u/vvvit

This set has its fair share of issues, but in this post, I want to talk about the 1-cost reroll meta that seems to pop up regardless of the set. Specifically, the "tendency" where reroll comps are incredibly strong at the start of a set and fall off toward the end.

I’m just average player stuck at the bottom of Master, occasionally hitting GM when the meta happens to suit my playstyle, and I’ve always hated 1-cost reroll. Because of that, during this set and Set 15, my mindset at the start was basically, "This meta sucks, I’ll just wait for the game to stabilize before I start playing." But if you’ve been playing for a long time, you probably realize that this cycle has been repeating for years. There must be structural reasons why low-cost reroll is strong early and weak later. I've tried to organize my thoughts on why this happens.

First, the possibility that Riot intentionally balances the game for casual players.

Whenever Mort talks about TFT balance, he almost always mentions the difference in preferences between casual and elite players. This means Riot always has a vision for whether they want the balance to lean toward casual appeal or high-difficulty depth. It goes without saying that the player base is most casual at the start of a set and thins out toward the end. Therefore, it’s "highly" rational for a game company to skew the balance toward casuals during the launch period.

What do casuals like? Guinsoo’s, vertical comps, gamblin, and there are many things, but 1-cost reroll is definitely one of them. It’s easy to play and intuitive. Even an inexperienced player can win the game just by hitting 2-1. So, it's very likely (or at least logical) that Riot intentionally keeps low-cost reroll strong at the start.

Second, player proficiency.

As I mentioned, 1-cost reroll is easy. When you’re rolling at level 5 or 6, about four slots are filled with 1 or 2-cost units, and figuring out the best units for the remaining slots gets optimized very quickly. On the other hand, look at Level 8 comps centered around 4-costs. The number of available slots and unit variety increases significantly, making them much harder to optimize. Players simply can't pilot those comps correctly at first. Take the Yi comp as an example. During the first week, Yi was only seen in weird Riven comps, and nobody was calling him strong. Now, he’s top tier (outside of a few OPs). Did Riot buff him? Yes, but most important thing is that players just hadn't figured out how to use him. In almost every set, a unit nobody was using suddenly becomes meta. Even if low-cost and high-cost comps are technically balanced in power, low-cost reroll dominates the meta because players haven't mastered the alternatives yet. This happens at high ranks, too.

Third, the shared unit pool makes for a "swingy" meta.

Essentially, everyone pulls from the same pool. If someone is playing one 1-cost reroll comp, it thins out the 1-cost pool, making it much faster for someone else to hit an uncontested 1-cost reroll comp. If one 1-cost reroll is strong, the structure of the game naturally boosts the power of other reroll comps. Because of this, it's structurally difficult for 1-cost and 4-cost comps to stay perfectly balanced. This reinforces my first two points: it’s rare for low-cost reroll to be "just a little" strong. When it's strong, same low coosts tends to completely take over the meta.

Fourth, the direction of the game.

This is how I view 1-cost units.

https://preview.redd.it/41twqpoovk0h1.png?width=804&format=png&auto=webp&s=eef98242c1c6a49c0c4a1a7c53f6996d5927724d

But this is the fucking REALITY now.

https://preview.redd.it/tkgn3zmrwk0h1.png?width=793&format=png&auto=webp&s=cb5f7fdd0266a3f016c61e5dc99d52c9bfe737ee

https://preview.redd.it/0omhuznmwk0h1.png?width=790&format=png&auto=webp&s=c111bf5568cbc7b3f720f81fd01864c21c3103e7

https://preview.redd.it/zr9943jhwk0h1.png?width=787&format=png&auto=webp&s=3f51a743a60a43815539fb6acd47a4bf7017b499

In the past, they were clearly just early-game units meant to fill gaps. Nowadays, they are designed with scaling mechanics so they can stay relevant from early to late game. I used to have this fixed idea that "1-costs shouldn't beat high-cost units", but I think I just failed to update my mindset. 1-costs are now intended to be pieces that can win you the game. It’s not that the current meta is "bad," it's that the "game design" has changed so that low-cost comps are always meant to be part of the meta. If you still think "1-costs should be swapped out late game and aren't meant to carry," you're probably a "grandpa" in TFT

Thinking it through, regardless of whether this is healthy for the game, it seems like the dominance of low-cost reroll at the start of sets is here to stay. If I’m going to play, I guess I just have to deal with this "trash" meta. This might not be a "competitive" part, but since I see so many people here saying "It’s crazy that 1-costs are this strong" or something I’m posting this to check my own attitude. Low-cost reroll being strong at the start of a set is just part of the game. Unfortunately.

To be honest, I didn't understand what everyone here was so excited about. I was wondering if it was even worth the Mythic Essence... then, holy cow.

This is amazing. After Heartsteel and Snow Moon came out, I hadn't used Odyssey Kayn for a long time. That was because, despite having the best voice lines, the base colors and chromas weren't to my taste. But the Merc Chroma is different. It is absolutely perfect. For me, the Odyssey skin that had been dead for so long has been completely resurrected. I probably would have completely missed this opportunity if I hadn't been reminded by this sub.

Thank you. I can't find any other words to say. thank you

I mean, milio is not weak, but he doesn't feel head and shoulders above other enchanters anymore.

Despite that, his skill set forces him to play so passively during the laning phase that it feels pretty boring.

Do you remember? They took away his ridiculous teamfight strength and gave him a Q damage buff in exchange.