SPatch 18.1
AP 8-4 TFT Set 18 Ranked Comp
A tier S TFT Set 18 ranked comp for patch 18.1: how to build it, which items and augments to prioritise, and how to position it.
Fast 8Blackthorn
How to Play
AP 8-4 is a broad AP power-board rather than a single narrow trait comp, playing Malphite as a solo frontline tank behind two real AP carries in Soraka and Zyra. Push a standard Fast 8 curve and lean on whichever carry's items come first.
Core Units
Soraka
4-cost Carry
Zyra
4-cost Carry
Malphite
4-cost Frontline
Azir
3-cost Utility
Alune
5-cost Utility
Kennen
5-cost Utility
Fiddlesticks
3-cost Frontline
Amumu
4-cost Frontline
Maokai
5-cost Frontline
Early Game
Azir, Fiddlesticks, and Amumu are cheap early bodies that fit the final board. Play a normal econ opening and hold any Blackthorn pieces you find.
Mid Game
Push through level 8 and add Alune, Kennen, and Maokai as you find them. Malphite's Monolith trait gains resistances the more enemies target him, so he can tank alone longer than a typical frontline body.
Late Game and Final Board
Soraka and Zyra together cover burst and sustained AP damage, giving this comp real staying power in longer fights. Leftover AP items go on Kennen.
Best Items
Soraka wants Rabadon's Deathcap and Spear of Shojin; Zyra runs Spear of Shojin and Morellonomicon; Malphite takes pure tank stats plus Crownguard.
Best Augments
Branching Out and Feeling Lucky suit the early game; Exclusive Customization II and Epic Rolldown support the mid game; Golden Gamble and Buried Treasures III close it out.
Positioning
Malphite holds the front alone; his Monolith scaling means he doesn't need as much frontline support as other comps. Fiddlesticks, Amumu, and Maokai fill in around him.
Flex Units and Alternative Carries
Kennen and Azir are the flexible utility slots; leftover AP items should go to Kennen specifically.
Strengths and Weaknesses
A genuinely tanky solo-frontline plan with two real AP carries behind it. It's flagged Hard to execute since Malphite's solo-tank plan is less forgiving than a wider frontline if he gets focused down early.
Want to actually climb with this?
The free breakdown gets you started. The guide gets you to gold-plus.
This page covers the AP 8-4 fundamentals. The full e-guide covers every transition, contested-lobby adjustment, and augment line piloting decision that separates a 4th from a 1st: the stuff that doesn't fit in a free writeup.
See what's in the guide