Lunar Aphelios & Nidalee – TFT 18.5 Comp Guide

How to play

Fast 8 Keep a healthy economy, reach level 8 early in stage 4 and roll there for your 4-cost carries.

Levelling

42-1
52-5
63-2
74-1
84-2Roll down

Play it when

You open with strong attack-damage units, especially Rapidfire.
You have plenty of items or an item augment – this comp needs a lot of them.
You can win streak, or you loss streak while holding AD components.

Game plan

Stage 2

Open with a strong attack-damage board around Rapidfire units and slam items aggressively to win streak. If you have no upgrades and nothing to slam, loss streak while holding AD components.

Stage 3

This comp needs a lot of items, so take an item augment if you don't have one yet. In the mid game you can lean on Elderwood units, or play Mama Beak as a temporary carry if you have Riftbeasts.

Stage 4

Level 8 at 4-2 and roll heavily for Aphelios and the 4-costs. Use Amumu or Sentinel as the main tank, whichever reaches 2 stars first. Above 50 gold, keep cheaper final units on the bench if you're not fielding them yet.

Stage 5

Go to level 9 only once almost all your 4-costs are 2-star. Alune is a good addition at 9, and extra AP items give you a reason to itemize her.

Why it works

Aphelios swipes his target 5 times over 2 seconds and then fires a blast split among all enemies in a 2-hex radius, so he deals with both single targets and groups; Guinsoo's Rageblade is his first item on every version. Nidalee's third javelin goes for the furthest enemy with the fewest items, which lets her pick off backline units. Kog'Maw brings Caustic, which Shreds and Sunders enemies by 30% for 4 seconds – free armor and magic resist reduction without dedicated items. Lunar (Diana, Aphelios) gives Lunar champions and their neighbors attack speed and Ability Power, Primal (Vi, Nidalee) lets you pick a blessing, and Inferno with Varus adds anti-heal.

When to pivot

This board is often contested, so don't force a single tank – take Amumu or Sentinel, whichever upgrades first. If Aphelios copies dry up, there are other Aphelios versions with Elderwood, Vanguard or Solar, but they are situational – the Elderwood and Vanguard versions need an emblem.