The best TFT Set 6.5 comps as of patch 12.8: Top meta builds

TFT Set 6 is finally here. There’s plenty of Gizmos & Gadgets to try and wrap your head around, so finding what’s meta is hard. Fear not, we’ve got a list of the best TFT Set 6.5 comps and top meta builds — as of patch 12.8 — you should try.

TFT Set 6.5 has finally arrived, with the Neon Nights Mid-Set update building on the successes of Gizmos & Gadgets. There’s a returning cast of champions, traits, and Augments to play around — but also plenty of new ones.

This means there’s been a drastic meta shift. While the same principle of playing around your Augments and items remain, there are some comps that are more flexible and better in most situations.

These comps listed below are the most flexible and don’t rely on good Augment rolls every game, which means you can freely flex between them to get a top 4, or win.

Without further ado, here’s the best TFT Set 6.5 comps, as of patch 12.8.

Best TFT Set 6.5 comps in patch 12.8

Renata Bruisers

Renata Bruisers is back into the meta and it’s one of the most reliable comps in TFT patch 12.8. Buffs to her attack speed slow made her utility better, and if you do luck out on a three-star there’s some bonus damage there.

The Bruiser frontline has also come back to the fray as a good defensive option. While Bodyguards was king when the meta was all Strikers, a bit more diversity in damage types (as seen below) means Bruisers can thrive.

Early game you can hold Renata items on any AP carry, but as long as you have Morellonomicon and Hextech Gunblade it’s good. A second scholar like Syndra early into Silco late gives her the much-needed mana generation to keep the waves ticking.

Any spare defensive items can go on your frontline, with Tahm Kench getting bonus AP items (don’t forget to feed him too) and Vi or Sejuani getting more of the pure defensive options. Plus, if you get a Chemtech or Enforcer Emblem, you can activate some more traits.

Sivir-Irelia Strikers

It was the comp that dominated the Gizmos & Gadgets World Championship, and it’s still strong following the nerfs in TFT patch 12.8. Sivir-Irelia Strikers is a double-threat board that is very easy to play around, with front-to-back fighting its specialty.

Early game you play around any AD units you hit, slamming key items like Last Whisper to save some HP. Then, once you hit level 7, you start looking for the Hextech-Striker carry, as well as a strong flexible frontline to support her.

• Read More: Riot continues Arcane’s storyline with Jinx & Vi in Set 6.5

Getting Scrap in helps with shielding, and that’s where Irelia as a secondary carry comes in. You can throw miscellaneous items on her and she’ll do the job. If you can get 4 Striker 4 Scrap 2 Bodyguard in, that’s a very basic board that’ll do the job in most cases.

If the Socialite hex is particularly favorable, look at playing Gnar plus another Socialite like Seraphine or even Galio as the 2 Socialite buff can be very nice for mana generation on Sivir.

Dark Star Mutant

Mutant has gone through a number of variants in Set 6. Cho’Gath eating everyone alive with Elderwood and Cybernetic, Malzahar spamming Malefic Visions with Synaptic Web — the choices have been endless.

However, there’s a new strategy in town revolving around Voracious Appetite (Dark Star) and Zz’Rot Portals. The premise is you slam a bunch of Zz’Rot’s on your frontline, and when they die, it gives you free stacks for Dark Star.

Combine this with a Kai’Sa, Kha’Zix, or Malzahar carry depending on items, and you can do a ton of damage with the bonus AD and AP. It’s even better if you find Phony Frontline as an Augment, as the two target dummies count towards the Dark Star count. Innovators are a good flex too.

It’s super flexible if you have the Voracious Appetite Mutant trait in your lobby, but that’s the ultimate prerequisite. If it’s not the choice in that lobby, play something else.

Ashe Reroll

Ashe is back. Thanks to buffs to her unit individually as well as changes to Syndicate, the popular two-cost reroll comp is viable once again following TFT patch 12.8.

It follows a very similar build to the Ashe comp that was popularized at the start of the set. You rely heavily on Morgana and Braum as a frontline, with Ashe and Jhin doing a lot of the DPS in the backline.

• Read More: How Riot will finally add Rammus, TFT’s white whale, in a future set

You have to slow roll at Level 6 to get the three-star Ashe or the composition is not worth pursuing. Build a board around Ashe, Zyra, Darius, Syndra, Caitlyn, and Morgana early to save HP, and then pivot towards Silco, Jhin, and Orianna late game.

If you get a Syndicate Emblem you can opt to push for 7 Syndicate, but that relies on a lot of factors like hitting Ashe 3 early. It’s often best to just settle for the Level 8 board and roll down there for your upgrades, but if you have the juice the Level 9 cap is immense.