I was fed up with Teamfight Tactics, but Set 15 proves the magic is still there

I've had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Teamfight Tactics in recent sets. As time's gone on, it feels like the game has progressively pandered to the casual, eschewing flexibility in favor of more rigid compositions. I don't have too much of an issue with this, provided the game experience remains fun and engaging. But Set 14, Cyber City, fell well short of the bar, leaving me burnt out and fed up. Fortunately, Set 15, K.O. Coliseum, is already soothing my mental wounds and reminding me just how good TFT can be.

Cyber City was a hot mess, plagued by uninspiring traits and major imbalances. In particular, it highlighted the longstanding issue with Teamfight Tactics' mana system. At first, stacking Rageblades on Vayne or Zeri was the fastest route to a top four finish, leading to a long-overdue redesign for the item. But this didn't fix the underlying issue, as, lo' and behold, Dynamos became the de facto LP escalator for large swathes of the set. Even when the concluding 'for fun' patch devolved into a misery-inducing race to find Urgot (more doom-and-gloombot than Boombot), you could bet a Miss Fortune player or two would be up there in the top four.

It also showcased the problem with vertical trait prismatics. Luck out and nab a couple of spats, or hit the nuts on Wandering Trainer, and all of a sudden you're insta-winning lobbies with ten Anima Squad or Street Demons. Sure, it's the nature of the beast, but for me it made the variance between high and low rolling far more pronounced, rewarding players in the strategy game for simply leveling and throwing in the next unit on a list without much forethought.

If there's one thing that can never be knocked about TFT, though, it's the willingness of its designers to iterate based on feedback. Coming into K.O. Coliseum, a lot of the major pain points have finally been addressed. Flat mana has given way to mana regen, a much healthier stat that quashes the rush to that first ability cast. Meanwhile, Prismatic traits are now activated after certain prerequisites have been met, making them feel like an earned reward for proper planning and better mid-game execution.

By extension, this makes Wandering Trainer a more interesting augment, as I'm now more inclined to play something a bit more off-piste with whatever I'm given. While Edgelord isn't the strongest trait on the patch by any means, I won out with a Volibear-focused board thanks to Edgelord and Luchador +1s giving me more wiggle room to cap higher. Naturally, there are outliers, but for the most part it's much better.

Speaking of Luchadors, the new set has absolutely nailed its thematics. I've thoroughly enjoyed Dragonlands' drakes, Magic N' Mayhem's Honeymancers (THE BEES), and doing my best Dominic Toretto cosplay with Into the Arcane's Family. But watching Braum hitting a frog splash from the top rope, spinning his target around like a Beyblade, and launching them out of the arena is absolute peak design. It gets even better when you lock in Mundo's hero augment, turning him into a chair-lobbing machine. Bah Gawd. Granted, the augment is a bit crap right now, but which TFT set hasn't had teething issues in the balance department early on? (We will not be talking about Set 12 Syndra.)

K.O. Coliseum also appeals to my basest, weebiest form. The Monster Trainer trait lets you choose between three champions that, for legal reasons, definitely aren't riffing on a certain Nintendo IP in the slightest. Then there's Mentor, which is the perfect trait for when the Fire Nation's attacking, and you're the one that needs to save the world. There are some lovely references to the likes of Dragon Ball and Solo Leveling nestled in there, too. The best augment of the set, though, isn't even anime-related (unless Riot's referring specifically to Sung Jin-woo). Aura Farming grants you a two-star five-cost unit equipped with an item. The kicker? You can't field it until stage 4-6, leaving it to mogmaxx your opponents. Silliness and tomfoolery is back on the menu.

Then there's the set mechanic, Power Ups. While these fruity lil Snax won't turn your body into rubber like a certain straw hat-wearing pirate, they grant a selection of optional powers for your chosen unit. Yes, it's another RNG element. Yes, some power ups are far better than others. But I love the tactical element and added complexity they bring. Is my board strong, but I need a little extra gold? I'm taking Midas Touch. Do I lack shred or anti-heal in a tanky lobby? Corrosive and Solar Breath are my best friends. If I've low-rolled on certain items, there's an opportunity here to save my spot, before potentially swapping into something more useful later on.

Although, yes, K.O. Coliseum is beholden to the same balancing qualms as any other set in its infancy, I'm enjoying everything it has to offer too much to care. The design team has put the reps into fixing some of TFT's longest-standing issues, which, when mixed with excellent thematics and a strategically varied new mechanic, has already earmarked it as one of my favorite sets yet. Just don't contest me on GP.

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