TFT Set 13 Guide: How to Play Dominator

The Dominator trait in TFT Set 13 brings a dynamic playstyle centered around building resilience and amplifying spell damage. These champions shine with a scaling mechanic that boosts their ability power (AP) as they cast spells, making them increasingly dangerous the longer a fight lasts. At the start of combat, Dominators gain a shield that scales with the number of active Dominator units, offering vital protection for up to 15 seconds. This shield not only enhances their survivability but also allows them the time needed to unleash their growing power.

What sets the Dominator trait apart is its unique interaction between defense and offense. With every spell cast, Dominators gain additional ability power proportional to their mana expenditure. This creates a rewarding strategy for players who enjoy stacking AP and watching their champions become increasingly destructive over time. Whether you’re looking to build around a primary AP carry or leverage their shields for frontline durability, Dominators are a flexible and impactful choice.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to effectively play the Dominator trait in TFT Set 13, including its synergies, champion strengths, and strategies to secure victory. Let’s dive in!

How TFT Dominator Works

Dominator Trait Bonus:

• Champions: Ziggs (2g), Blitzcrank (3g), Cassiopeia (3g), Dr. Mundo (4g), Silco (4g), Mordekaiser (5g)
• Trait Effect:
• (2): 250 Shield, 25% Ability Power (AP)
• (4): 500 Shield, 50% AP
• (6): 800 Shield, 75% AP

At the start of combat, Dominator units gain a shield that lasts for 15 seconds, providing much-needed durability in the opening stages of a fight. This shield’s strength increases with the number of Dominators on the board. Beyond survivability, the trait truly shines with its offensive scaling mechanic. Each time a Dominator casts a spell, they gain stacking Ability Power based on the amount of mana used, making their abilities more potent as the battle unfolds.

This trait is a balanced mix of offense and defense. While the shield helps mitigate early damage, the stacking AP ensures Dominators scale into devastating threats. The AP gain favors champions with high mana costs for larger bursts of power but also works well with frequent low-mana casts to steadily ramp up damage.

Dominator Synergy:

The Dominator trait is perfect for teams that thrive in prolonged fights. The early-game shield allows Dominator champions to withstand initial damage and stay active long enough to leverage their scaling AP. As Dominators cast more spells, their growing Ability Power ensures they deliver increasingly impactful bursts of magic damage.

The versatility of the trait comes from its ability to support both frontline and backline units. The shield helps tanky champions like Blitzcrank and Dr. Mundo absorb damage, while the AP scaling turns spellcasters like Mordekaiser and Cassiopeia into heavy hitters. This combination makes Dominators effective in various compositions, offering flexibility to adapt to different team strategies.

Overall, Dominator champions bring a powerful mix of survivability and explosive scaling, making this trait a solid choice for players who value both resilience and sustained damage potential. By capitalizing on the synergy between shields and growing AP, Dominators can become unstoppable forces capable of turning battles in their favor.

TFT Dominator Champions

Ziggs (2G) – Scrap + Dominator

Ziggs uses a straightforward yet impactful ability, launching a bomb that splits into smaller ones to deal AoE damage. To fully leverage the Dominator trait’s stacking AP mechanic, Ziggs benefits greatly from mana-generation items like Blue Buff or Spear of Shojin to maximize his frequent casts.
While Ziggs might primarily serve as an early-game item holder for stronger late-game carries, reroll compositions featuring him as the primary carry could also emerge, depending on his damage scaling and available synergies with traits like Scrap.

Blitzcrank (3G) – Automata + Dominator

Blitzcrank is a durable frontline unit with an interesting twist. His ability grants him a shield while reflecting a percentage of the absorbed damage back at enemies. This synergizes perfectly with the Dominator trait’s shield bonus, amplifying his utility in fights.
Additionally, his active shocks nearby enemies, dealing AoE magic damage. This makes Blitzcrank an excellent choice for scaling damage as he stacks Ability Power over the course of the fight, adding a strong offensive edge to his tanky role.

