TFT Set 13 Guide: How to Play Ambusher

In Teamfight Tactics (TFT) Set 13, the Ambusher trait takes center stage for those who want to harness unparalleled critical strike power. Ambusher champions bring game-changing potential by enabling their abilities to critically strike, significantly ramping up their damage. As the trait scales, it enhances both Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike Damage, making Ambushers an unstoppable force when built effectively.

Whether you’re focusing on a select few Ambushers or going all-in for the complete trait bonuses, this comp excels at delivering devastating bursts of damage. If you’re looking to crush your opponents with precision and power, this guide will help you understand how to build, strategize, and dominate with the Ambusher trait in TFT Set 13. Let’s dive in!

How the Ambusher Trait Works in TFT Set 13

The Ambusher trait is all about amplifying critical strike power, making your champions incredibly potent damage dealers. With Ambusher active, champions gain the ability to have their abilities critically strike, significantly increasing their damage potential. While items like Infinity Edge or Jeweled Gauntlet aren’t required for ability critical hits, building items with Sparring Gloves will be crucial to maximizing your team’s output.

These items naturally increase Critical Strike Chance while offering additional utility. For instance, Hand of Justice provides bonus damage and omnivamp, Guardbreaker deals extra damage against shielded opponents, and Last Whisper shreds enemy armor. A well-thought-out item strategy is key to fully leveraging the Ambusher trait.

Ambusher Trait Bonuses:

• Champions: Powder (1g), Camille (2g), Smeech (3g), Ekko (4g), Jinx (5g)
• Trait Effects:
• (2): 20% Crit Chance, 10% Crit Damage Multiplier
• (3): 30% Crit Chance, 20% Crit Damage Multiplier
• (4): 40% Crit Chance, 30% Crit Damage Multiplier
• (5): 55% Crit Chance, 35% Crit Damage Multiplier + 15% bonus Durability

Ambusher Synergy:

Each Ambusher champion brings additional traits that open up flexible build paths:
• Powder – Family, Scrap
• Camille – Enforcer
• Smeech – Chem-Baron
• Ekko – Scrap
• Jinx – Rebel

Among these, Scrap has natural synergy through Powder and Ekko, making it an attractive addition to your build. Depending on your strategy, you can choose to play around 3 to 5 Ambushers or pivot to other traits like Chem-Baron, Rebel, or Enforcer for stronger mid- to late-game synergies. Players running Jinx or Smeech as carries can focus on complementary units to create a high-damage board while saving space for crucial utility champions.

TFT Ambusher Champions Breakdown

The Ambusher champions in TFT Set 13 bring a mix of critical strike potential and unique abilities, each adding value to the trait while offering flexibility in gameplay. Here’s an overview of each champion:

Powder (Family + Scrap + Ambusher – 1g)

Powder deploys a monkey bomb that targets a group of enemies, dealing magic damage and applying Wound/Burn. Wound’s utility becomes incredibly valuable in the late game, especially on a low-cost unit with multiple traits. Powder’s versatility makes her an early-game staple, but her Family trait may make her highly contested. If Family reroll comps are popular, securing her in the early game could be challenging.

Camille (Enforcer + Ambusher – 2g)

Camille’s ability is unique, as it deals damage based on the target’s weaker resistance, either AD or AP. This adaptability allows her to benefit from hybrid items like Hand of Justice or Guardbreaker. While Camille likely thrives as a frontline or midline utility unit, she has the potential to act as a reroll carry with the right itemization. However, players need to be careful not to spread their build too thin, ensuring they focus on her role in the team composition.

Smeech (Chem-Baron + Ambusher – 3g)

Smeech embodies an Assassin-like playstyle with his ability to leap between targets. If he secures a takedown, he leaps again and recasts, focusing on enemies with the fewest items. This makes him an ideal unit for isolating and executing vulnerable targets. The Chem-Baron trait synergizes well with Smeech’s carry potential, encouraging lose streaking early for better items. With proper itemization and positioning, Smeech can be a game-changing secondary carry.

