As Teamfight Tactics‘ lifespan increases, traits and their reprints come and go. But one thing that hasn’t gone away in Set Eight: Monsters Attack! is splashable, flexible frontline and defensive traits.
One such trait in the game’s newest set is Defender, an Armor-centric choice to tech in against physical damage-heavy opponents. Defenders have an innate component, meaning a part of its trait that is active regardless of if the trait itself it active: Defenders taunt nearby enemies at the start of combat.
Defenders give their team bonus Armor, and the Defenders themselves gain even more. There is no craftable Defender emblem.
The Armor given at the trait’s breakpoints are:
- Two: +30 Armor, 60 for Defenders
- Four: +80 Armor, 150 for Defenders
- Six: +200 Armor, 250 for Defenders
Related: TFT Set 8 Cheat Sheet: All traits and stats
The Defender units in Set Eight are:
- Poppy: one-cost Gadgeteen
- Wukong: one-cost Mecha: PRIME
- Rell: two-cost Star Guardian
- Riven: three-cost Anima Squad Brawler
- Sett: four-cost Mecha: PRIME
Like many of these types of defensive compositions, the goal is generally two or four early on, and to only swing for six if it falls into your lap or the lobby demands it. Either way, especially in endgame compositions, two Defender (likely Riven and Sett) is an easy and powerful splash trait that benefits all of your units.
Additionally, the taunting mechanic is back, meaning that it’ll reward clever positioning.
For instance, against units with backline access—which admittedly isn’t that many given Assassins’ absence from this set—placing a Defender near your high-priority units could mean the difference between a won and lost round.
