TFT Set 18 Wisps Guide: Best Wisps to Buy and When

Every other shop in Enchanted Wilds has a little glowing thing in the rightmost slot. Most players either buy it on reflex or ignore it completely. Both cost games.

There are 178 Wisps in Set 18, and you don't need to memorize them. You need to know which ones are free value, which ones are a fair trade, and which ones only look good. This guide names the actual Wisps, shows the gold math, and tells you when each one shows up.

Want the full list with every cost? It's on our full list of Set 18 Wisps. This guide is about which ones to buy.

Quick answer. Buy cheap XP and gold Wisps in stage 2, like @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Experienced@, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_CoinFlip@ and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Truce@. Buy Shop and Champion Wisps only when they hit units your comp uses. Save gold from stage 5 on for Combat Wisps in the fights that decide your placement. Skip @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_FlipFrenzy@, and skip anything that breaks your interest without saving you a roll or winning a fight.

How do Wisps work in TFT?

If you played Charms in Set 12, you already know the idea. Wisps are one-time effects you buy from the shop. Riot changed a few things this time, and they matter for how you play around them.

• A Wisp shows up in every other shop, always in the rightmost slot.

• You can buy one Wisp per round.

• You can only buy during the planning phase. When combat starts, the Wisp disappears and the champion hiding behind it shows up in that slot.

• Most Wisps last one round. Stronger Wisps show up later in the game and cost more.

• After stage 5, every other Wisp is a guaranteed Combat Wisp.

• When you buy one, its category icon appears next to your HP bar. Everyone can see it, and you can see theirs.

Two of these rules change how you play.

The first is the HP bar icon. If the player you're about to fight just bought a Combat Wisp, they're going all in on this round.

The second is rolling. While you roll during planning, every Wisp shop shows you 4 champions instead of 5. That's 20% fewer chances to hit on those shops. It's another reason to roll on a stable board before you look at the Wisp.

Rules that are easy to miss

• Polymorph Wisps only appear in the first 2 seconds of the planning phase.

• From stage 4-1 through 5-7, if you have less than 10 gold, you can get free Wisps: @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Drizzle@, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_GroveArmor@, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_FoundBigFriend@ and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_RoomForAShroom@.

• Below 20 HP you can't get the Knick-Knack, Thingamajig and Doodad stat consumables, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_GoldenGoose@, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_MajorGambit@ or @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Barter@.

Is a Wisp worth buying? The gold math

Every Wisp is a trade against three things you could do with that gold instead.

• XP. Leveling costs 4 gold for 4 XP, so 1 gold per XP.

• Rerolls. A reroll costs 2 gold.

• Interest. Every 10 gold you hold gives 1 extra gold per round, up to 5. A 2 gold Wisp that drops you from 50 to 48 costs you 3 gold, because you lose a gold of interest too.

A Wisp is worth it when it beats those numbers, or when it wins a fight that matters. Everything else is a nice-looking way to lose gold.

Blossom: the trait built around Wisps

@tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Blossom@ champions are @tft=set18:unit:DA_Karma18@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Yorick@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Yunara@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_MasterYi_AD@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Ahri@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Sett@, @tft=set18:unit:DA_18_Ashe@ and @tft=set18:unit:DA_Lux18_Blossom@. Each breakpoint makes your Wisps better.

• At 3, your Wisps are upgraded.

• At 5, a Wisp shows up in every shop.

• At 7, you gain 4 gold after buying a Wisp.

• At 9, you can buy 2 Wisps per round.

• At 11, your Wisps overflow with power.

@tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Blossom@ 3 is where every Wisp gets its upgraded version. Some upgrades change how a Wisp plays. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_AfterShock@ stuns once at 8 seconds, and the upgraded version stuns again at 18. Others are a number bump, like @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_LightningStrike@ going from 10% to 18% true damage. Some upgraded Wisps also cost less. For example, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_ForestGuide@ drops from 6 to 5 gold.

@tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Blossom@ 7 turns Wisps into an economy. With 4 gold back after every purchase, a 1 or 2 gold Wisp pays you to buy it.

Best Wisps by category

Wisps come in seven categories: Gold/XP, Shop, Champion, Combat, Item, Misc and Risky. The "Appears" column tells you when you can see each Wisp in your shop.

