TFT Set 18 Coven Guide: Cashout Tiers and Dark Ritual vs Coven Acolyte

@tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Coven@ is on the way up. It has climbed in our comp data every patch since 18.2, and 18.4 added a second strong Coven board. Here's how to climb with it.

Coven is the loss streak trait of Enchanted Wilds, and it plays nothing like the loss streak traits you remember. There is no streak counter. Winning a round doesn't ruin anything. You fill up a bar called Essence, and every time it passes a tier, the game asks you whether to cash out now or keep going.

That question decides most Coven games. Cash out too early and you trade a strong position for a handful of gold. Wait too long and you hit stage 5 with 20 HP and a pile of items nobody can hold.

This guide covers how Essence works, what each cashout tier is actually worth, when to take the money and which boards to play. Want every loot roll with its odds? It's on our Coven cashout loot table.

Quick answer. The strong Coven boards in 18.4 run 3 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Coven@ from @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Elise@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Cassiopeia@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Morgana@, with 4 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Vanguard@ in front. Get 3 Coven active in stage 2 so your loss streak starts early. Cash out at 250 Essence in most games. If you're still healthy, push to 365, because the loot gets a lot better per Essence there. Don't stop at 500. Pick @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_CovenTraitAugment_LootToAP@ if you're playing those boards, since your Coven champions stay on the board all game. Pick @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_CovenTraitAugment@ if you plan to cash out and pivot.

How does Coven work in TFT?

You gain Essence in two ways. Your champions earn it for every enemy champion they kill, and you get a bigger chunk every time you lose a player combat. More @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Coven@ units means more of both.

Once you reach 40 Essence, you can convert it into a reward or keep gathering. Every tier after that asks the same question, and each one needs more Essence than the last.

Three things make Coven different from older loss streak traits:

• A win doesn't force a cashout. You just miss out on the per loss Essence that round.

• Kills count on every round, including the rounds you win.

• The length of your streak doesn't matter. Five losses in a row and five losses spread out give the same Essence.

Losses are still where most of the Essence comes from. At 3 Coven, a loss with 3 kills gives 28 Essence and a win with 3 kills gives 6. So plan to lose, but with a board that kills three or four enemies before it dies. An unplanned win doesn't reset anything. It just costs you that round's per loss Essence.

Coven champions

There are six @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Coven@ champions, and each one has exactly one other trait.

Six champions means 7 Coven needs a @tft=set18:item:DA_18_EmblemCoven@. You don't need 5 either. The strong boards in 18.4 stop at 3 Coven with Elise, Cassiopeia and Morgana and fill the rest with Vanguards.

@tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Lux_Coven@ is one of several Lux variants in Set 18. Only this one counts toward the trait, and it's also the Lux you get from cashouts. You get a 1-star at 250 Essence and a 2-star at 500 and 650.

What each Coven cashout is worth

Each tier has a set of loot rolls, and you get one of them at random. Our loot table gives every tier a rough gold value. Divide that by the Essence it costs and you can see where waiting pays off.

Two jumps stand out.

The first is 185 to 250. The rough value goes from 24 to 40 gold for 65 more Essence, and that's the first tier where the rewards can carry a board on their own.

The second is 250 to 365. That's another 115 Essence, almost double the value, and Radiant items start showing up. If you're healthy at 250, this is the jump worth taking.

500 is the trap. It's worth slightly less per Essence than 365, and it costs another 135 Essence to get there. If you're at 365 and thinking about waiting, either cash out now or commit to 650. Stopping at 500 is the worst of both.

How fast you gather Essence

Assume you lose a round with @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Coven@ active and your board kills 3 enemy champions before it dies. Here's what that round gives you:

• 3 Coven: 22 + 6 = 28 Essence

• 5 Coven: 35 + 9 = 44 Essence

• 7 Coven: 60 + 30 = 90 Essence

At 3 Coven, 250 takes about 9 of those rounds. At 5 Coven it takes about 6. Winning rounds still add 2 or 3 Essence per kill on top. At 7 Coven, every kill is worth 10 Essence, so 650 becomes realistic. That's the only reason to chase the emblem.

5 Coven gathers faster, but it costs you two board slots for @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Camille@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Caitlyn@. The 5 Coven board finishes lower in our comp data than the two 3 Coven @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Vanguard@ boards below.

When should you play Coven?

The trait pays for losses, so the earlier you have 3 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Coven@ active, the more losses you can cash in. Aim for 3 Coven in stage 2. At 3 Coven, 250 Essence takes about 9 losses, so every stage you wait pushes your cashout back. If you only get there in stage 3, it's probably too late to start.

Your opener tells you whether Coven is on. @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Camille@ costs 1, and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Caitlyn@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Elise@ cost 2, so they're the Coven champions you can field early. Holding Caitlyn or Elise early is a good sign you can play it. Either Coven augment also gives you all three, which is a 3 Coven start on its own.

Camille and Caitlyn are there to start the streak. Later, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Cassiopeia@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Morgana@ take their spots.

