With each new Set in Teamfight Tactics, Riot makes sure to introduce a new, never before seen aspect to the game. With Set 4, they introduced the Fortune Trait, while Set 5 opened the Reckoning mechanic for players to abuse. Following the trend, Teamfight Tactics was given the Mercenary trait with the release of Set 6, which included mercenary chests and synergies.
To open the mercenary chest, once you have 3 or more champions with the mercenary trait on the board, you can open the chest every time you win a PvP battle. Whenever you win a battle, you can roll 2 dice. The higher you roll, the better loot you get from the mercenary chest.
However, a special mechanic for the less fortunate players is that, the higher your losing streak, the ‘luckier’ your dice get. Your chances for rolling something good increase tenfold and keep increasing depending on your losing streak.
This seems very interesting and requires some in-depth knowledge to use to your benefit. That is why I’m going to explain further the best way you can take advantage of this trait before it is updated. Stick around to find out.
Read also: The TFT wait time issue
Mercenary Chest Opening – How Does It Open?
Opening the mercenary chest is pretty straightforward. Once you have unlocked the mercenary trait on your board, you are allowed 2 dice rolls every time you win a match against another player. The rewards you get are based on your dice rolls.
The tricky part comes when you’re on a losing streak. The higher your losing streak is, the better your chances are of scoring something good. The trade-off you have to think of is that although your chances of better rewards are increasing, you are missing out on actual dice rolls.
The Mercenary Trait – Basics
The first thing you should do if you want to go for the mercenary chest strategy is to understand how the trait works. Of course, you will need champions with mercenary synergy to activate this trait.
Now, if you have 3 champions with mercenary synergy, you will be able to roll 2 dice every time you win a PvP match. At 5 champion synergy, your dice become ‘luckier’ meaning you have higher chances of getting better rewards. When you reach the 7 mercenary champion synergy, you can roll the dice a 3rd time to gain bonus loot on top of the already opened loot.
Dice & Their Sides
Loss Streaks- Are They Worth It?
As I mentioned before, with higher loss streaks, you can earn better rewards when you do eventually open the mercenary chest. Now, if you look at it, at a 0-loss streak, you can only earn a maximum of 4 gold from opening the mercenary chest.
If you open it at a 12-loss streak, your prizes are much better. Players opening the mercenary chest at a 12-loss streak can get either Loaded Dice, Thieves Gloves, or 50 gold.
Now whether or not the losing streak is worth it depends entirely on the game state. If someone is already way ahead, chances are getting either of those rewards won’t help you beat them. In that case, it is best to play the game normally and open as many mercenary chests as possible.
If everyone is on a level playing field, these rewards can increase your chances of winning substantially. You can decide whether you want to take the risk or play it safe.
Champions With Mercenary Trait
Variation In Game Modes
Although I have mentioned the basics of opening mercenary chests and building a strategy around it, it was mostly based on the normal mode’s game rules. If you also play hyper roll or double up, the strategy is slightly different.
In Hyper Roll, the luck of your Mercenary dice is based on your Tactician’s remaining health rather than how high your losing streak is. The lower your Tactician’s health, the ‘luckier’ your dice will be. Remember to factor in this change when playing hyper roll with the Mercenary trait strategy.
Conclusion
Luck and strategy are intertwined in this game mode. Waiting for that perfect setup, hoping for another copy of the champion you want to level up, and positioning against certain enemy compositions. You cannot plan for all of it in any match. But if you are trying and also want to check out the mercenary strategy, just remember that the longer you go without opening the chest, the better the rewards.