TFT Set 7: How to play Elise

Teamfight Tactics Patch 12.13 completely shook up the meta — one team composition that quickly rose to the top was the Elise carry. Elise has one of the most unique designs in TFT Set 7; she is a Whispers/Shapeshifter unit that resets when she kills with her ability, letting her jump into the sky and descend on unsuspecting prey.

Within the current TFT meta, Elise is an extremely flexible comp, as items, units and augments can all vary wildly. That being said, it’s hard to prepare one definitive guide for how to play Elise. Instead, here are some general concepts and recommendations players should keep in mind when running this comp.

Early Game

If you’re looking to play Elise, you will want to aim for either a Needlessly Large Rod or B.F. Sword as two good options on the opening carousel. As a 3-cost unit, it’s possible that you can stumble upon Elise during Stage 2. If you don’t find her early, no need to worry; there’s lots of other units that can hold her items in the meantime. In the sample early game comp above, Ezreal is carrying Elise’s items.

Keep an eye out for Shapeshifters like Nidalee and Gnar in the early game. You’ll often want to play the Jade 3 trait as well for some early power. When you find an Elise, you can begin transferring items over to her.

Mid Game

The mid game is where things get interesting for Elise comps; this is where you’ll have to make some decisions about your direction. Elise pairs well with three different Dragons: Shi Oh Yu, Sy’Fen and Shyvana. Your choice of Dragon will determine your direction for the late game — Shi Oh Yu is the least common, but a Jade 6 or Jade 9 Elise board can be incredibly potent with a Shi Oh Yu dual carry.

Sy’Fen is probably the most common; an Elise/Sy’Fen board is great for fitting Whispers 4 or Whispers 6 and Bruisers.

Finally, Shyvana is ideal for building Shapeshifters 6. This version of Elise typically has the highest cap, and can become stronger than the other variations if done correctly.

While you’re sorting out what to play around Elise, keep a lookout for units like Neeko and Sylas, which almost always pair well with her. Make sure to keep working on building her items as well; remember, she can use any number of items, but Archangel’s Staff, Bloodthirster and Guinsoo’s Rageblade is one of the best combinations.

Another great part of Elise is you don’t necessarily need to re-roll — it’s perfectly fine to use a 2-star Elise in the mid game to help you reach Level 8 and Level 9. If you do decide to re-roll, stay on Level 7 or Level 8 and keep an eye out for other strong 3-cost units you can easily 3-star like Sylas.

Late Game

If you’ve been following this guide, your late game Shyvana/Elise board might look something like this. Shapeshifters 6 can make your strong units like Elise, Neeko and Shyvana nearly invincible. Remember, you’ll need a second source of damage when you’re playing Elise, especially if you don’t 3-star her. T hat will often be your Dragon (whether it’s Shi Oh Yu, Shyvana or Sy’Fen).

Positioning will usually involve placing your units around the Jade statue if you have the Jade trait in (which is strongly advised). Make sure Neeko is front and centre for those big casts.

Once you have your three items on Elise, try to find three damage/tank items for the Dragon and tank items for Neeko. Try to upgrade your whole board on Level 8 before you go Level 9 unless you have a big health advantage. The trick to winning the lobby will be finding 2-star Legendary units or a 3-star Elise. Both should be able to give you enough power to take the first.

Augments

As with items and units, your best augments will vary depending on what version of Elise you go for; Jade emblem/heart if you play Shi Oh Yu, or Whispers emblem/heart if you play Sy’Fen. Some of the Shapeshifter augments are strong in all versions because you’ll always have at least two Shapeshifters on your board. Beast’s Den is one of the strongest augments in the game and is a fantastic choice for Elise comps. Shapeshifter Soul is also a great choice, and even gives you an Elise to work with.

Other generally strong augments like Celestial Blessing, Stand United and Tri Force are also great choices.