Mage Comp Guide: From Beginner to High Rank

1. Final Build: Traits and Units

The Mage composition revolves around high magic damage and fast spell casting to clear the board. This set recommends a 6 Mage core with 2 Scholars and 2 Mystics. The final lineup is as follows:

• Main Carry: Malzahar (Prophet of the Void) - Equip Blue Buff, Morellonomicon, and Hextech Gunblade. His damage-over-time ability combines with the Mage trait's stacking ability power to deal massive damage.
• Main Tank: Tahm Kench (King of the River) - Wear Warmog's Armor, Dragon's Claw, and Bramble Vest. He absorbs damage in the front line and his ability provides shields and healing.
• Secondary Carry: Viktor (Machine Herald) - Equip Rabadon's Deathcap, Infinity Edge, and Hand of Justice. His AoE ability is perfect for cleaning up fights.
• Other Units: Swain (The Tactician), Twisted Fate (The Card Master), Lux (The Lady of Luminosity), Soraka (The Starchild), and Janna (The Storm's Fury) complete the 6 Mage, 2 Scholar, 2 Mystic composition.
• Flexible Swaps: If you find Azir (Emperor of the Sands), swap him in for Lux to add control and damage. If you need more beef in the front line, swap Soraka for Braum (Heart of the Freljord) to maintain sustain.

2. Core Items and Priorities

Main Carry – Malzahar: Prioritize Blue Buff (Tear + Chain Vest) for instant casting, Morellonomicon (Needlessly Large Rod + Belt) for grievous wounds and burn, and finally Hextech Gunblade (BF Sword + Rod) for sustain.

Main Tanker – Tahm Kench: Prioritize Warmog's Armor (Belt + Belt) for health, Dragon's Claw (Negatron Cloak + Negatron Cloak) for magic resistance, and Bramble Vest (Chain Vest + Chain Vest) to counter physical bursts.

Utility Items: Ionic Spark (Rod + Cloak) is a must-have. Give it to Swain or Tahm Kench to weaken enemies' magic resistance and boost your team's magic damage. If the enemy has high healing, Morellonomicon is sufficient for anti-heal.

Priority Order: Grab Tears and Rods first to secure Malzahar's core items, then Tahm Kench's defensive items, and finally Viktor's damage items.

3. Recommended Augments

Combat Augments: The best choices are "Spell Blade" (gain AP per cast), "Arcane Mastery" (bonus AP for Mages), and "Jeweled Lotus" (spells can critically strike). These directly improve your damage output.

Economy Augments: "Interest" (bonus interest) and "Tutorial" (bonus XP per round) help you level up faster and reach high-cost units.

Class Augments: "Mage Emblem" (grants Mage Emblem) lets you run 8 Mages for a power spike. "Scholar Emblem" (grants Scholar Emblem) increases mana regeneration, which suits multi-carry compositions.

4. Positioning Guide

The positioning layout is as follows (assuming a square board with enemies at the top).

• Front Line: Place Tahm Kench alone in the center of the first row. Place Swain and Braum (if used) on either side to spread incoming damage.
• Mid Line: Place Malzahar and Viktor on the second row's sides, away from assassin dive paths, while still benefiting from the Mage trait's ability power.
• Backline: Place Twisted Fate, Lux, Soraka, and Janna in the last row. Put Janna next to Malzahar to protect him.

Anti-Assassin Details: If the enemy has assassins, move Malzahar and Viktor to the corner and surround them with Janna and Soraka to form a protective ring. Alternatively, use Quicksilver on Malzahar to prevent crowd control.

5. Matchups and Adaptation

Mages counter squishy physical compositions (such as Snipers and Assassins) because magic damage ignores armor. However, they are countered by combinations of Mystic and high MR, such as the 4 Mystic Brawler setup.

Adaptation: If Malzahar doesn't appear, switch to a "Dark Mage" composition that relies on magic damage with Lux or Veigar as the main carry. If Tahm Kench doesn't appear, replace him with Shen (Eye of Twilight) or Sejuani (Northern Fury). The same items can be used.

Game Plan: In the early game, transition using 3 Mages alongside Brawlers. Save your gold to reach level 7, then choose your core units. If your health is healthy, push to level 8 and look for Viktor and Tahm Kench. If your economy is ruined, stick with 6 Mages and play for positioning.

Remember that the Mage composition relies on tempo and positioning. Keep an eye on your opponent's composition and adjust accordingly, and your rank will climb before you know it!