TFT Set 18 Riftbeast Guide: How the Alpha Mark Works and the Best Riftbeast Comps

Riftbeast is the jungle trait. Its champions are the monsters you know from the Rift, from Gromp and Krug up to the Elder Dragon, and each one carries a Buff that only turns on when you make it your Alpha.

It's also one of the strongest traits in the set. The most played Riftbeast board is a level 10 Elder Dragon comp, and two more boards run 7 Riftbeast. This guide covers how the trait and the Alpha Mark work, what each Alpha Buff does, and how to play those comps.

Quick answer. Get 3 Riftbeast and you get an Alpha Mark, which you put on one Riftbeast to turn on its unique Buff. At 5, a shop full of Riftbeasts shows up every 3 combats, and at 7 your Riftbeasts grow stronger every 5 seconds. @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_ElderDragon@ counts as 3 Riftbeast on its own, so most boards are built around it. The top comp pairs it with @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Inferno@ and goes for level 10, and two other boards reach 7 Riftbeast with 3-star @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Sentry@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_Krug18@. @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_RiftbeastTraitAugment@ gives you a second Alpha and three Riftbeasts to start with.

How does Riftbeast work in TFT?

@tft=set18:trait:DA_Riftbeast18@ has four breakpoints:

• 3 Riftbeast. You get an Alpha Mark. Use it on a Riftbeast to make it your Alpha and turn on its unique Buff.

• 5 Riftbeast. Every 3 combats, your next shop is overrun with Riftbeasts.

• 7 Riftbeast. At the start of combat and every 5 seconds after, your Riftbeasts grow. Each time they gain 6% Attack Damage, 6% Ability Power and 6% Attack Speed, plus 5 Armor, 5 Magic Resist, 50 Health and 1 Mana Regen.

• 10 Riftbeast. You get 2 more slots on your board.

Patch 18.4 raised the 7 growth from 5% to 6% Attack Damage, Ability Power and Attack Speed. The growth stacks for as long as the fight lasts, so 7 Riftbeast is at its best in long fights.

Elder Dragon and Apex Predator

Elder Dragon is a 5-cost with the @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_ApexPredator@ trait. It takes up 2 slots on your board and adds 2 to your Riftbeast count. It's a Riftbeast itself, so it counts as 3 Riftbeast on its own.

That's why every top Riftbeast board plays it. Elder Dragon plus one more Riftbeast gives you the Alpha Mark, and Elder Dragon plus four more reaches 7.

Every Riftbeast and its Alpha Buff

There are ten Riftbeast champions. The Buff in the last column only works on the Riftbeast you make your Alpha:

The Buffs come in two kinds. Pebbles, Cinderling, Gromp, Murkwolf, Brambleback and Elder Dragon power up the Alpha itself, so they belong on a Riftbeast that carries items. Scuttlecrab, Mama Beak, Krug and Sentinel help the rest of your team, which makes them a good pick when your carry isn't a Riftbeast.

Krug's Buff triggers on death, and so do its Kruglettes. When Krug dies, it splits into two Kruglettes, and those Shield your team again when they die.

Omega Riftbeast

@tft=set18:augment:DA_18_RiftbeastTraitAugment@ lets you pick a second Alpha, so two Buffs are on at once. Patch 18.4 set the Alpha bonus to 15% Health and 12% Attack Speed for each Alpha.

It also gives you a Scuttlecrab, a Cinderling and a Pebbles. Those three are enough to turn Riftbeast on by themselves, and you can take the augment early, mid or late game. Both 7 Riftbeast comps below list it as their top augment.

Riftbeast Wisps

Three Wisps work with Riftbeast. Every Wisp and its cost is on our Set 18 Wisps list.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Jungling@ costs 4 gold, or 3 upgraded, and overruns your shop with Riftbeasts. It only shows up while Riftbeast is active, and it helps you find the copies a 3-star needs.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_HandOfBaron@ costs 6 gold and gives your whole team the Baron Buff. It also needs Riftbeast active, and it's a late-game Wisp.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_NaturesAlly@ costs 2 gold. Every 3 times one of your champions dies, it summons a random Riftbeast. Upgraded, the summon is sometimes 2-star. Any board can buy it.

The best Riftbeast comps

Three Riftbeast boards have full guides on our comps page, and this section covers them as they stood in patch 18.4. All three give Elder Dragon @tft=set18:item:DA_InfinityEdge@, @tft=set18:item:DA_LastWhisper@ and @tft=set18:item:DA_StrikersFlail@.

The first comp only uses Riftbeast for the Alpha Mark. The other two go all the way to 7 and win with the growth.

