Where to place target dummies in Teamfight Tactics (TFT)

Ever since Set 4 where they were a Lucky Lanterns drop item, target dummies have been a common Teamfight Tactics (TFT) tool. However, the problem with target dummies is that they can feel a little random. They don’t do damage, so what do you do with them? If you’ve ever wanted to use target dummies in your TFT games, let’s break down how to make them as effective as possible.

What are target dummies in TFT?

Target dummies are little wooden statues that you can get in Hextech Augments. They come in pairs of two in the “Phony Frontline” augment. At first, they start at 500 health and 40 armor. However, they do get stronger over time. Their Star-Level (Silver, Gold, Platinum) increases at stages 2-1, 4-1, 6-1, and 8-1.

How to position target dummies for your team

Positioning target dummies all depends on your team and the teams you’re fighting. In general, you want to use them to guard and distract away from your back line. That means that you generally want to put them on the front line of your board. This will force the enemy to waste time fighting them and not your units.

However, there are special cases that require specific formations. For example, when facing Assassins, you’ll want to place your target dummies close to your carry units. Then, there can be even more units acting as a safety buffer between, say, your Corki and an enemy Pyke. In that case, target dummies can be invaluable in helping a Cannoneer team survive. Meanwhile, if your enemy likes to use target-pulling units like Thresh or Blitzcrank, putting your target dummies in the furthest corners could protect your carry unit. A destroyed target dummy is a lot less dire than a deleted Ryze or Aurelion Sol.

Basically, it comes down to this: what does your team need? On a tank-stuffed team, target dummies might only be useful when placed in the back line to hold off assassins. In a really squishy team, though, they could be the front-line boost you need to survive earlier rounds. Whether you’re protecting Dragons or Mages, placing target dummies in a clever, defensive way should work out well for you.