Gold/XP Wisps

This is where the free value hides.

@tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_GrowUp@ gives 12 XP with @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Blossom@ 3, which saves you 5 gold.

@tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Experienced@ is the one to remember. If you're leveling in stage 2 anyway, it's the best XP deal in the game.

If the game can't find a Wisp for you, you get @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_BeggarsWisp@. It's free and gives 3 gold. Take it.

Shop Wisps

Shop Wisps give you rerolls or fill your shop with one cost. Remember that a reroll is worth 2 gold.

With @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_StartingTown@, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_BorderVillage@ and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_MiddlePath@ you still pay for the units. What you get is a guaranteed 2-star without rolling for it, and that can make your board. If you're playing a reroll comp, these are the Wisps to look for, and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_MiddlePath@ is the best of them for 3-cost rerolls.

@tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_AnimateShop@ rerolls your shop every 2 seconds for 18 seconds, but the rerolls are only worth it if you have the gold to buy what shows up.

The "All" Wisps, from @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_AllOnes@ to @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_AllFives@, reroll your shop into a single cost. They're great when you're hunting one specific copy and bad when you need several different units.

@tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_RideTheWave@ costs 3 gold and shows up from 4-2 to 5-7. Your next 2 rerolls that round each show at least 2 of the champions you fielded last combat. Buy it when you're rolling to upgrade the units already on your board.

Champion Wisps

Most Champion Wisps cost what the units are worth. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Apprentice@ is 3 gold for a 2-star 1-cost. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Journeyman@ is 6 gold for a 2-star 2-cost. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_ThreeMe@ is 9 gold for a 2-star 3-cost. You don't save gold. You skip the rolling.

Buy them when the unit fits your comp. A random 2-star you sell next round is wasted gold.

The stage 6 ones are different:

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Grandmaster@ is 18 gold for a random 2-star 5-cost.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_CircleofElders@ is 45 gold for one copy of every 5-cost.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_HeroOfProphecy@ is 35 gold for a 5-cost, and you get that same champion again every round for the rest of the game. It has level, gold and HP requirements, so it only shows up when you're already in a strong spot. If you can afford it, it's absurd.

Combat Wisps

Combat Wisps are one round of power. After stage 5 every other Wisp is a Combat Wisp, so you'll see plenty.

@tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_YordleSpirit@ shuts down attack-based carries for the first 4 seconds. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Counterspell@ delays every enemy's first cast, which matters most against comps built around one big spell.

Watch out for the conditional ones. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_UltraAscension@ gives 300% Damage Amp after 25 seconds, but it shows up in stage 3, when most fights are over long before 25 seconds. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_NaturesWrath@ kills every unit without an item after 10 seconds. That's great against itemless boards and useless otherwise.

Buy Combat Wisps when losing would hurt. That means the fight right after you rolled down, a fight that decides top 4, or the last two players. A stage 4 fight against a weak board doesn't need one.

Item Wisps

There are only a few Item Wisps, and two of them cost nothing.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_CurioCart@ is free and opens an item store with items from 0 to 15 gold. It shows up from 3-1 to 4-7.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Peddler@ is free and opens a store with random items from 0 to 14 gold. It shows up from 4-2 to 5-7.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_IdleCraftsman@ costs 4 gold and turns a component on your bench into a completed item it builds. That's good when you're holding a component nobody uses.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Artifactinate@ costs 2 gold. You lose 3 components, even ones built into items, and get an Artifact anvil. Only do it if an Artifact makes your carry.

Misc Wisps

The Jar Wisps are free in stage 2 and give a consumable with permanent stats.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_KnickKnackJar@ gives Attack Damage or Attack Speed.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_ThingamajigJar@ gives Ability Power or Mana Regen.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_DoodadJar@ gives Armor and Magic Resist, or Health.

Free permanent stats in stage 2 is an easy yes. Later you'll see Bags and Sacks that give 2 to 4 consumables for a few gold. You can't get any of them below 20 HP.

