How to Play Arcanist Annie
A stage-by-stage plan for Arcanist Annie: opener, when to level and roll for Annie, and where to position the board.
- Tier
- F
- Top 4 rate
- 35.3%
- Avg place
- 5.44
- 1st place
- 0.0%
- Playstyle
- Fast 9
- Games
- 34
How to level and roll with Arcanist Annie
Fast 9Arcanist Annie is a Fast 9 comp: level on the standard curve and roll down at level 9 on stage 5-1 to find Annie. At level 9, each shop slot has a 15% chance to be a 5-cost.
| Stage | Level | Action | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-1 | 4 | Level | Level to 4 and play your strongest pairs; slam an early item if it saves HP. |
| 2-5 | 5 | Level | Level to 5 and keep building interest toward 50 gold. |
| 3-2 | 6 | Level | Level to 6 and save to 50 gold. |
| 3-5 | 7 | Level | Level to 7 while staying on interest. |
| 4-1 | 8 | Level | Level to 8 but roll only enough to stay healthy — the real roll is on 9. |
| 4-5 | 8 | Save gold | Rebuild gold toward 50 and keep your HP above 40. |
| 5-1 | 9 | Roll down | Level to 9 and roll down for your 5-costs and Annie 2-star. |
| 6-1 | 10 | Push level | With a stable board and spare gold, push to 10 for the last legendaries. |
Arcanist Annie early game and opener
We don't have enough early-board data for Arcanist Annie yet. Play your strongest pairs early and hold units that share traits with Annie.
Rolling odds for Arcanist Annie
Annie is easiest to find around level 9. Use the calculator to see your odds of a 2-star for the gold you have.
Rolldown calculator: Annie
Pre-set to this comp's roll level. Change copies owned, copies other players hold and your gold.
Loading the rolldown calculator…
Arcanist Annie positioning
A starting board for Arcanist Annie. Drag units to adjust it, switch to the anti-assassin layout when the lobby has divers, and copy the Team Planner code into the TFT client.
- Corner Annie on the back line and put Galio in front of it.
- Split Annie and Lux across the back line so a single area spell can't hit both.
- Galio, Shyvana, and Taric hold the front line — put the tankiest one opposite the enemy carry.
- Against assassins, step your carries up one row and leave Neeko and Taric in the back corners as bait.
Positioning board
Drag a unit onto another hex to move it — dropping on a unit swaps them.
When to play Arcanist Annie
Strengths
- Two damage threats (Annie and Lux) make itemizing flexible
- Rarely played, so its units are usually free
- Highest late-game ceiling once the 5-costs are 2-starred
Weaknesses
- Average place is worse than 97% of comps of the same board size
- Needs Annie and Lux at high cost, which can be hard to hit
- Weak until level 9 — you need HP to survive the econ phase
Strategic Tips
Economy
Stay on interest and save your big roll for level 9 at stage 5-1.
Itemization
Build Spear of Shojin, Adaptive Helm, and Void Staff on Annie.
When to pivot
Scout at 2-1 and 3-2: if two or more players hold your core units, or you haven't found any by 3-2, move into one of the comps on the Similar Comps tab instead of forcing Arcanist Annie.
Get the Winning Edge
Real-time overlays, automatic match tracking, and exclusive tools — everything you need to climb, free on your PC.
- In-game overlays
- Automatic match tracking
- Desktop-exclusive tools
Help us maintain accuracy! If you notice incorrect stats, missing data, or any issues, your feedback directly improves the quality of our data for the entire community.
How to play Arcanist Annie – FAQ (TFT Set 16)
How do you play Arcanist Annie?
Arcanist Annie is a Fast 9 comp: level on the standard curve and roll down at level 9 on stage 5-1 to find Annie. Corner Annie on the back line and put Galio in front of it. Build Spear of Shojin, Adaptive Helm, and Void Staff on Annie.
When should I roll down for Arcanist Annie?
Roll down at level 9 on stage 5-1. That is when Arcanist Annie finds Annie and its core most reliably; save gold before it.
What level do you roll for Annie?
Roll for Annie at level 9. At level 9, each shop slot has a 15% chance to be a 5-cost.
Is Arcanist Annie a reroll comp?
No. Arcanist Annie is a Fast 9 comp: level up and roll down at level 9 to find your 4- and 5-cost units at 2 stars.
How do you position Arcanist Annie?
Corner Annie on the back line and put Galio in front of it. Split Annie and Lux across the back line so a single area spell can't hit both. Galio, Shyvana, and Taric hold the front line — put the tankiest one opposite the enemy carry. Against assassins, step your carries up one row and leave Neeko and Taric in the back corners as bait.
What is the best opener for Arcanist Annie?
Arcanist Annie has no fixed opener: play your strongest early pairs, keep HP high and hold units that share traits with Annie.