Riftbeast Inferno Draven

This is the Riftbeast board you'll see most. It's a fast 10 comp full of 5-costs: Elder Dragon, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Ivern@, Kennen, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Maokai@, Draven and @tft=set18:unit:DA_Taric18@, with @tft=set18:unit:DA_Amumu18@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_Sentinel18@ next to them. Elder Dragon and Sentinel make 4 Riftbeast, and Amumu and Kennen add 2 Inferno.

• Level to 7 at 3-5, to 8 at 4-2 and to 9 at 5-1, then push for 10.

• Elder Dragon: Infinity Edge, Last Whisper, Striker's Flail.

• Draven: @tft=set18:item:DA_Deathblade@, @tft=set18:item:DA_GuinsoosRageblade@, @tft=set18:item:DA_KrakensFury@.

• Kennen: @tft=set18:item:DA_EdgeOfNight@, @tft=set18:item:DA_HandOfJustice@, @tft=set18:item:DA_JeweledGauntlet@.

• Maokai: @tft=set18:item:DA_GargoyleStoneplate@, @tft=set18:item:DA_SpiritVisage@, @tft=set18:item:DA_WarmogsArmor@.

Its top augments are @tft=set18:augment:DA_LateGameScaling@, @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_DuoQueue@ and @tft=set18:augment:DA_BirthdayReunion@. Commit when Elder Dragon, Draven and Maokai show up and your items fit them.

Riftbeast Elder Dragon and Riftbeast Reroll

Both boards reach 8 Riftbeast with Elder Dragon, Sentinel, 3-star Pebbles and 3-star Krug, and they share the same item holders:

• Pebbles: @tft=set18:item:DA_BlueBuff@, Jeweled Gauntlet, @tft=set18:item:DA_RabadonsDeathcap@.

• Krug: Gargoyle Stoneplate, Spirit Visage, Warmog's Armor.

The difference is how you get there. Riftbeast Elder Dragon is a fast 10 comp. It adds @tft=set18:unit:DA_Murkwolf18@ and Brambleback, with @tft=set18:item:DA_Bloodthirster@, Edge of Night and Guinsoo's Rageblade on Brambleback. Level to 7 at 4-1 and to 8 at 4-5. Its top augments are Omega Riftbeast, @tft=set18:augment:DA_VerticalityII@ and @tft=set18:augment:DA_GildedSteel@.

Riftbeast Reroll levels at a standard pace and goes for two more 3-stars. It adds 3-star @tft=set18:unit:DA_Cinderling18@ and 3-star @tft=set18:unit:DA_Scuttlecrab18@, with Blue Buff, Infinity Edge and Last Whisper on Cinderling. Level to 7 at 4-1 and to 8 at 5-1. Its top augments are Omega Riftbeast, Verticality II and @tft=set18:augment:DA_VerticalityIII@.

Both boards fill their last slots with @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_GnarSmall@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_Taric18@. Gnar pairs with Krug for 2 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Brawler@, and Taric pairs with Sentinel for 2 @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Vanguard@.

Common Riftbeast mistakes

• Leaving the Alpha Mark unused. The 3 breakpoint does nothing until you put the Mark on a Riftbeast.

• Putting a self Buff on a unit with no items. Cinderling's or Brambleback's Buff only powers up that unit, so mark the Riftbeast that holds your damage items.

• Mixing up the two Blue Buffs. Sentinel's Alpha Buff and the Blue Buff item are different things. Pebbles holds the item in both 7 Riftbeast comps.

• Forgetting Elder Dragon takes 2 slots. Plan your level around it. An 8-unit board with Elder Dragon needs level 9.

• Buying Jungling without Riftbeast active. It only shows up while the trait is on, so turn on 3 Riftbeast first.

Frequently asked questions

How does the Alpha Mark work in TFT?

At 3 Riftbeast you get an Alpha Mark. Put it on one of your Riftbeasts and that champion becomes your Alpha, which turns on its unique Buff.

How many Riftbeast does Elder Dragon count as?

Three. Elder Dragon is a Riftbeast, and its Apex Predator trait adds 2 more to the count. It also takes up 2 slots on your board.

Can you have two Alphas?

Yes, with the Omega Riftbeast augment. It lets you pick a second Alpha, and each Alpha gains 15% Health and 12% Attack Speed.

What does 10 Riftbeast do?

It gives you 2 extra slots on your board. Elder Dragon counts as 3, so you need seven more Riftbeast champions to get there.

Where can I see the full Riftbeast comps?

The boards, item builds and stats are on our Riftbeast Elder Dragon and Riftbeast Reroll comp pages. Riftbeast Inferno Draven and every other current comp are on our comps tier list.