Oceania’s best Teamfight Tactics players are battling it out in the Mid-Set Invitational event in the Gizmos and Gadgets Oceanic Series for a chance to represent their region at the TFT Gizmos and Gadgets World Championship later this year.
The Mid-Set Invitational will take place over three days of sizzling hot competition, from Feb. 11 to Feb. 13. The tournament features 24 tacticians that have been battling it out week by week on the ranked ladder—including TSM’s Keane, a former LCS League of Legends pro turned TFT content creator, as well as several old-school TFT pros like Cho0nga and Fischball.
They will be competing for a prize pool of $4,500 AUD (roughly $3,200) and a chance at securing one of the eight slots that this tournament provides to directly qualify them into the Regional Finals this March.
Each day of play will see tacticians compete in six games, which will decide the eight players who will be cut before the next day’s play. The final eight players that qualify for the third and final day of MSI will earn direct invitations to the Regional Finals, but will also compete for the prizes and accolades that come along with such an important event. The point scoring system differs slightly from prior tournaments.
The points are awarded as follows:
- First: 8 points
- Second: 7 points
- Third: 6 points
- Fourth: 5 points
- Fifth: 4 points
- Sixth: 3 points
- Seventh: 2 points
- Eighth: 1 point
Day one, Feb. 11
The first day of the Mid-Set Invitational was marked by some fast-paced level nine gameplay, a strong focus on the idea of “playing the strongest board,” and a surprising lack of re-roll compositions.
The meta on the current patch is quite diverse. This allows players to flex their game knowledge in the mid-game by pivoting between many compositions and focusing on building a strong board of strong units, slamming items for early tempo, and pushing levels. This style of gameplay can be tough but demonstrates a strong knowledge of TFT fundamentals, so it’s a good meta for pro-play.
Strong boards included many number of Innovator cores, Jhin/Enchanter, as well as Assassins. Cho0nga and Claire were the standouts on day one, showcasing their knowledge of the meta by making early-game concessions like slamming early Shrouds and Chalices to build tempo and economy.
Eight players couldn’t keep up the pace and will not earn their spot at the Regional Finals through this tournament. The eight eliminated players are:
- Tamura77
- Fischball
- The OCE Special
- Sarayn
- Banter
- Admiration
- CosmicSloths
- Wok3n
Day two, Feb. 12
The best 16 players from the first day of play vied to stay afloat in the Mid-Set Invitational to help secure one of eight spots at the Regional Finals.
Today’s day of competition was ruled by one player, Donaldinho, who put together an impressive string of consistent performances, rarely being seen toward the bottom of the lobbies he played in.
Also making it through to the final day of the Mid-Set Invitational are Angora, Fortune Chosen, Dojo Mojo, Dawnglade, OCE Claire, Perfect Slumbers, and Cho0nga. Each of these players steered clear of consecutive bottom-four placements, which proved to be enough to eke out a spot on day three of the tournament.
Each of these players has also earned their way to the Regional Finals with this top-eight finish, making them the first eight of the 24 players that will compete for their chance to represent their region at Worlds later this year.
The other eight players fell out of the running and will not earn their spot at the Regional Finals through this tournament. The eight eliminated players are:
- TT1T
- Kahdei
- Blooey
- TSM FTX Keane
- Ardeor
- Teemos Dad
- Evolvent
- Skillfullism
Day three, Feb. 13
The final day of the Gizmos and Gadgets Mid-Set Invitational continued on this weekend’s fast-paced gameplay.
Players Angora and Donaldinho came up trumps, flexing their creative early-game knowledge to help them reach their board’s potential consistently across the six lobbies they played. In particular, Angora—a player who has been without a major victory until now despite his ranked ladder prowess— played today flawlessly.
Flexing between Jhin, Urgot, and Yone carry compositions depending on what they hit seemed to be a smart, consistent strategy in this tournament, especially for the better performing players. The three champions use a similar pool of items and can be easily pivoted to after a player understands which pick will best suit their early Augments and items.
All eight of the final competitors will take home a slice of the $4,500 AUD prize pool and an invitation to the Oceania TFT Gizmos and Gadgets Regional Finals.
The next open event in TFT Gizmos and Gadgets series will be the Scholar Cup, set to take place from Feb. 26 to 27, where the top four players from an open field of Oceanic talent will also solidify their spots at the all-important Regional Finals.
