Mage Comp Guide: From Beginner to Top Rank

1. Final Build: Traits and Units

The mage comp revolves around high magic damage and rapid spellcasting to clear the board. This set, we recommend a 6 Mage core with 2 Scholar and 2 Mystic. The final lineup is as follows:

• Main Carry: Malzahar (Void Prophet) – Equip Blue Buff, Morellonomicon, and Hextech Gunblade. His damage-over-time ability, combined with the Mage trait's stacking spell power, deals massive damage.
• Main Tank: Tahm Kench (River King) – Equip Warmog's Armor, Dragon's Claw, and Bramble Vest. He soaks up damage at the front, while his ability provides shields and healing.
• Secondary Carry: Viktor (Machine Herald) – Equip Rabadon's Deathcap, Infinity Edge, and Hand of Justice. His AoE ability is perfect for cleaning up fights.
• Other Units: Swain (Master Tactician), Twisted Fate (Card Master), Lux (Lady of Luminosity), Soraka (Child of the Stars), and Janna (Storm's Fury) complete the 6 Mage, 2 Scholar, 2 Mystic composition.
• Flexible Replacements: If you find Azir (Emperor of the Sands), swap him in for Lux to add control and damage. If your frontline needs more beef, replace Soraka with Braum (Heart of the Freljord) to trade sustain for tankiness.

2. Core Items and Priority

Main Carry – Malzahar: Prioritize Blue Buff (Tear + Chain Vest) for instant casting, then Morellonomicon (Needlessly Large Rod + Belt) for grievous wounds and burn, and finally Hextech Gunblade (BF Sword + Rod) for sustain.

Main Tank – Tahm Kench: Prioritize Warmog's Armor (Belt + Belt) for health, then Dragon's Claw (Negatron Cloak + Negatron Cloak) for magic resistance, and Bramble Vest (Chain Vest + Chain Vest) to counter physical burst.

Utility Items: Ionic Spark (Rod + Cloak) is a must-have; give it to Swain or Tahm Kench to shred enemy magic resist and boost your team's magic damage. If the enemy has heavy healing, Morellonomicon should suffice for anti-heal.

Priority: First grab Tears and Rods to secure Malzahar's core items, then Tahm Kench's defensive items, and finally Viktor's damage items.

3. Recommended Augments

Combat Augments: Top picks are "Spell Blade" (gain AP per cast), "Arcane Mastery" (extra AP for Mages), and "Jeweled Lotus" (spells can critically strike). These directly boost your damage output.

Economy Augments: "Profit" (bonus interest) and "Tutorial" (bonus XP per round) help you level up faster and reach high-cost units.

Class Augments: "Mage Emblem" (grants a Mage emblem) allows you to run 8 Mages for a power spike; "Scholar Emblem" (grants a Scholar emblem) increases mana regeneration, great for multi-carry comps.

4. Positioning Guide

Here's the positioning layout (assuming a square board with the enemy at the top):

• Frontline: Place Tahm Kench alone in the middle of the first row. Put Swain and Braum (if used) on either side to spread incoming damage.
• Midline: Position Malzahar and Viktor on the sides of the second row, away from assassin dive paths, while still benefiting from the Mage trait's spell power.
• Backline: Put Twisted Fate, Lux, Soraka, and Janna in the last row. Keep Janna next to Malzahar to shield him.

Anti-Assassin Details: If the enemy has assassins, move Malzahar and Viktor to the corners and surround them with Janna and Soraka to form a protective ring. Alternatively, give Malzahar Quicksilver to prevent crowd control.

5. Matchups and Adaptations

Mages counter squishy physical comps (e.g., marksmen, assassins) because magic damage ignores armor. However, they are countered by Mystic and high-MR comps, like a 4 Mystic Brawler setup.

Adaptations: If Malzahar isn't appearing, pivot to a "Dark Mage" comp with Lux or Veigar as the main carry, relying on magic damage. If Tahm Kench never shows up, replace him with Shen (Eye of Twilight) or Sejuani (Fury of the North) – they can use the same items.

Game Plan: Early on, use 3 Mages with Brawlers to transition. Save gold to reach level 7, then roll down for your core units. If your health is healthy, push to level 8 and look for Viktor and Tahm Kench. If your economy is broken, stick with 6 Mages and play for placement.

Remember, the Mage comp relies on tempo and positioning. Keep an eye on your opponents' comps and adjust accordingly, and you'll be climbing the ranks in no time!