SPatch 18.1
Defenders of the DoT 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.
RerollLevel 7 Slow RollDefender
How to Play
Defenders of the DoT slow rolls at level 7 for three-star Cassiopeia and Fiddlesticks behind a six-Defender wall, and is rated S tier across every major tracker checked. Prioritise Cassiopeia's items first since her poison scales the hardest.
Core Units
Cassiopeia
3-cost Carry
Fiddlesticks
3-cost Carry
Rammus
3-cost Frontline
Leona
1-cost Frontline
Ornn
1-cost Frontline
Soraka
4-cost Utility
Lillia
4-cost Utility
Shen
2-cost Frontline
Early Game
Leona, Ornn, and Shen are cheap Defender bodies worth holding from the opening rounds. Play a normal econ opening rather than rushing levels.
Mid Game
Hold at level 7 and slow roll for Cassiopeia, Fiddlesticks, and Rammus copies. Look for a Blighting Jewel, Dawncore, or Manazane artifact, and itemise Ornn since he farms a bonus artifact once he tanks enough damage.
Late Game and Final Board
A three-star Cassiopeia and Fiddlesticks behind six Defenders beats almost anything at equal levels. Rammus reaching three star matters less than the two carries, so prioritise your rolls accordingly.
Best Items
Cassiopeia wants Blue Buff, Archangel's Staff, and Hextech Gunblade. Fiddlesticks runs Spirit Visage, Ionic Spark, and Sunfire Cape. Rammus takes pure tank stats.
Best Augments
Building an Army and Latent Forge both suit the early game; Portable Forge and Heroic Grab Bag support the roll-down; Golden Ticket and Living Forge III close it out.
Positioning
Your six Defenders wall the front two rows. Keep Cassiopeia and Fiddlesticks in separate backline corners so a single flank can't threaten both.
Flex Units and Alternative Carries
Soraka and Lillia are flexible utility slots; Leona and Shen are interchangeable Defender bodies depending on what you find first.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The most consistently top-rated comp in the early Set 18 meta, with a genuinely tanky floor. Its weakness is the same as any reroll plan: committing at level 7 means being intentionally behind until your copies land.
Want to actually climb with this?
The free breakdown gets you started. The guide gets you to gold-plus.
This page covers the Defenders of the DoT 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