The Challenger trait in TFT Set 9.5, explained

One of the most popular Teamfight Tactics traits is sticking around in Set 9.5, focusing on attack speed above everything. The Challenger trait allows for specific units to not only attack quickly and whittle opponents down, but dash around and be hard to hit.

How the Challenger trait works in TFT Set 9.5

For longtime TFT players, this Challenger trait in Set 9.5 works the same as previous versions of the trait, just focusing on scaling attack speed on specific units. The units are much different, like any set, leading to some being much more powerful than others. Plus, with a new set and its different traits, the trait combinations will work much differently, even if Challenger remains the same.

To start, the Challenger trait has two key abilities. The first is the simple one: all Challengers gain bonus attack speed, with buffs scaling for how many Challengers units you have on your board.

Related: TFT 13.14 PBE patch notes: All early changes we know so far

On top of that, after a Challenger defeats an enemy, they dash to a new target and increase their attack speed bonus by 50 percent for 2.5 seconds.

The way the buffs scale start with two Challengers, giving all the trait’s units 30 percent extra attack speed. At four, that increases to 60 percent. For six Challengers, the units get 95 percent extra attack speed, and eight Challengers gives units an extra 140 percent.

All Challengers units in TFT Set 9.5

• Irelia (Ionia/Challenger)
• Samira (Noxus/Challenger)
• Warwick (Zaun/Juggernaut/Challenger)
• Naafiri (Darkin/Shurima/Challenger)
• Kai’Sa (Void/Challenger)
• Fiora (Demacia/Challenger)

With there being only six base Challenger units in TFT Set 9.5, getting the eight-Challenger buff will take some luck. Players will have to get either multiple Challengers Emblems or augments that offer an extra Challenger spot for your team.

Related: The Void trait in TFT Set 9, explained

Challenger has consistently been strong in every set it’s been in, mainly because of its flexibility. It can either be the focus of your composition, or it can help make carry units even stronger. The best examples of this are Kai’Sa and Fiora, both key units for their regional traits of Void and Demacia. Adding a Challenger unit into those comps makes them very strong, with faster attacks and dashes to avoid specific melee enemies.

Building an entire Challenger composition is also viable, if you can get strong early-game units like Irelia, Samira, and Warwick up to two-star, rolling for Kai’Sa and Fiora can lead to easy wins.