Today, we would like to introduce one of the most powerful compositions in the current Teamfight Tactics' meta — Pirates and Gunslingers! This composition essentially relies on Blade of the Ruined King being equipped on one of your Gunslingers, granting them the Blademaster trait.
As with most compositions in the current meta, you will aim to craft specific items, such as the Cursed Blade.
Core Lineup
Once you have all six of these champions, you benefit from these bonuses:
• Gunslingers have a 50% chance to fire 2 additional attacks at enemies in range
• Randomly earn up 1–4 additional gold every turn (Avg of 1.6 Gold Per Chest)
Pros & Cons
- Gangplank and Graves are both Pirate and Gunslinger, meaning you can unlock both traits during the early rounds of the game — quickly benefiting from the bonus gold.
- By enabling your champions to hit multiple targets, the (4) Gunslinger bonus increases the efficiency of on-hit effects such as those given by Cursed Blade, Swordbreaker, Hush or Red Buff.
Who gets the BotRK?
If you combine a Spatula with a Recurve Bow, you will build a Blade of the Ruined King. This item will grant one of your champions the Blademaster trait, allowing you to unlock the (3) Blademaster bonus. This means one of your Gunslingers will have a 35% chance to make one additional attack. That's a pretty neat buff, especially considering that more attacks also means more procs of your items.
Considering this, your best choice to receive the BotRK is Tristana, because of her range and ability. Obviously, Lucian might also be a good choice, but he won't have as much impact on the game as Tristana.
Getting rid of Pirates
Pirates are especially strong in early and mid-game because they allow you either to build a strong economy or reroll to snowball — but they often fall behind during the late-game. If you have managed to acquire Tier 3 champions among your Pirates, you probably should keep your lineup as it is. However, you will reach a certain point in the game when the overall strength of your composition is more important than having more gold.
Gangplank cannot be replaced at all, as he plays a key role by being both Gunslinger and Blademaster. Pyke, on the other hand, does not really fit your composition. Obviously, if you manage to get your hands on an early Miss Fortune, it might be worth switching Pyke for her. The only downside to this strategy would be the number of items that Miss Fortune requires to actually be effective.
If you choose to get rid of Pirates, then you should aim for Blademasters such as Shen, Yasuo or Draven. Since Yasuo is quite hard to obtain, it might be a good idea to pick Fiora to unlock an early (6) Blademaster. She is quite weak in the current meta, but will do the trick until you get your Yasuo. Plus, if you're struggling to assemble the perfect lineup, keep in mind that both Fiora and Lucian are Nobles — meaning you can benefit from the trait just for a few rounds by adding another Noble such as Garen or Vayne.
Draven, Our Lord and Saviour
- Now that you have reached six champions, you need to start thinking about your next pieces.
- Since they're both Imperials, Draven and Swain will make a perfect duo as your seventh and eight pieces. Also, your Swain will synergize with Aatrox to grant you the (2) Demon buff.
- With BotrK, it's theoretically possible to reach the (6) Blademaster buff. You will, however, need to get to Level 9 — which is practically impossible in the current meta.
- If you sacrifice the (4) Gunslinger buff by getting rid of Graves and Tristana, you can unlock the (6) Blademaster buff. If you have managed to get a two-star Draven, and if you have enough items to build him properly, it might be more powerful to go for the top-tier Blademaster buff instead of Gunslinger.
Focusing on specific Items
It's literally impossible to give three combined items to all of your champions, because you just won't get enough basic items to do so. Most of the time, it's better to focus on your main carries. Both Gunslingers and Blademasters are strong with items that deal on-hit effects. In this specific composition, we strongly suggest you focus on Tristana, Lucian, Aatrox, and Draven.
Yordle / Gunslinger
• Blade of the Ruined King
• Red Buff
• Cursed Blade
Noble / Gunslinger
• Luden's Echo
• Cursed Blade
• Spear of Shojin
Demon / Blademaster
• Warmog's Armor
• Hextech Gunblade
• Guardian Angel
Imperial / Blademaster
• Rapid Firecannon
• Bloodthirster
• Phantom Dancer
Overall, if you feel lost about how to properly build items on Champions, check out our dedicated guide!
Aiming for first place, step by step
Early-Game
- The first advantage you should benefit from is the fact that Pirates/Gunslingers are Tier 1 and Tier 2 Champions — all except Gangplank, of course. It should be quick and easy to get your hands on enough copies to level them up to two stars.
- In the early-game, you have two possible strategies: pick any tank to protect your two early Gunslingers (Graves, Tristana, or Lucian) — or try to get (3) Pirate as soon as possible. Until you get your Gangplank, it might be a good idea to pick a Twisted Fate. Unless you manage to get your two-star Pirates early, we strongly suggest you choose the first strategy.
- Keep in mind that you can reach both (3) Pirate and (4) Gunslinger at Level 5.
Mid-Game
- Your main objective should be to get your three-star Tristana as soon as possible — she's your core damage dealer.
- Ideally, you want Aatrox to complete the (3) Blademaster trait. However, Shen might be a short-term solution if you can't find Aatrox.
- If you feel you're strong, keep your gold and build your economy. If you start to lose too much HP, don't hesitate to reroll early — especially if you're missing one or two pieces to get a three-star champion.
Late-Game
- Your composition is not made for late-game — you need to use strategies to close out the game as soon as possible.
- The Draven / Swain duo is the way to go, as these two champions will perfectly synergize with Aatrox and other Blademasters.
Positioning
- Most of the time, the best positioning consists of putting all your units in the corner, starting with ranged champions. Tristana should be well hidden behind your frontline (Aatrox, Gangplank, Graves). This will help you deal with Assassin compositions.
- Beware of Blitzcrank grabs — he will always target the champion situated on the tile opposite to his. Don't hesitate to switch Tristana with Lucian if you would rather see him grabbed.
All in all, this guide should help you build a strong lineup that is a buff to your win-rate in this meta rather than a nerf.
Feel free to let us know how this comp works for you!
There are a lot of different and powerful compositions in Teamfight Tactics. In this article, we focus on the Ninjas/Assassins composition — which is one the best current compositions of the game thanks to its monstrous burst damage.
