TFT Xerath Overview
Patch 10.8 brings TFT Xerath into the champion pool which will be quite fun for players to test out.
Dark Stars have mostly been attack damage comps that ran carries like Shaco and Jhin (and sometimes Lux for AP damage).
With Xerath, Dark Star comps have the ability to branch into more magic damage or physical damage. Furthermore, a new chase synergy has become possible with 8 sorcerers.
Ability: Abyssal Bombardment
Xerath seems to have a similar style to Vel’Koz, where his ability lasts for a duration and deals magic damage. Instead of a beam, he hits enemies randomly and deals extra damage if his meteors kill.
This will punish teams like Rebels that like to group together but may have trouble against teams that are able to spread out. Also note that his ability replaces his auto-attack, so attack speed will also allow him to shoot more meteors.
An item like Guinsoo’s Rageblade can also be very strong as it will provide both Spell Power and Attack Speed.
Recommended Items
Since Xerath is still quite new and untested, we will be recommending general items to think about using. For a more updated look on recommended items, check out the team comps page or the recommended items page.
Core: Seraph’s Embrace, Guinsoo’s Rageblade, Quicksilver
- Mana Items: Seraph’s Embrace, any other Tear item
- Damage Items: Rabadon’s Deathcap, Jeweled Gauntlet
- Defensive Items: Quicksilver, Trap Claw
- Attack Speed Items: Guinsoo’s Rageblade
Ideally you want to have a mana item, a damage item, and a defensive item. Seraph’s is the best mana item without a doubt, but the offensive and defensive items can be quite flexible.
Rabadon’s and Jeweled Gauntlet both provide great damage. Quicksilver will protect your Xerath from CC while he casts his ability, while Trap Claw will be better for protecting him from ability damage burst.
Guardian Angel can also be used, but since his ability replaces his auto attacks he won’t (shouldn’t) cast his ability while reviving.
Since Xerath’s ability replaces his auto attack, investing into attack speed with either Rageblade or Chrono can result in more damage scaling than simply stacking AP items.
Recommended Comps | 6 Dark Star
Xerath will definitely do well as the 6th unit in a Dark Star team. You can choose to run 4 sorcerers, or 2 celestials, or even Shaco depending on the items and units you find, but he will definitely increase the late game potential and flexibility of 6 Dark Star comps.
Positioning:
Positioning won’t be tricky as he has a whopping 5 attack range. Simply put him on the backline (but not in the corners for Blitzcrank). If you see Infiltrators, you should try to move him to the side where they won’t jump. If you have a Quicksilver, you also don’t have to worry about Zephyr or Blitzcrank and could corner Xerath if you wanted to.
First Impression:
Xerath definitely has the potential to be a strong carry, but more experimentation and innovation will have to be made.
He doesn’t have the initial wow factor that makes him an instant top tier unit that slows down the meta, but he will surely find a place in the meta.
6 Dark Stars are being optimized slowly over time, so expect people to learn quickly and figure out how to utilize Xerath most effectively.
Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think of Leona in TFT in the comments below.
