TFT Set 18 Inferno Guide: Burn, Ignited Shops and Best Inferno Comps

@tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@ is the Set 18 trait that sets enemies on fire. Every hit from an Inferno champion Burns and Wounds, and from 3 Inferno on, your shop gets slots that roll a tier higher than they should.

Most players never build the whole trait. They play 2 Inferno for the Wound, and that's how the best boards in the set use it. This guide covers what each breakpoint does, the six Inferno champions, the emblem, the @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_InfernoTraitAugment@ augment, and the comps that run Inferno.

Quick answer. At 2 Inferno, damage from your Inferno champions Burns enemies for 1% of their max Health per second and Wounds them by 33%. At 3, one shop slot rolls a champion one tier higher after each combat, and at 5 and 7 more slots ignite and the Burn rises to 3% and 4%. Most top boards stop at 2 with @tft=set18:unit:DA_Amumu18@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Kennen@. Amumu's passive keeps enemies Burning, which makes his Stun last longer and gives Kennen more Ability Power. Riftbeast Inferno Draven is the trait's best comp, and Solar Rapidfire Reroll runs 3 Inferno.

How does Inferno work in TFT?

Damage from an @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@ champion Burns and Wounds enemies for 3 seconds. Burn deals a percent of the target's max Health as true damage every second, and Wound cuts the healing they receive. The Inferno Burn stacks with Burns from other sources, such as @tft=set18:item:DA_RedBuff@ or @tft=set18:item:DA_Morellonomicon@.

Here's what each breakpoint gives you.

On a frontliner with 3,000 Health, a 1% Burn deals 30 true damage a second. At 5 Inferno that's 90 a second, and at 7 it's 120. The Burn only lasts 3 seconds, so it needs your Inferno champions hitting the same target over and over to stay up.

The 2 breakpoint is the one that matters. It's the same 1% Burn and 33% Wound that Red Buff, Morellonomicon and @tft=set18:item:DA_SunfireCape@ give, but it doesn't use an item slot. Against healing comps, two Inferno champions do the job of an anti-heal item.

What does an ignited shop slot do?

From 3 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@, after each combat one of your shop slots that doesn't hold an Inferno champion ignites. That slot rolls a champion one tier higher than it normally would, so a 1-cost slot can show you a 2-cost. At 5 Inferno two slots ignite, and at 7 four of them do.

This helps a fast leveling board find higher cost champions earlier. It does less for a reroll board, which is usually looking for 1 and 2-costs.

Who are the Inferno champions?

Set 18 has six @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@ champions. @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Lux_Inferno@ is a 5-cost @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_LuxUniqueTrait@ who counts as 2 Inferno, so a full set gives you 7.

Amumu is the most important Inferno champion. His passive deals magic damage to every enemy next to him each second, so as an Inferno champion he Burns everything around him all fight. That turns on his own longer Stun, and it means enemies are already Burning when Kennen casts. That's why Amumu and Kennen show up together on so many boards.

Akali has an AD and an AP form. Both are Inferno, and both deal bonus damage to Burning enemies.

Inferno Emblem: who should hold it?

The @tft=set18:item:DA_18_EmblemInferno@ is crafted from @tft=set18:item:DA_Component_RecurveBow@ and @tft=set18:item:DA_Component_Spatula@. It gives the holder the @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@ trait, so every hit they land Burns and Wounds.

Give it to a carry who hits several targets or attacks fast, so the Burn stays up on as many enemies as possible. Boards that go for 5 Inferno put it on @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Ashe@. On a 2 Inferno board you don't need it, because @tft=set18:unit:DA_Amumu18@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Kennen@ already give you the Wound.

Flame On: the Inferno augment

@tft=set18:augment:DA_18_InfernoTraitAugment@ gives you a @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Varus@ and an @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Akali_AD@. Your 1 and 2-cost @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@ champions gain Attack Damage and Ability Power, and the one who dealt the most damage last combat gains double.

The two champions put you at 2 Inferno right away, and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Shen@ makes 3. Take it when you want to reroll Varus and Akali. On a fast leveling board it does little, because those boards play @tft=set18:unit:DA_Amumu18@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Kennen@, who are 4 and 5-costs and don't get the bonus.

How to get 5 and 7 Inferno

Five @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@ needs five of the six champions, or four plus the emblem. With @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Lux_Inferno@ on the board, she and three others are enough, because she counts twice. Seven needs all six champions, or five and the emblem.

No comp in our patch 18.4 data plays 7 Inferno, and the 5 Inferno boards place worse than the top 2 and 3 Inferno boards. The higher Burn doesn't make up for building your board around @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Varus@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Akali_AD@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Shen@ late in the game. If you want more Inferno, the @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Ashe@ board in the FAQ below is the one people play.

What are the best Inferno comps in TFT Set 18?

@tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@ is a splash trait in Set 18. The best boards run 2 or 3 Inferno next to their main traits, almost always with @tft=set18:unit:DA_Amumu18@. These are the comps on our comps tier list that run it.

Our Primal guide covers the Aphelios board. The rest of this section covers the two boards where Inferno matters most, as they stood in patch 18.4.

Riftbeast Inferno Draven

This is the comp with @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@ in its name, and it's one of the most played boards in the set. It's a fast 10 board of 5-costs: @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_ElderDragon@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Ivern@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Kennen@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Maokai@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_Draven18@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_Taric18@, with @tft=set18:unit:DA_Amumu18@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_Sentinel18@. Every unit is 2-star. Amumu and Kennen give you 2 Inferno, and Elder Dragon and Sentinel give you @tft=set18:trait:DA_Riftbeast18@.

