How to play Aphelios in TFT Set 8

The Weapon of the Faithful returns to the Convergence in Teamfight Tactics Set Eight Monsters Attack! as a legendary backline carry with an ability that can be modified by players to suit different situations.

Aphelios received new adjustments in Patch 13.1c and now he should do even better than Samira when with the best items in terms of damage output. The goal is to establish him as one of the best late-game AD carriers as he is a legendary unit.

As a five-cost unit, the most common thing is to put it into play with a fast eight strategy, that is, reach level eight quickly. An aggressive meta saw Riot buff its weapons, except for Binding Eclipse, which stuns enemies, as it was a staple in most situations. Both Duskwave and Onslaught can now do more damage overall.

Trait synergies for Aphelios in TFT Set Eight

The TFT Set Eight champion has three traits: Ox Force, Sureshot, and Arsenal. As usual for five-cost units, his Arsenal trait is unique and means that whenever Aphelios enters the field, an arsenal opens up for the player to choose one of his three ability forms.

The first option is Duskwave, in which Aphelios unleashes a wave of energy in a cone in his target’s direction, locking onto and dealing damage to all enemies hit. Binding Eclipse makes Aphelios cast forth a lunar spotlight toward the largest group of units, dealing damage and stunning all enemies hit. Finally, Onslaught causes Aphelios to sling chakrams and deal massive damage to nearby enemies.

Ox Force grants attack speed to all Ox Force units that increase with their missing percent health. All Ox Force units also become invulnerable for one second the first time they would die in combat. Each breakpoint increases the percentage of attack speed granted to Ox Force.

Sureshots receive bonus attack damage for the rest of combat every five seconds. Each breakpoint increases the percentage of attack damage granted to Sureshots.

Each of Aphelios’s synergies contributes to forming a powerful backline unit with the capabilities to carry the composition with the right items. But it will be necessary to build a good economy during the early phase of the game to get a legendary unit.

Aphelios weapons and how they work in TFT Set Eight

Aphelios is a legendary unit with a unique new mechanic in TFT Set Eight. His Arsenal trait allows him to be used in different roles between PvP battles.

Each of Aphelios’ three available weapons can help achieve victory more easily against different comps. To change weapons between battles, the player must take Aphelios to the bench and put him back on the field.

Duskwave is his area damage ability and is especially effective at hitting the enemy backline from the start of the battle. Binding Eclipse manages to cause a certain level of control. Still, the player should only want to use it at times when Aphelios is not the main carry or does not have items since it gives up the damage of other weapons in exchange for this crowd control. Onslaught is the weapon to deal burst damage against single targets. Concentrating the damage on a single target makes Onslaught the best weapon to deal with carry tanks since your targets will always be the closest ones. 

The items that best match your skill usage and your end-game carry potential are AD items. The best items for Aphelios are Guinsoo’s Rageblade, Last Whisper, Giant Slayer, and Infinity Edge.

Guinsoo’s Rageblade is the essential item for many backline units since it quickly builds up a large amount of attack speed. Giant Slayer is an item that helps tackle enemy frontlines with large amounts of health and increases the damage done by both the equipped unit’s attacks and its abilities. Infinity Edge grants a percentage of attack damage and allows skill damage to cause critical hits. It is especially effective when used with other items or Augments that grant critical chance. Last Whisper is an option to help overcome the opponent’s frontline, reducing the armor of enemies hit for a while.

Comps for Aphelios in TFT Set Eight

Most TFT comps that need to include five-cost units need a strong early game, ideally with a winning streak to maintain an economy capable of reaching level eight. Finding Hero Augments from Aphelios can also be an indicator to use a comp with him.

Starting with Gadgeteen is a good option. It is possible to use Alistar as the main tank and Lulu as the damage in the back. Undergrounds can also help maintain the economy when there isn’t a strong board before the first PvP round.

The mid game is when you’ll need to set your final comp. Other Sureshot units make a great backline to enable Aphelios’ damage while finding frontline units allows you to protect him long enough for him to deal a lot of damage.

Activating as many traits as possible instead of following a vertical comp is also a very viable option to use with Aphelios, as long as you don’t forget to include a robust frontline.

It is possible to transition to a legendaries comp toward the end of the game, where Aphelios is the main carry along with any other five units you can add to your board, with priority given to those you can make two stars.

Samira is a great option to equip with attack damage spares to become a secondary carry since she also has the trait Sureshot and Ace, which only triggers with one or four Ace units on the field. Ekko is a great frontline option regardless of the formed comp. Thanks to his ability that grants a shield and deal area damage, equipping him with Morellonomicon can help tackle opponents with a lot of heals.

Another unit that works really well with Aphelios is Janna. Since her effect requires your units to gather around her, it’s possible to keep Aphelios safe from enemies while dealing damage and receiving the weather buff.