TFT: How Xerath Will Change the Meta in Patch 10.8
By Josh Tyler
A new unit is set to hit TFT in Patch 10.8, so we look to see what impact Xerath will have on the meta.
Although we don’t fully know what changes Patch 10.8 will bring to the TFT landscape, we do know that it will be bringing the first new unit since Set 3 went live. Xerath will be added to the game as a Dark Star/Sorcerer. Here is why that is significant.
Xerath will be a 5-cost unit, meaning he will be one of the new late game carries. His ability, Abyssal Bombardment, summons meteors to fly down in place of his basic attacks for six seconds, dealing magic damage, and stunning surrounding allies if the meteor kills its target. With only 80 mana total (40 to start), Xerath will clearly want Seraph’s Embrace as a core item, but he will also oddly want attack speed so he can make use of that six-second window to fire off as many meteors as possible.
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Right now, Sorcerers have begun to take over the TFT meta, especially with the new multiple Seraph’s Embrace Vel’Koz build. Another Sorcerer being added to the meta (even though Tear items are rumored to be on the table for nerfs) only increases the power of that comp and Xerath would be a beneficial piece.
One other consideration is that Dark Stars already have one other Sorcerer in the Origin, with Lux having the same Dark Star/Sorcerer synergy that Xerath will have. This means that similar to Ahri, Zoe, and Syndra, this pairing will be able to get the Sorcerer bonus without going outside their main synergy. In other words, you can go a full Dark Star comp and still get the Sorcerer bonus without adding any extra units.
Given that Dark Star is also a trait that can be added via the Dark Star’s Heart (Spatula plus Sparring Gloves), this also has the possibility to make Sorcerers like Vel’Koz even more powerful, since they can more easily get the extra spell damage from the Dark Star trait. For instance, in Patch 10.7, if you ran Vel’Koz with full Dark Star, you would only get a 20% bonus from Sorcerers (Lux and Vel’Koz). In Patch 10.8, you will be able to run a full Dark Star comp (six champions including Vel’Koz, Lux, and Xerath) and also be able to go full Sorcerers (you can theoretically get to Level 9 and have the other three champions be Sorcerers) which is not possible in the current meta.
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I think, with the proper items, Xerath can be a primary carry in a Dark Star and/or Sorcerer comp, similar to Shaco or Jhin at the moment. And, given that you will have to wait for at least Level 6 before you can get him in the shop, you will have enough time to figure out if you have the correct items to maximize his potential. Even without the right items, the utility that he can get through his ult should make him at least an A-tier unit.