TIANRUI "TERI" ZHANG
GAME SYSTEM | LEVEL DESIGNER
Solving the Meta - Breakdown TFT Patch 14.4
Patch 14.4 is a mid-sized patch that implemented changes to various units and traits, with the goal of balancing power and encouraging broader comp diversity. Rather than breaking down individual changes, this analysis will focus on evaluating existing compositions and new ones — identifying their current power based on online data and my gameplay experience.
My Patch 14.4 Tier Lists
Here is my tier list for Patch 14.4, featuring notable compositions and their relative positions in the current meta based on my perspective. This list does not include every possible comp, but focuses on those I will be breaking down in detail later.
OP Tier - Strongest in the Patch
A.M.P. Fast 9 or Reroll
A.M.P. can be played in two distinct styles: a slow reroll board around 3★ Yuumi and 3★ Naafiri for an early power spike, or as a Late Game Fast 9 board that caps out with a high-impact legendary, mainly 2★ Samira. Both variations are extremely powerful in patch 14.4. Below are my analysis on why it is in the OP tier, with statistical Support.
Easy Stabilization: Yuumi and Naafiri both show high top 4 rates even at 2★ and above (Highlighted in Red), making them excellent units for stabilizing in Stage 3 and 4. Their strength at 2★ allows you to slam items early and maintain decent board power, giving you the option to either commit to a 3★ reroll power spike or safely preserve HP while leveling to a Fast 9 board.
High Cap: Samira at 2★ is a incredibly powerful late game legendary carry, with a 2.72 average (Highlighted in Green). She is "the final piece of the puzzle" in A.M.P. comp, basically its win condition. However, her 50.8% top 4 rate also highlights a key tradeoff: as a 5-cost legendary unit, she’s not always guaranteed to hit. This means that players who don’t hit Samira 1 or 2★ may struggle to convert a stable mid-game into a top 4, especially being contested.
Great Flexibility: Flexibility is one of the biggest strengths of the A.M.P. line. Many of its units share similar itemization needs, which makes transitioning around Stage 4 much smoother and allows players to make items earlier. For example, Yuumi can hold items for Annie, while Samira can take over Naafiri’s items later in the game. This shared itemization reduces the chance of wasted components and gives players the freedom to pivot based on what they hit.
Dynamo Reroll or Fast 9
Just like the A.M.P. line, Dynamo can be played in two distinct styles: a slow reroll board around 3★ Elise and 3★ Braum for a power spike, or as a Late Game Fast 9 board that caps out with 2★ Samira pulling in 2* Legendary such as Zac. Here are my analysis on why it is "OP"
Easy Stabilization: Elise and Braum both show high avg placement while holding 3 items (Highlighted in Red Above), meaning they are perfect for stabilizing in stage 3 and 4. Their strength at 2★ allows you to slam items early and maintain decent board power, giving you the option to either commit to a 3★ reroll power spike or safely preserve HP while leveling to a Fast 9 board.
Flexible AP Items: One of the key strengths of the Dynamo comp is its flexibility with AP itemization. Since Dynamo trait has build in mana regeneration, Elise and Aurora can basically perform well with any AP Items. The Avg placement of them holding different items are extremely close (Highlighted in Green Below). This allow player to commit strong AP item early and then shift them onto Aurora 2★ for max cap. No requirement for BIS items allow player to pivot into this comp from a wide range of angles.
A Tier - Powerful, but not flawless
Rapidfire Renekton
Rapidfire Renekton revolves around hitting Rapidfire Emblem and Renekton 2★, turning him from a frontline bruiser to a ranged carry. It has one of the highest caps among all comps, but has a strict condition to be able to stabilize. Based on the Stats below, it shows a relatively Lower Top 4 Rate but much Higher Win Rate than the two OP tier compositions.
High Cap: Renekton 2★ with Rapidfire Emblem and 6 Rapidfire active is one of the best carry within the patch. Stats below showing that Renekton 2★ having a 2.77 top 4 rate (Highlighted in Green Below), which allowing it to take on any of the meta comps within this patch.
1st Or 8th: However, the comp heavily depends on having high economy, early upgraded units, and a Rapidfire Emblem. This makes it a situational comp rather than a consistent go-to it’s not something you can force every game. Often, you need to cash out from a lose streak opener like Cypher or get an early tempo Augment advantage to safely roll down and stabilize on level 9. Without these conditions, the comp risks collapsing in stage 4, especially if contested.
Bastion Morgana Reroll
Bastion Morgana Reroll is a new 1 cost reroll comp the emerged in the middle of the patch. The comp focusing on getting 3★ units early and win stage 3 and 4 to gain a health advantage among other players, then capping out with other legendary units. However, the downsides of this comp is that is has a relatively lower cap and being contested.
Consistent: According to stats, the comp holds a 57.5% Top 4 Rate with an Average Placement of 4.15, making it a strong and consistent option in the current patch. Since it's a 1-cost reroll comp, its bag size can support multiple players in the same lobby without being too heavily contested. Additionally, Morgana shares similar itemization with Elise, which creates a natural pivot path into Dynamo Elise boards in the mid-to-late game.
Contested Late Game: Even though this is a 1-cost reroll comp, core units like Morgana and Poppy are relatively easy to hit, making it consistent in Stage 3 and 4. However, the comp tends to cap out with legendary units like Renekton and Aurora, supported as stats as the key win condition (Highlighted in red below). The issue is that both Renekton and Aurora are heavily contested in other Fast 9 comps already mentioned above, making them much harder to hit, especially for reroll players who have already committed most of their gold early. This lack of access to end game units limits its tier to be S tier, rather than OP tier.
