TFT Set 12 Eldritch Vanguard Syndra Build: How to Play
Syndra sits at the top as the strongest 2-cost unit in TFT Set 12, and she’ll continue to dominate until the next patch rolls out. In the meantime, this Eldritch Incantor can quickly decimate frontline units while depending on their allied Old God to protect her. If you want to quickly climb the ranks within the first few weeks of the Magic n’ Mayhem, this guide will show you how to play the Eldritch Vanguard Syndra build.
Table of Contents
Eldritch Vanguard Syndra
This composition emphasizes using Syndra, Mordekaiser, and Galio as core units. These are 2=and 3-cost characters so you can farm them at levels 6 to 7. The build also relies on activating 4 Vanguards to form a solid frontline while having 3 Eldritch so that you can summon The Tainted Golem Old God as an additional unit.
The key to this comp is to give Syndra enough time to activate her passive, which spreads her ability to additional units once she casts it 15 and 30+ successive times. This makes her a strong DPS who can clear out the frontline quickly because her ability also shreds enemy Magic Resist. Getting her to 3-Star is essential to maximizing her total damage.
How to Play Eldritch Vanguard Syndra
You need to get Syndra to 3-Star Syndra early before the mid-rounds of Stage 4 quickly. You can typically do this if you aim for a 5-Win/Lose Streak. It should be noted that this composition is only viable if you aren’t contested or ahead of other players regarding units. Otherwise, you’ll have difficulty getting your core units if at least two others run Eldritch Vanguard.
Early Game Plan
If you’re locked in on this build, your first step is to form a stable comp as soon as you get Syndra. Examples of this would be Syndra, Ashe, Elise, and Jayce. If you get a Mordekaiser and a Nilah at level 5, you can field 5 Eldritch until level 6. Slamming items on Syndra can help if you are trying to maintain a winning streak. Don’t buy too many units and spend too much gold because you need to end Stage 2 with at least 40 gold.
By Stage 3, you should quickly reach level 6 and slowly roll above 50. This means you will only buy and refresh while you are above 50 gold and wait for the next round once you get your interest. The idea here is to maximize the profit you gain from having 50 gold, which automatically adds +5 gold to your interest.
Mid Game Plan
By level 6, you need your comp to have Galio, Mordekaiser, Syndra, Ashe, Elise/Nami, and Nilah, basically 2 Vanguard and 5 Eldritch. It would help if you hit 2-star units, especially Morde and Syndra. While rerolling for these characters, you must ensure you get the right items for them. Here is what you need for your team:
Core Item Units
Syndra
- Shojin + Nashor + Jeweled Gauntlet
- Shojin + Nashor + Red Buff
Mordekaiser
- Gargoyle Stoneplate + Dragon’s Claw + Warmog’s Armor
- Gargoyle Stoneplate + Redemption + Steadfast
It would help if you focused on getting items for these two first. Once you complete their sets, you can move on to your sub-tank and sub-DPS. Your second frontline is Galio, while your second carry is Nami. Here are your items for each:
Items for Sub Units
Nami
- Blue Buff + Statikk Shiv + Morellonomicon
- Rabaddon + Red Buff + Shojin
Galio
- Gargoyle Stoneplate + Sunfire + Steadfast
- Gargoyle Stoneplate + Redemption + Steadfast
We advise you to focus on the core units first. It’s unlikely that you’ll get completed items for Nami and Galio. Only itemize them if you get extra components that you don’t need anymore.
Generally, you only want to stay at level 6 until the early rounds of Stage 4. Stages 3 to 4 give you enough time to hit 3-Star Syndra and Galio. However, if you don’t hit your 3-Stars before the mid-game Carousel, you must move on to level 7. Reaching this level at the latter parts of Stage 4 is crucial because you need to increase your chances of landing a Nami and Karma or Tahm Kench.
Late Game Plan
Regardless of whether you get a 3-star Syndra, you must hit level 7 before Stage 5. You can replace the 5 Eldritch traits with 4 Vanguard to create a more vital frontline by this time. This is how it should look before and after:
Level 6
- Syndra, Mordekaiser, Galio, Nami, Ashe, and Nilah
Level 7
- Syndra, Mordekaiser, Nami, Galio, Rumble, Tahm Kench, and Vex/Karma
You want to have either Vex or Karma at 7 to have either 2 Incantor or 2 Mage active, which enhances the damage of one of your carries. You still want to slow roll above 50 as much as possible to maximize your chances. However, if you are low on HP, you should roll down to get a 3-Star Syndra.
If you can’t hit 3-Star Syndra, no matter what you do, you must transition and focus on making Nami your primary carry and Karma your sub-carry. At levels 7 and 8, you are more likely to find a Karma and Nami over a Syndra, so you should aim for those two instead. However, you only do this if you are sure that you don’t have enough resources and time to 3-star the Eldritch Incantor. At level 8, your comp should look like this:
Level 8
- Syndra
- Mordekaiser
- Nami
- Galio
- Karma
- Tahm Kench
- Rumble
- Vex
One alternative is to try activating 5 Eldritch, especially if you pull a Briar. If you get this unit, you want to go quickly to 9 to add one more Eldritch champion and replace Vex with Briar. By this stage, you will have 10 units on your field, which should be enough to win the game.
