Climb to the top ranks at the end of the season with the 4 carry 4 cost strategy

This guide highlights the advantage of early item synergy to maintain strength. For instance, Azir can utilize items like Guinsoo's Rageblade, Nashor's Tooth, or Ionic Spark from the Woodland path, while AP items are suitable for Silco such as Blue Buff, Gunblade, or Deathcap. Defensive items for Nasus and leftover items can be utilized for frontline tanks, optimizing itemization quickly without the risk of getting stuck as in other guides.

Recommended cores: Mercury's Treads, Experience Shard, Renewal Bead, Rod of Ages, Distant Friends, Enemy Awareness, Heart of Battle, Seed of Affliction...

Itemization and Progression Strategy

Given the ease of item combination in this guide, opting for Poro to maximize combat cores is ideal. Otherwise, simply utilize Twisted Fate to secure Pandora for early item synergy. Depending on the monster drops, prioritize assembling corresponding items (prioritizing offensive items first). Early game priority should be Blue Buff > Rageblade > Nashor's Tooth > Ionic Spark. In general, aim to assemble items after monster rounds, as you can almost use any item, so the earlier you assemble, the better, without necessarily waiting for the optimal items.

Depending on the items you combine, allocate them accordingly. For example, give Blue Buff to Cassiopeia or Malzahar, Rageblade to Samira... If possible, level up to 4 to secure a winning streak upon early item completion. Vital in this guide is sustaining health, so don't fret over maintaining a winning streak early on, as we'll need health in the mid-game.

Reach level 6 by round 3-2, prioritize combat cores from core 2 onwards. The strength of this guide lies in its mid-game prowess but lacks late-game power, so the more combat cores you have, the better. After assembling 2 offensive items, transition to 2 defensive items, then revert to completing offensive items for your carry. This way, you won't get stuck with items in your bench.

Accumulate gold and reach level 7 by 4-1, from here, start spending and seek important champions like Azir, Silco, and Nasus. Since this guide features many 4-cost champions, it's not necessary to find all of them at level 7; the key is to upgrade one of the two-star carries first, then upgrade the frontline with a two-star Taric + either Nasus or Shen. This juncture is crucial, as it's also when players start spending heavily to find champions. You need to quickly complete your core composition and maintain a winning streak until the end of round 4 to hit level 8 at the beginning of round 5.

Upon reaching level 8, your task is to roll for any remaining 4-cost champions that haven't reached two stars yet. Remember to check the Zaun transformation beforehand to see what it is. If it transforms into Chemical Overload or Unstable Hextech, give it to Silco; otherwise, replace Warwick with Nautilus. This guide allows for various champion substitutions; you can opt to remove 5-cost champions like Heimerdinger or Gangplank to slot in Soraka.

You'll have a strong mid-game presence, easily upgrading a two-star 4-cost champion ahead of others in the lobby. However, as the game progresses, you'll start to falter when people hit the 7 or 9-unit thresholds. At this point, you may consider leveling to 9 or rolling down at 8 to find a three-star 4-cost carry. This guide is great for climbing ranks because you'll have an easy early game to maintain health and a strong mid-game to secure a top finish.

Give this composition a try and climb to Grandmaster or higher in these final days of Set 9 in TFT.