Amumu and Maokai hold the front. Amumu Burns everything near him, so Kennen's Firestorm comes in with extra Ability Power and the enemy frontline can't heal through Draven and Elder Dragon. The recommended augments are @tft=set18:augment:DA_LateGameScaling@, @tft=set18:augment:DA_BirthdayReunion@ and @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_DuoQueue@.

Save gold early and level on these stages.

Most of your gold goes into the level 9 roll at 5-1.

• Elder Dragon: @tft=set18:item:DA_InfinityEdge@, @tft=set18:item:DA_LastWhisper@, @tft=set18:item:DA_StrikersFlail@.

• Draven: @tft=set18:item:DA_Deathblade@, @tft=set18:item:DA_GuinsoosRageblade@, @tft=set18:item:DA_KrakensFury@.

• Kennen: @tft=set18:item:DA_EdgeOfNight@, @tft=set18:item:DA_HandOfJustice@, @tft=set18:item:DA_JeweledGauntlet@.

• Maokai: @tft=set18:item:DA_GargoyleStoneplate@, @tft=set18:item:DA_SpiritVisage@, @tft=set18:item:DA_WarmogsArmor@.

Our Riftbeast guide covers the Riftbeast side of this board and the @tft=set18:item:DA_Riftbeast18_Selector@.

Solar Rapidfire Reroll

This is the one top board that reaches 3 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@. You slowroll at level 6 for 3-star @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Leona@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Kayle@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Sejuani@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Shen@, then add 2-star @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Diana@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Aphelios@. @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Varus@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_Amumu18@ fill the last two slots. Shen, Varus and Amumu make 3 Inferno, and Kayle, Aphelios and Varus make 3 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Rapidfire@.

Varus and Amumu are flex units, so the board works on 2 Inferno until you find them. The recommended augments are @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_LunarTraitAugmentPlus@, @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_SolarTraitAugment@ and @tft=set18:augment:DA_URF@.

Don't level past 6 until your 3-stars are done. Roll the gold you have above 50.

Your rolling happens from 3-2 through stage 4, while you sit at level 6.

• Kayle: @tft=set18:item:DA_GuinsoosRageblade@, @tft=set18:item:DA_JeweledGauntlet@, @tft=set18:item:DA_RabadonsDeathcap@.

• Aphelios: @tft=set18:item:DA_Deathblade@, @tft=set18:item:DA_KrakensFury@, @tft=set18:item:DA_RedBuff@.

• Sejuani: @tft=set18:item:DA_GargoyleStoneplate@, @tft=set18:item:DA_SpiritVisage@, @tft=set18:item:DA_WarmogsArmor@.

• Shen: @tft=set18:item:DA_GargoyleStoneplate@, @tft=set18:item:DA_SpiritVisage@, @tft=set18:item:DA_WarmogsArmor@.

The Red Buff on Aphelios adds its own 1% Burn on top of the Inferno Burn, because the two stack. Our Eclipse guide explains how @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Solar@ counts your 3-stars.

Common Inferno mistakes

• Building toward 7 Inferno. No board in our 18.4 data plays it. Two or three @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@ next to a stronger trait is how the trait wins games.

• Selling Amumu for a stronger 4-cost. He's the Inferno champion in almost every top board. Without him you usually drop below 2 Inferno and lose the Wound.

• Buying an anti-heal item you don't need. With 2 Inferno your Inferno champions already Wound by 33%. Spend that slot on damage or tank stats unless your carry isn't Inferno and needs to Wound too.

• Forgetting that Burns stack. @tft=set18:item:DA_RedBuff@, @tft=set18:item:DA_Morellonomicon@ and @tft=set18:item:DA_SunfireCape@ add their Burn to the Inferno Burn. On a carry who hits a lot, Red Buff is still worth it.

• Ignoring Mittens. An enemy holding @tft=set18:item:DA_Artifact_Mittens@ is immune to Burn and Wound, so Inferno does nothing to that champion.

Frequently asked questions

What does Inferno do in TFT Set 18?

Damage from Inferno champions Burns and Wounds enemies for 3 seconds. At 2 Inferno the Burn is 1% of max Health per second with a 33% Wound, and from 3 Inferno your shop gets slots that roll a tier higher. The Burn rises to 3% at 5 Inferno and 4% at 7.

Who are the Inferno champions in TFT?

Akali, Varus, Shen, Amumu, Kennen and the Inferno form of Lux. Lux counts as 2 Inferno, so all six champions together give you 7.

Is Ashe Inferno good?

Ashe isn't an Inferno champion. She's Blossom and Hunter. Juggernaut Ashe runs Amumu and Kennen for 2 Inferno, and gives Ashe a Red Buff so her own attacks Burn too. Some players give Ashe the Inferno Emblem to reach 5 Inferno with Shen, Amumu and Kennen, but that board placed worse than Juggernaut Ashe in patch 18.4.

What is Solar Inferno Reroll?

It's a level 5 reroll for 3-star Akali, Varus, Camille, Leona and Ornn, with 2 Inferno from Akali and Varus. It placed well below Solar Rapidfire Reroll in patch 18.4, so if you're rolling for Solar units, play the Kayle board instead.

What does Flame On do in TFT?

Flame On gives you a Varus and an Akali. Your 1 and 2-cost Inferno champions gain Attack Damage and Ability Power, and whichever one dealt the most damage last combat gains double.