How and when to level up in Teamfight Tactics

The leveling system in League of Legends’ new game mode Teamfight Tactics is different than its autobattler counterparts.

The higher your level, the more units you can put into the field of play. You’re granted two points of XP each round, no matter who you play against. That means you earn the same amount from both PVE and PVP rounds. You need a specific amount of XP to level, though. In the early stages of the game, you barely need any XP to level, but in the later portions of the match, you need a considerable amount. 

You reach level three before the real action starts. When you’re ready to face off against one of your foes, you should have three units available to use. You’d normally be spending your gold on forming your comp in this early stage of the game, or if you’re lucky, upgrading your units. But if you want to get the upper hand, you can choose to manually level. You can do this by spending four gold in exchange for four XP. To do this, you can either use the hotkey (F) or you can press the button to the bottom left of your bench.

Choosing when to level is an important part of TFT. If you level early, it could help you start a winning streak. But if you lose and you haven’t built the bank, you might fall behind. You have to decide what to prioritize. The less gold you have, you’ll have fewer opportunities to improve your force. It’s risky to level prematurely and waste your gold. You have to be intelligent about your spending. 

In the late game, you should have gold to spare. In this case, you can choose to either refresh (D) and actively look for a specific unit or an upgrade, or to level and increase your unit cap. The higher your level, the bigger your capacity for units, as well as the more synergies you can have at once.