TFT Syndicate Build Beginner's Guide

The Syndicate offer a very powerful team synergy that works really well on high damage dealing units because of the innate bonus to omnivamp, as well as additional Armor & Magic Resistance that makes hyper-carries survive fights much better. Not getting an Akali isn't necessarily an instant lose, which means that you don't need luck in order to pull off a decent Syndicate Build that performs consistently. In this Teamfight Tactics Syndicate Build Guide we'll showcase the most popular beginner-friendly TFT Syndicate build and how to play it throughout the early, mid and late game, which are the best Hextech Augments for this build, as well as how to gear and position your units.

OTHER POPULAR BUILDS

Academy • Arcanist • Chemtech • Innovator • Scrap Enforcers • Challenger • Bruiser • Yordle • Imperial Colossus • Mutant • Clockwork Sniper

Syndicate Synergy Bonus

Syndicate allow certain allies to be cloaked in shadows, gaining 50 Armor, 50 Magic Resist and 20% Omnivamp (healing for a percentage of all damage dealt.)

3 → The Syndicate champion with the lowest percent Health
5 → All Syndicate champions
7 → Your whole team, and the effects are increased by 50%

Best Syndicate Build

• Darius
  • Darius swings his axe in a circle, dealing magic damage, then heals himself Health for each enemy hit.
• Zyra
  • Zyra summons vines in the row with the most enemies, dealing magic damage and stunning them.
• Shaco
  • Shaco dips into the shadows, briefly becoming untargetable. His next attack instead deals % of his Attack Damage plus bonus damage as physical damage, and is guaranteed to critically strike targets below 50% Health.
• Taric
  • Taric heals himself and the lowest % Health ally. Any overhealing is converted to a shield that lasts 4 seconds.
• Braum
  • Braum slams his vault door into the ground, creating a fissure towards his target. Enemies within 2 hexes of Braum and those struck by the fissure are stunned for a few seconds and take magic damage.
• Orianna
  • Orianna sends out her ball towards the largest group of champions, then commands it to release a shockwave. Allies within 2 hexes gain shield for 4 seconds, while enemies within the area are briefly knocked up and dealt magic damage. Enemies adjacent to the ball are drawn in and stunned.
• Akali
  • Akali dashes in a line through the most enemies, dealing magic damage and marking them for 7 seconds. When a marked target drops below Health threshold, Akali dashes again and executes them, dealing magic damage to enemies she passes through.
• Yuumi
  • At the start of combat, Yuumi attaches herself to the nearest ally, or the the lowest Health ally after being unattached for 2 seconds. Attaching to an ally grants them a shield equal to 60% of Yuumi's maximum Health.
  • During Yuumi's ultimate, she and her Book detach and then launch waves toward the farthest enemy, each dealing magic damage and stunning enemies for 1 seconds. She then attaches to the nearest ally.

Syndicate Team Comp Guide

Early Game

Syndicates have a decent early-game because of the fact that the core three Syndicates: Darius, Zyra and Twisted Fate are very easy to get. You'll always want to run this comp: Darius, Katarina, Zyra, Leona and Shaco. Though, in some cases you might not get Shaco early on and a good placeholder for him is as we mentioned previously, Twisted Fate. The main goal is to keep a healthy economy so that you can later on get to level eight and rush for a three star Shaco.

Mid Game

During the middle game you're going to have two options: replace Leona for Braum and add Taric/Orianna to the team or replace Leona for Twitch and add Ekko. The first option prepares the team comp for the late game transition, whilst the second one focuses on getting (4) Assassin bonus which may make your Shaco a bit more powerful in that stage of the game. The choice is all yours, and both are very viable options.

Late Game

Ideally, the late game core units of your team should consist of: Darius, Zyra, Shaco, Braum and Akali. Taric, Orianna and Yuumi are sugar on top as they add additional synergies such as Scholar, Enchanter and Socialite.
If the gods of TFT smile upon you and you get a +1 Syndicate Augment you will be able to get 7 Syndicates by replacing Orianna/Taric with Twisted Fate. A +2 Syndicate Augment would be even better, as in that case you wouldn't need to replace anything and still reap the benefits of (7) Syndicates.

Recommended Items & Hextech Augments

Shaco → Infinity Edge, The Bloodthirster and Rapid Firecannon.
Akali → Hextech Gunblade, Jeweled Gauntler, Rabadon's Deathcap/Infinity Edge.
Braum → Dragon's Claw, Bramble Vest and Warmog's Heart.

Hextech Augments which heal your units depending on their damage dealt by both spells and attacks is incredible. Any other Augments which increase unit stats or grant you +Syndicate or Assassin synergies will be great as well.

Unit Positioning

Braum, Taric and Darius are the main tanks of this build as they have high health, defenses and the Bodyguards themselves taunt the enemy's frontline units while Akali and Shaco— the main hyper carries rain hell on the enemy units. Lastly, Orianna and Zyra can be placed somewhere in the backline since they are very squishy and still deal decent damage.