When to cash out

The tier you're at is only half the decision. The other half is how much HP you have. Use these rules:

• Below about 40 HP, cash out at the next tier. The jump from 250 to 365 isn't worth it if the loss after that knocks you out.

• Healthy at 250, keep going to 365. "Healthy" means you can take three more losses and still stabilize.

• Never cash out on a board that can't use the loot. Ten completed items on level 6 lose to a level 8 board with four. Level first, then cash out right before your rolldown.

• Cash out when you're ready to stop losing. The loot should be what turns your board into a winning one. If the items won't flip any fights yet, the Essence is worth more than the items.

Coven augments: Dark Ritual or Coven Acolyte?

Both augments give you @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Camille@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Elise@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Caitlyn@, so either one gets you to 3 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Coven@ right away. Only one player per lobby can take either of them.

@tft=set18:augment:DA_18_CovenTraitAugment_LootToAP@ replaces your cashout loot with Ability Power on your Coven champions. You give up the items, so it only works if your Coven units are still on the board at the end. In the two strong Coven boards they are. @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Elise@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Cassiopeia@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Morgana@ are the carries, and Dark Ritual is the top augment for both boards in our comp data.

Dark Ritual was disabled in 18.3 and came back in 18.4 with less AP. Here's what each cashout gives now:

The AP climbs much faster than the Essence does. 250 gives 14 times the AP of 40 for about 6 times the Essence, so small cashouts are close to worthless with Dark Ritual. Push for 250 or 365.

@tft=set18:augment:DA_18_CovenTraitAugment@ heals you for 2 HP every time you choose to keep gathering Essence. It doesn't sound like much, but each healing tick buys you a little more time on the loss streak. You keep the loot, so it's the better pick if you plan to cash out big and pivot into a different late game comp.

The short version is Dark Ritual if you plan to stay Coven and Acolyte if you plan to cash out and pivot.

What is the best Coven comp?

Two @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Coven@ boards are strong in 18.4. Both run @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Elise@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Cassiopeia@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Morgana@ for 3 Coven, and both put @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Diana@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_Sentinel18@ next to Elise for 4 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Vanguard@. Vanguards gain a Shield at the start of combat and again when they drop below half Health.

Vanguard Coven Elise stays at level 6 and 7 and goes for 3-star @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Elise@ and 3-star @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Cassiopeia@. @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Hecarim@ is the fourth Vanguard. Elise is a tank that carries. In Spider Form her attacks deal bonus magic damage and heal her, so she takes @tft=set18:item:DA_GuinsoosRageblade@ and @tft=set18:item:DA_TitansResolve@ next to @tft=set18:item:DA_GargoyleStoneplate@.

Vanguard Coven Morgana goes for level 10 as fast as it can instead. @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Morgana@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Alune@ carry, and @tft=set18:unit:DA_Taric18@ is the fourth Vanguard. Elise and Cassiopeia stay at 2-star. A 2-star Alune is the unit that matters most for this board.

The comp pages have the full boards, items and leveling.

Tactician's Crown, Shield and Cape from the higher tiers each add 1 to your team size. Plan for that extra unit before you roll.

Common Coven mistakes

• Cashing out at 40 over and over at 5 Coven. You're paying 4 gold for 40 Essence, the worst rate in the trait.

• Stopping at 500. It's worth less per Essence than 365, and getting there costs another 135 Essence.

• Selling your board to lose. You do want to lose, but an empty board gets no kill Essence and takes more damage. Keep a board that loses while still taking a few kills.

• Starting Coven in stage 3. By then you've missed the losses that would have paid for your first cashout. Commit in stage 2 or play something else.

• Cashing out before leveling. The loot is only as good as the board holding it.

• Forcing 5 Coven. @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Camille@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Caitlyn@ speed up your Essence, but the boards that win stop at 3 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Coven@ and use those slots for Vanguards.

• Taking Dark Ritual and then pivoting. The AP only goes on Coven champions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Coven cashout in TFT?

250 Essence is the safe default. 365 is better value if you have the HP for it. 650 and 800 are only realistic with 7 Coven.

Does winning reset Coven?

No. You just don't get the per loss Essence that round. Kills still count, and the length of your streak never matters.

What is the best Coven comp in TFT?

Vanguard Coven Elise and Vanguard Coven Morgana. Both run 3 Coven with Elise, Cassiopeia and Morgana, plus 4 Vanguard. Elise stays at level 6 and 7 for 3-stars, and Morgana goes fast to level 10.

How do you get 7 Coven?

There are only six Coven champions, including Coven Lux, so you need a @tft=set18:item:DA_18_EmblemCoven@ on a seventh unit. The Coven Emblem stops showing up on carousels after stage 5.

Is Dark Ritual or Coven Acolyte better?

Dark Ritual if your Coven champions are your end game carries, which they are in both strong Coven boards. Coven Acolyte if you plan to cash out and play a different comp.

Where can I see every Coven cashout reward?

Every roll and its odds for each tier are on our Set 18 Coven cashout table.