How to Scout in TFT: What to Check and When
Scouting is just looking at the other boards in your lobby. It takes a few seconds and answers the questions that decide most games: is my carry contested, who's about to roll, and how should I stand against the people I'm likely to fight?
Why scout
Every champion has a limited pool of copies shared by the whole lobby. When other players buy the champions you need, your shop shows you fewer of them, so a comp two other people are forcing is much harder to hit than its tier suggests. Scouting tells you that before you spend your gold, not after.
How to look at other boards
The player list on the side of the screen shows everyone's health and placement. Select a player there to see their board, and select yourself to come back. You can do it in planning and during combat, so the few seconds after you've bought your units are a good time.
When to scout
- Before you commit. When your pairs and items start pointing at a comp, check nobody else is already on it.
- Before a roll-down. Count the copies of your key units on other boards and benches; the fewer others hold, the better your odds.
- Before you position. From mid game on, check the strongest boards and the one you're about to fight.
What to check
- Carries and copies. Who the others are building around, and how many copies are on their boards and benches.
- Items. Someone holding three attack-speed items is about to play an attack-speed carry, even if their board doesn't show it yet.
- Levels and gold. A player sitting on lots of gold is about to level or roll; one who's level 8 early is going for 4-costs.
- Health. Low players roll sooner and play for this round; healthy ones can afford to wait.
Tip No need to check all seven boards every round. Look at the players near your comp, and at the strongest board in the lobby.
When your comp is contested
If one other player shares your carry, you can usually still play it, especially if you're ahead. If two or more do, it's usually better to move: a comp that uses your items with a different carry, or the next comp your pairs point at. The comp tier list shows similar comps under every guide for exactly this, and the pivot guide covers how to change plans without throwing your board away.
Scouting for positioning
Positioning is an answer to a specific board, so it only works if you've looked at that board. Check where the strongest players keep their carries and what can reach your back line: assassins and divers jump to the corners, and some carries hit everything in a line or an area. Move your carry, or put something sturdy where they'll land. The positioning guide has the standard answers.
A quick routine
- When your plan starts taking shape: scout for anyone on the same carry.
- Before every roll-down: count the copies of your key units in the lobby.
- From mid game, every round: check the board you're about to face and adjust your positions.