Riot Games‘ Teamfight Tactics (TFT) is an exciting and addictive auto-battle game mode originally introduced in League of Legends (LoL). Recruit your favorite Champions and outsmart your challengers by outplaying them in unit positioning, gear compositions, and so much more.
In TFT Set 9, a few new in-game mechanics and units have been released to spice things up, with the most prominent one being the gargantuan Baron Nashor as a summonable monster! Here are some things to keep in mind if you find yourself going up against an opponent’s Baron in the game.
Runeterra Reforged
Photo: Riot Games
For TFT Set 9, “Runeterra Reforged” is the official name given, and justifiably so. This time around, potential summoners will need to vote on their preferred region to play by opting for a specific Region Portal spawned at the beginning of a match.
Each region has its distinct gameplay rules and mechanics, diversifying the overall challenge and experience for you to play against others. Although they don’t necessarily affect your general champion picks, they do factor into your preparations for defeating a particular foe: the Baron Nashor (potentially summoned by opponents)!
Epic Monster, Baron Nashor
Photo: Riot Games
This hulking beast is already a feared mention for active LoL players, and TFT’s version is similarly dangerous. It’s got tons of HP, deals incredible area-of-effect (AOE) damage, and has long-range attacks too.
Still, it takes a lot of patience, luck, and meticulous planning to summon this horrific creature onto the battlefield, notably catering to Void-based party compositions only. Baron Nashor requires eight Void-type champions to be on the field, which isn’t simple considering there are only seven Void heroes for you to recruit (meaning certain items, like Void emblems, need to be utilized).
Although difficult, it’s not impossible, and you’ll eventually run into players who focus their tactics entirely on summoning Baron in Set 9. Fortunately, there are a few ways for you to maximize your chances of defeating it.
Destroying Baron Nashor
Photo: Riot Games
While Baron Nashor is menacing by itself, it isn’t invincible. As such, try to consider these things when you jump back into TFT for another round:
Stick to a particular team setup
TFT can sometimes be a topsy-turvy game of luck and misfortune. You might get good champion rolls in one round, only to get some bad picks for the next one, forcing a reroll using gold.
Regardless, it’s always best for you to stick to a preferred team lineup from now on, particularly with a view of potentially running into a Baron Nashor soon enough (usually around stage 3 and above). So, your later party should always consist of:
- 2-4 indomitable tanks (Bastions/ Juggernauts/ Bruisers) for armor or health boost.
- 2-4 deadly finishers (Deadeyes/ Gunners/ Slayers) for raw damage bonuses.
Apart from that, you still have room to add different champions into the mix (Rogues, Sorcerers, etc.). Just remember to always upgrade each champion to three stars if possible!
Spread unit positions
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Ideally, you’d want to spread your champions’ positions a bit wider from each other from now on. It’s a risky manuever, though, because this singles out your more fragile heroes to harm, but that’s the risk-reward trade-off when you’re expecting an opponent to call upon a Baron during a particular battle.
Nobody knows for sure how your opponent is going to determine their unit positionings, compositions, and items, but by peaking at everyone’s boards once in a while, especially those that are expected to fight you next (indicated by a small two-sword icon underneath their images), you can gauge things out better beforehand.
Damage and health augments
Occasionally, augments will pop up after you clear a few rounds, regardless of whether you win or lose them. While some help improve your odds of acquiring better gear or receiving more gold per round, damage and health augments are what’ll help you against the Baron.
“Unified Resistance” or “Tons of Stats” are just two augment examples that benefit you against the Baron. Scout your enemies’ boards regularly to get an idea of who’s building up for it.
Planning (Legend picks)
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Not every enemy will opt for a Baron Nashor summon in TFT. After all, there are many other strategies to try out, each with its pros and cons.
That being said, early preparation is always a crucial component to winning consistently in TFT. To do that, you should take the time to select certain Legends that’ll guarantee at least one of their augments for you to pick before rounds in-game.
You can do so by clicking the small Poro icon located at the right side of your TFT loadout image while finding a match. Legends, such as Master Yi, give bonuses to offensive stats, making them extremely valuable to choose from.
Conclusion
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TFT Set 9 explores new ways for you to experience the game under fresh perspectives and challenges. The inclusion of Baron Nashor is an enjoyable one but can be quite infuriating to go up against if you’re not ready for it.
Do you have other things to share about beating Baron Nashor? Tell us about it in the comment section below!
