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The Assassin trait contains champions that are usually good at bursting down single high-value targets. Assassins usually have some ability to get close to their target very fast, this is represented by the innate every assassin has in Teamfight Tactics, which turns them invisible and jump to the furthest enemy on the board.

Notes[]

  • Assassins' spells gain the ability to critically strike only if there are 2 or more Assassins on the board.

The Assassin trait contains champions that are usually good at bursting down single high-value targets. Assassins usually have some ability to get close to their target very fast, this is represented by the innate every assassin has in Teamfight Tactics, which turns them invisible and jump to the furthest enemy on the board.

Strategy[]

  • Assassins are best at taking down squishy backline champions.
  • Because of the Assassins innate ability to become invisible at the start of rounds, it is very unlikely an enemy will target them, giving the assassin time to build up mana and deal damage unhindered.
  • It's really important to have at least one unit that is not an Assassin on an Assassin team, ideally as far away from the enemy team as possible. This will force the enemy team to move within range of the only unit they can target, and allows all allied Assassins to sneak behind and enter the newly formed vacant spaces.
  • Glacials Glacials have a lot of area of effect special abilities, since Assassins scatter at the start of every round, they have a natural advantage against these champions.

Items[]

  • Most Assassins have melee range, Rapid Firecannon Rapid Firecannon can help avoid a situation where some assassins stand around because they can't get in range of a target.
  • If an assassin can target an enemy unit when the round starts, they won't leap at the start of the round.
  • With the upgraded critical chance and critical damage, stacking items related to getting critical hits is more beneficial for assassins than most other traits. Infinity Edge Infinity Edge and Jeweled Gauntlet Jeweled Gauntlet are particularly good.
  • Locket of the Iron Solari Locket of the Iron Solari and Zeke's Herald Zeke's Herald can be used with Assassins without worrying about the inferior positioning these items force.
  • Although a bit counter-intuitive, Frozen Heart Frozen Heart will effect all units the Assassin jumps over at the start of match. This will also happen if a champion with a jump as their special ability jumps.
  • Assassins, due to their frail defenses and high damage, fight their rounds very quickly, they either destroy their enemies fast, or get destroyed fast. Trap Claw Trap Claw is a useful defensive item for Assassins, as it allows them precious seconds added to their life, and gives them a non-responsive target to wail on. The one-time activation effect doesn't matter much to them, as the rounds are usually too quick for it to matter.

Counters[]

TFT Assassin Countering

The best team position to counter Assassins. The tank in the lower right is important, as they will draw Assassins to them.

  • Assassins don't have many area of effect abilities, clumping allied champions in a corner will prevent the assassins from getting to the squishy backline. Be careful, allied units can move forward simultaneously giving open spaces behind the backline that the assassins can jump to.
  • Placing an unimportant tanky champion in the furthest spot away from the Assassins will cause the assassins to attack that champion instead of a more valuable unit, see image to the right.
  • Phantom Dancer Phantom Dancer will allow champions to Dodge icon dodge the critical hits that Assassins naturally land.
  • Placing a high DPS champion in a spot where they can't attack the enemy frontline but can attack the Assassins after they jump, will allow the champion to focus on taking them out first.

The Assassin trait contains champions that are usually good at bursting down single high-value targets. Assassins usually have some ability to get close to their target very fast, this is represented by the innate every assassin has in Teamfight Tactics, which turns them invisible and jump to the furthest enemy on the board.

Strategy[]

  • Assassins are best at taking down squishy backline champions.
  • Because of the Assassins innate ability to become invisible at the start of rounds, it is very unlikely an enemy will target them, giving the assassin time to build up mana and deal damage unhindered.
  • It's really important to have at least one unit that is not an Assassin on an Assassin team, ideally as far away from the enemy team as possible. This will force the enemy team to move within range of the only unit they can target, and allows all allied Assassins to sneak behind and enter the newly formed vacant spaces.
  • Glacials Glacials have a lot of area of effect special abilities, since Assassins scatter at the start of every round, they have a natural advantage against these champions.