Ekko (Firelight + Scrap + Ambusher – 4g)

Ekko offers consistent utility and frontline presence. His ability reduces the Magic Resist (MR) of multiple enemies, pairing well with Shred effects from other units or items. As a melee AP damage dealer, sustain items like Hextech Gunblade are essential to keep him alive as he absorbs damage and casts repeatedly. Ekko shines as a reliable late-game carry, providing both crowd control and burst damage while debuffing enemies for his team.

Jinx (Rebel + Ambusher – 5g)

Jinx is the ultimate late-game Ambusher carry, cycling through three powerful abilities:
• Zap: Stuns and damages enemies in a line.
• Flame Chompers: Deals AoE damage in a small area.
• Death Rocket: Targets the entire board with massive damage.

Her abilities scale primarily off AD but gain extra potency from AP, making her a great candidate for Ambusher’s critical strike bonuses. Properly itemized, Jinx becomes a devastating backline carry capable of shredding through even the toughest team compositions.

The Ambusher champions bring a dynamic mix of roles and strengths, from early-game powerhouses like Powder to late-game titans like Jinx. Understanding their abilities and item synergies will be key to mastering the Ambusher trait in TFT Set 13.

Best Augments for TFT Ambusher Trait

Augments like Crest and Crown are reliable choices, as they help solidify your Ambusher synergy by granting Emblems and additional items. However, there are standout Augments that truly enhance the Ambusher trait and allow for creative and impactful team compositions. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most notable ones to explore:

Ambusher Crest

This Augment provides an Ambusher Emblem, allowing you to flexibly add another champion to your team while maintaining the Ambusher synergy. It’s especially useful when you’re aiming to hit higher trait thresholds like (4) or (5) without relying entirely on Ambusher champions. This opens up strategic options for hybrid comps.

Ambusher Crown

With this Augment, you gain an Ambusher Emblem, a completed item, and an additional champion. The extra resources not only boost your immediate power but also help you transition smoothly into the mid-to-late game. It’s perfect for securing critical strike synergies and preparing for a dominating late-game finish.

Critical Precision

This Augment amplifies the Ambusher trait by increasing Critical Strike Chance and Damage for all your units. It synergizes perfectly with Ambushers’ ability to deal critical strikes with their abilities, making your carries even more lethal.

Explosive Strikes

Grants additional splash damage to critical hits. This is a game-changer for units like Jinx and Smeech, whose abilities already deal high amounts of damage. With this Augment, their critical hits can devastate clustered enemy teams.

Opportunist’s Gambit

This Augment gives Ambusher units bonus damage against isolated targets. It complements champions like Smeech, who excels at eliminating vulnerable backline units. This makes it an excellent choice for dealing with squishy carries in the enemy team.

Perfect Timing

Provides a temporary shield after critical strikes, ensuring your units can stay in the fight longer. It’s especially effective for melee units like Ekko, who benefit from survivability while dishing out burst damage.

As we test more combinations during the PBE phase, additional Augments may rise to prominence. For now, these Augments provide a strong foundation for optimizing your Ambusher strategy and dominating the battlefield.

TFT Ambusher Team Comps

As the set hasn’t yet launched on the PBE and we haven’t had the chance to playtest it, specific team compositions are still up in the air. However, we can already anticipate the potential strength of Ambusher-based builds. The synergy’s focus on critical strikes and flexible champions allows for creativity in constructing powerful boards.

Once the set is available for testing, we’ll revisit this article with refined strategies and optimal compositions. For now, it’s clear that Ambusher offers opportunities for both dedicated trait-focused teams and hybrid setups, making it a trait to watch closely as the meta develops. Stay tuned for updates!

Conclusion

The Ambusher trait in TFT Set 13 brings a thrilling new layer to team-building with its focus on critical strikes and high-damage potential. Its unique ability to allow champions’ abilities to critically strike, combined with scaling bonuses to Critical Strike Chance and Damage, makes it a versatile and powerful trait for both early and late-game strategies.

With champions like Jinx and Ekko delivering explosive backline and midline damage, and units like Smeech adding assassin-like agility, Ambusher teams can dominate with the right synergy and itemization. Whether you’re crafting a focused Ambusher lineup or blending it with other traits like Scrap or Chem-Baron, the possibilities are vast.

By leveraging key augments and carefully positioning your champions, you can unleash devastating critical hits and climb the ranks. Dive into Set 13 with confidence and experiment with the Ambusher trait to discover its true potential.