TFT Set 14 Guide: How to Play Marksman

Welcome to our trait guide, where we’ll be covering the Marksman trait in the new TFT Set 14: Cyber City. In this guide, we’ll explain how Marksman works, cover the different champions, and give a quick rundown of the other potential traits you could branch into.

Explore all of the new Set 14 traits here!

Marksman Trait Bonus

Champions: Kindred 1g / Jhin 2g / Jinx 3g / Aphelios 4g / Xayah 4g

Marksman gain Attack Damage. After 8 seconds of combat, they increase their bonus by 100%.

• (2) 18% AD
• (4) 45% AD

Marksman is a great trait for AD carries, giving them an extra Attack Damage boost immediately, and then doubling it in combat after eight seconds. By having a strong frontline that can keep your Marksman safe, you’re rewarded with extra damage to help carry you through the remainder of the fight.

Overall this is a solid and straightforward trait. Given the solid increase with just two pieces, it’s likely worth splashing the second piece to enable it.

Marksman Synergy

Here’s a rundown of the traits you can branch into from Marksman:

• Kindred – Nitro / Rapidfire
• Jhin – Exotech / Dynamo
• Jinx – Street Demon
• Aphelios – Golden Ox
• Xayah – Anima Squad

Of the five existing Marksman champions, there isn’t any additional overlap between traits. However, this is fine since you can generally only afford a certain amount of backline carries without jeopardizing your frontline. The good thing is that 2/5 are units with three traits, giving them more flexibility to aid your comp.

Kindred Nitro Rapidfire Marksman 1g

Kindred is a pretty standard AD carry. The Rev Up ability fires a wolf at the target, dealing physical damage. Additionally, if the ability kills the unit, any overkill damage then bounces to the closest enemy. That’s a nice extra feature to ensure no damage goes to waste.

Kindred also has three traits which is especially great for a 1-cost unit. Rapidfire works perfectly with Marksman, giving Kindred a free combination of AD and Attack Speed.

Jhin Exotech Marksman Dynamo 2g

Jhin takes great advantage of Marksman as his ability deals damage between four enemies (and Sunders them). There’s also the possibility of amplifying this further, as holding an Exotech item inherently grants extra Attack Speed, obviously pairing well with the added Attack Damage. As another Marksman with three traits, Jhin looks to be a great pickup that can enable a wide range of strategies.

Jinx Street Demon Marksman 3g

Jinx’s Rampant Vandalism ability fires a number of randomly aimed rockets towards enemies nearby her target. Every future cast also adds another rocket, giving her natural scaling if she can manage to survive long into combat. Marksman combined with a Signature hex from Street Demon can add a considerable boost in AD, giving Jinx great carry potential.

Aphelios Golden Ox Marksman 4g

Aphelios is another AD backliner that has a AoE-based ability. Moonlight Vigil blasts the largest group of enemies dealing physical damage based on Aphelios’ AD and AP, then equips Chakram depending on the amount of enemies hit. The initial blast requires a bit more of a hybrid setup (AD + AP), making Aphelios a bit more unique, although the added AD from Marksman is a great starting point.

Xayah Anima Squad Marksman 4g

Xayah’s Buffer Overflow ability works similarly to Kindred’s in that it can extend its damage beyond the initial target, if it dies. Feathers impale the enemy dealing physical damage, and then seek out nearby enemies after felling the initial foe. Each feather is a separate source of damage, giving extra value to the Attack Damage boost provided by Marksman.

Thanks for Reading! If you want to try and come up with your own team comps for Set 14, check out our Team Builder. For a complete overview of the new set, check out my blog on TFT Set 14.