Cassiopeia (3G) – Black Rose + Dominator

Cassiopeia is a low-mana caster with consistent single-target damage, and every third cast unleashes her venom on multiple enemies. Her Dominator trait allows her to stack Ability Power rapidly, making items like Blue Buff or Spear of Shojin essential for maximizing her potential.
Pairing her with Black Rose units enhances her effectiveness by providing additional frontline presence and synergy for sustained battles. If you’re looking to focus on Cassiopeia as your main carry, investing in both her traits will give you a well-rounded composition.

Dr. Mundo (4G) – Experiment + Dominator

Dr. Mundo excels as a self-sustaining tank, healing himself significantly with his ability while dealing AoE magic damage. His healing scales with Ability Power, which synergizes perfectly with Dominator’s stacking AP bonus.
As fights progress, Mundo becomes increasingly difficult to take down, often turning into a raid boss-style champion. His Experiment trait provides even more durability, making him an essential part of any Dominator-focused composition.

Silco (4G) – Chem-Baron + Dominator

Silco brings powerful backline support and damage with his ability to summon monstrosities. These minions deal magic damage on attack, making him a potent AP carry. The Chem-Baron trait adds a high-risk, high-reward economic mechanic, making Silco a natural fit for players willing to take calculated risks in the mid to late game.
Silco’s Dominator trait ensures his damage scales effectively, cementing him as a reliable carry for teams focusing on Chem-Baron or Dominator synergies.

Mordekaiser (5G) – Conqueror + Dominator

Mordekaiser is the ultimate late-game powerhouse in the Dominator lineup. His ability pulls enemies in, deals massive AoE magic damage, grants omnivamp, and transforms him into an unstoppable AP/tank hybrid. As he slams his weapon into clusters of enemies, Mordekaiser can turn fights around single-handedly.
He’s an easy addition to any Dominator-focused composition, synergizing well with earlier units like Cassiopeia, Silco, and Ziggs. While he may be difficult to find, Mordekaiser’s impact is well worth the effort, making him a must-have for endgame dominance.

Best TFT Dominator Augments

Augments like Crest and Crown remain excellent choices for bolstering any Dominator-focused strategy, as they enable additional flexibility and enhance the trait’s overall power. However, there are several standout augments to keep an eye on that synergize exceptionally well with Dominator champions.
• Dominator Crest: Grants a Dominator Emblem, allowing you to expand the trait to other units. This is particularly useful for activating higher-tier bonuses without committing to all Dominator champions, giving you room to incorporate more diverse synergies.
• Dominator Crown: Provides a Dominator Emblem, an additional champion, and gold, offering both immediate and long-term advantages. The bonus champion can help stabilize your board during critical rounds.
• Mana Amplifiers: Augments that increase mana generation or reduce mana costs are ideal for Dominators, as they amplify their ability to stack AP quickly. Champions like Cassiopeia and Silco especially benefit from frequent spell casts.
• Shield Boosters: Augments that enhance shields, such as Second Wind or Celestial Blessing, further strengthen the Dominator trait’s survivability. These ensure that your frontline can absorb damage effectively while your carries stack AP.
• Damage Amplifiers: Look for augments that increase Ability Power or offer additional damage scaling, such as Jeweled Lotus for crits on abilities or Spellweaver’s Blessing for stacking AP bonuses. These can supercharge units like Mordekaiser and Cassiopeia for devastating late-game impact.

As the PBE unfolds and we experiment with various combinations, additional synergies and augment interactions will undoubtedly emerge. Stay tuned for updates as we refine the best augment choices for a dominant Dominator strategy!

Conclusion

The Dominator trait in TFT Set 13 offers a powerful balance of offense and defense, making it a versatile choice for strategic players. Its combination of shields for survivability and stacking ability power for escalating damage creates a unique gameplay dynamic that rewards both patience and precision. By leveraging Dominator champions like Cassiopeia, Silco, and Mordekaiser, you can build a team capable of withstanding early aggression and scaling into a formidable late-game force.

Whether you’re using Dominators as your core strategy or incorporating them into a broader team composition, the trait’s potential for durability and damage makes it an excellent choice. Experiment with item builds, explore complementary traits, and keep an eye on augment options to maximize your team’s performance. With the right setup, Dominators can turn prolonged battles into victories, overwhelming opponents with escalating power. Embrace the challenge, adapt to your matchups, and watch your Dominator team dominate the battlefield!