enemy's assassins target. Scout their board every round late.
Overbuilding traits you can't finish instead of fielding upgraded units.

Advanced Tips

Tempo vs econ: if your board is strong early, spend to stay on a win streak; if weak, commit to a loss streak and bank gold. The middle ground loses both.
Pivot with items, not units. Your items and augments define what carries you can play; units are easy to replace.
Coven players: loss-streaking now pays more Essence in 18.3; it can be a deliberate plan.
Karma reroll is a newly viable mid-game option after her 18.3 buffs.
Eclipse rewards boards that survive the first 10 seconds of combat — pair 3 Solar + 3 Lunar with a sturdy frontline.
Riftbeast shops: with the trait active, every 3 combats your next shop is overrun with Riftbeasts — plan your rolldowns around those turns.
Watch the Carousel: higher-cost champions can show up; grab the one that fits your board.
Going to level 9 for extra 5-costs often beats rolling at 8 for a marginal 2-star upgrade once your core is stable.

FAQ

What is the current TFT set? Set 18, Enchanted Wilds, launched August 26, 2026. The current patch is 18.3 (September 22, 2026), with an 18.3b follow-up.

What are Wisps? Set 18's mechanic: one-time purchasable effects in the rightmost shop slot on alternating rounds, split into seven categories.

How do I activate Eclipse? Field 3 Solar and 3 Lunar champions at the same time.

Is the Carousel back? Yes, it returned in Set 18 and can offer higher-cost champions.

What's the best comp right now? On 18.3b, TFT Academy rated no comp S tier; Ashe Juggernauts, Aphelios Nidalee, 6 Juggernaut AP, Soraka Flex, Ahri Morgana, Lunarwood Kha'Zix, and Azir Rammus sat in A tier.

What's the Space Gods ranked reward? Players who reached Gold or higher in the previous set (Space Gods) in Ranked or Double Up receive the Victorious Lumie.

Fast 8 or reroll? Most of the current meta is fast 8. Reroll when you're holding early upgrades of a reroll carry and nobody else is contesting.