Items[]

  • Most Assassins have melee range, Rapid Firecannon Rapid Firecannon can help avoid a situation where some assassins stand around because they can't get in range of a target.
  • If an assassin can target an enemy unit when the round starts, they won't leap at the start of the round.
  • With the upgraded critical chance and critical damage, stacking items related to getting critical hits is more beneficial for assassins than most other traits. Infinity Edge Infinity Edge and Jeweled Gauntlet Jeweled Gauntlet are particularly good.
  • Locket of the Iron Solari Locket of the Iron Solari and Zeke's Herald Zeke's Herald can be used with Assassins without worrying about the inferior positioning these items force.
  • Although a bit counter-intuitive, Frozen Heart Frozen Heart will effect all units the Assassin jumps over at the start of match. This will also happen if a champion with a jump as their special ability jumps.
  • Assassins, due to their frail defenses and high damage, fight their rounds very quickly, they either destroy their enemies fast, or get destroyed fast. Trap Claw Trap Claw is a useful defensive item for Assassins, as it allows them precious seconds added to their life, and gives them a non-responsive target to wail on. The one-time activation effect doesn't matter much to them, as the rounds are usually too quick for it to matter.

Counters[]

TFT Assassin Countering

The best team position to counter Assassins. The tank in the lower right is important, as they will draw Assassins to them.

  • Assassins don't have many area of effect abilities, clumping allied champions in a corner will prevent the assassins from getting to the squishy backline. Be careful, allied units can move forward simultaneously giving open spaces behind the backline that the assassins can jump to.
  • Placing an unimportant tanky champion in the furthest spot away from the Assassins will cause the assassins to attack that champion instead of a more valuable unit, see image to the right.
  • Phantom Dancer Phantom Dancer will allow champions to Dodge icon dodge the critical hits that Assassins naturally land.
  • Placing a high DPS champion in a spot where they can't attack the enemy frontline but can attack the Assassins after they jump, will allow the champion to focus on taking them out first.

General Notes[]

  • The jump has a delay of 0.395 seconds.

Trivia[]

  • If both teams have only Assassins, all assassins will turn invisible and stand still at the start of the round.

Patch History[]

V12.9
  • Bonus critical strike chance increased to 10 / 30 / 60% (based on the number of Assassins) from 10 / 30 / 50%.
  • Bonus critical strike damage changed to 20 / 40 / 70% (based on the number of Assassins) from 20 / 40 / 60%.
V12.4 - Returning
V11.22 - Returning
  • Innate: Before combat starts, Assassins leap to the enemy backline.
  • Synergy: Assassins' spells can Critical strike icon critically strike and they gain Champions killed with Noxian Guillotine (R)bonus critical strike damage and Time champions spent slowed by Miasma (W)bonus critical strike chance.
    • 2 Assassins: +10% crit chance and +20% crit damage
    • 4 Assassins: +30% crit chance and +40% crit damage
    • 6 Assassins: +50% crit chance and +60% crit damage
  • Champions: Akali Akali, Ekko Ekko, Katarina Katarina, Shaco Shaco, Talon Talon, Twitch Twitch.
  • Item: Assassin Emblem Assassin Emblem.
V11.18 - September 15th Hotfix
  • Bonus critical strike damage changed to 30 / 40 / 50% (based on the number of Assassins) from 30 / 50 / 70%.
V11.15 - Returning
  • Bonus critical strike chance increased to 20 / 40 / 75% (based on the number of Assassins) from 10 / 30 / 50%.
  • Bonus critical strike damage changed to 30 / 50 / 70% (based on the number of Assassins) from 25 / 55 / 90%.
  • Bug Fix: Now properly jump slightly before other units move.
  • New Assassin: Pyke Pyke.
  • Removed Assassins: Katarina Katarina, LeBlanc LeBlanc.
V11.13
  • Bug Fix: Fixed a bug where getting 8 Assassins would turn off the bonuses.
V11.10
  • Bug Fix: Ability critical strikes will continue to work even if the caster dies.
V11.9 - Returning
  • Assassins now consistently jump first before other champions move at the start of combat.
  • Innate: Before combat starts, Assassins leap to the enemy backline.
  • Synergy: Assassins' spells can Critical strike icon critically strike and they gain Champions killed with Noxian Guillotine (R)bonus critical strike damage and Time champions spent slowed by Miasma (W)bonus critical strike chance.
    • 2 Assassins: +10% crit chance and +25% crit damage
    • 4 Assassins: +30% crit chance and +55% crit damage
    • 6 Assassins: +50% crit chance and +90% crit damage
  • Champions: Diana Diana, Katarina Katarina, Kha'Zix Kha'Zix, LeBlanc LeBlanc, Nocturne Nocturne, Viego Viego.
  • Item: Assassin Emblem Assassin Emblem.
V11.4
  • Bonus critical strike damage reduced to 25 / 55 / 90% (based on the number of Assassins) from 25 / 60 / 100%.
  • Bonus critical strike chance reduced to 10 / 30 / 50% (based on the number of Assassins) from 10 / 30 / 55%.
V11.2 - Returning
  • Bonus critical strike damage changed to 25 / 60 / 100% (based on the number of Assassins) from 30 / 60 / 90%.
  • Bonus critical strike chance increased to 10 / 30 / 55% (based on the number of Assassins) from 10 / 25 / 45%.
V10.20
  • Bug Fix: Jeweled Gauntlet Jeweled Gauntlet and Assassin no longer roll the chance to spell crit multiple times for each source. E.g. Equipping 2 Jeweled Gauntlets Jeweled Gauntlets was increasing the chance to spell crit to ~88% instead of the intended 65%.
V10.19 - Returning
  • New Innate: Before combat starts, Assassins leap to the enemy backline.
  • New Synergy: Assassins' spells can Critical strike icon critically strike and they gain Champions killed with Noxian Guillotine (R)bonus critical strike damage and Time champions spent slowed by Miasma (W)bonus critical strike chance.
    • 2 Assassins: +10% crit chance and +30% crit damage
    • 4 Assassins: +25% crit chance and +60% crit damage
    • 6 Assassins: +40% crit chance and +90% crit damage
  • Champions: Akali Akali, Diana Diana, Katarina Katarina, Pyke Pyke, Talon Talon.
  • Item: Youmuu's Ghostblade Youmuu's Ghostblade.
V10.6 - Disabled
  • Disabled due to Set 3.
V10.3
  • Bonus critical strike damage changed to 70 / 210% (based on the number of Assassins) from 65 / 225%.
V10.2
  • Bonus critical strike damage increased to 65 / 225% (based on the number of Assassins) from 50 / 150%.
V9.24b
  • Bonus critical strike damage changed to 50 / 150% (based on the number of Assassins) from 75 / 150%.
V9.22 - Returning
  • Bonus critical strike damage changed to 75 / 150% (based on the number of Assassins) from 75 / 150 / 225%.
  • Bonus critical strike chance changed to 10 / 20% (based on the number of Assassins) from 5 / 20 / 30%.
  • Champions: Diana Diana, Kha'Zix Kha'Zix, LeBlanc LeBlanc, Nocturne Nocturne, Qiyana Qiyana, Zed Zed.
  • Item: Youmuu's Ghostblade Youmuu's Ghostblade.
V9.20
  • Bonus critical strike chance reduced to 5 / 20 / 30% (based on the number of Assassins) from 10 / 20 / 30%.
V9.19
  • Bonus critical strike chance changed to 10 / 20 / 30% (based on the number of Assassins) from 10 / 25 / 40%.
  • New Assassin: Kai'Sa Kai'Sa.
V9.18
  • Bonus critical strike damage changed to 75 / 150 / 225% (based on the number of Assassins) from 75 / 150%.
  • Bonus critical strike chance changed to 10 / 25 / 40% (based on the number of Assassins) from 10 / 25%.
  • Jump delay increased to 0.395 seconds from 0.325.
V9.17
  • New Effect:
    • Assassins gain 10 / 25% (based on the number of Assassins) Time champions spent slowed by Miasma (W)bonus critical strike chance and 75 / 150% (based on the number of Assassins) Champions killed with Noxian Guillotine (R)bonus critical strike damage.
  • Old Effect:
    • Assassins gain 125 / 350% (based on the number of Assassins) Champions killed with Noxian Guillotine (R)bonus critical strike damage.
V9.15
  • New Effect: Assassins now jump earlier and their jumps are quicker.
  • New Effect: Non-assassin champion movement is now slowed for the start of combat.
  • New Effect: Assassins can now be targeted sooner.
  • Bug Fix: Ionic Spark Ionic Spark now works against Assassins as intended.
V9.14b
  • Bonus critical strike damage reduced to 125 / 350% (based on the number of Assassins) from 150 / 350%.
  • Critical strike damage is now additive, instead of multiplicative
V9.13 - Added
  • Innate: At the start of combat, Assassins stealth and become invulnerable for a short duration and leap to the farthest enemy.
  • Synergy: Assassins gain 150 / 350% (based on the number of Assassins) Champions killed with Noxian Guillotine (R)bonus critical strike damage (multiplicative).
  • Champions: Akali Akali, Evelynn Evelynn, Katarina Katarina, Kha'Zix Kha'Zix, Pyke Pyke, Rengar Rengar, Zed Zed.
  • Item: Youmuu's Ghostblade Youmuu's Ghostblade.
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