Other Misc Wisps worth knowing:

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_ForestMage@ costs 1 gold and fills your shop with Wisps. You can buy one. With @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Blossom@ they're all upgraded.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_HealingPool@ costs 2 gold and heals 5 HP. Cheap insurance when you're low early.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_BloodRitual@ costs 6 gold and 10 HP for a @tft=set18:item:DA_Consumable_ChampionDuplicator@. Only take it with HP to spare.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_LesserChaos@ and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_GreaterChaos@ cast random Wisps. They're fun, but you can't plan around them.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Salvager@ is free from 4-2 to 5-7. Every unit you bench that round has its items removed and broken back into components. Use it to pull items off a carry you're replacing.

Risky Wisps

Risky Wisps can make your game or end it.

The Polymorphs are free and permanently turn a random unit you own into a higher-cost one:

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_MinorPolymorph@ turns a 1-cost into a 2-cost, from 2-1 to 3-4.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Polymorph@ turns a 2-cost into a 3-cost, from 2-1 to 4-1.

• @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_MajorPolymorph@ turns a 4-cost into a 5-cost, from 4-2 to 5-7.

"Random unit you own" includes your bench, so sell the units you don't want hit first. Polymorphs only show up in the first 2 seconds of planning, so check your shop the moment the round starts.

@tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_AbandonShip@ is free from 3-1 to 3-4. It sells your entire board and bench and gives you 6 gold and 8 rerolls. It's a full reset for a board that's going nowhere, and you can't get it with a 3-star or a long win streak.

The streak Wisps let you control your streak in stage 2. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Flood@ adds 1 to your win streak and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Drought@ adds 2 to your loss streak. In stage 3, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_GoodLoss@ costs 4 gold and gives 4 XP every time you lose over the next 3 fights, which pays off if you're losing those fights anyway.

@tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_FlipFrenzy@ is the trap that looks like a Gold Wisp. It costs 1 gold and keeps flipping coins until you hit tails. On average it pays back exactly 1 gold, so you're gambling for nothing. With @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Blossom@ it's free, and then it's fine.

Gambits only pay if you win your next fight. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_MinorGambit@ pays 2 gold and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_MajorGambit@ pays 8. Buy them when you know you'll win, not when you hope you will.

@tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_SinisterDeal@ is free. It takes 4 HP and gives 2 gold. In stage 2 that's a fine deal. It stops being one when your HP gets low.

Augments that work with Wisps

Three augments pay you for buying Wisps. They're worth taking when you already plan to buy one most rounds.

• @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_WispRebate@ gives 4 gold right away and 2 gold every time you buy a Wisp. The + version gives 8 gold right away.

• @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_ResidualMagic@ gives your team 60 Health, and every Wisp you buy adds 10 more. The + and ++ versions start at 75 and 90.

• @tft=set18:augment:DA_18_BlossomTraitAugment@ is the Blossom augment. It gives you a Yunara, a Yorick and a Karma, and every Wisp you buy after that also gives a random Blossom champion based on the Wisp's cost.

When to buy Wisps by stage

Stage 2. Take the free stuff: @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_CoinFlip@, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Truce@, the Jar Wisps, and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_SinisterDeal@ while your HP is high. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Experienced@ is worth its 1 gold. On a reroll comp, look for @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_StartingTown@. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_MinorPolymorph@ and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Polymorph@ are free too, so check your bench first.

Stages 3 and 4. Most of your Wisp decisions happen here. Protect your interest and only break it for a Wisp that saves you a roll or wins a fight that matters. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_BorderVillage@ and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_MiddlePath@ are the reroll comp picks. If you're below 10 gold between 4-1 and 5-7, look for the four free Wisps.

Stage 5 and on. Every other Wisp is now a Combat Wisp. Keep a few gold for the fights that decide your placement and buy the strongest Combat Wisp you can afford. Watch the HP bars. A Combat icon next to an opponent means they spent gold to win this round.

Common Wisp mistakes

• Buying Champion Wisps for units outside your comp.

• Breaking interest for Wisps that don't win a fight or save a roll.

• Rolling down on Wisp shops and forgetting you're only seeing 4 champions.

• Taking Wisps that cost HP when you're already low.

• Leaving units you care about on your bench when a Polymorph shows up.

• Ignoring the Wisp icons next to your opponents' HP bars.

Frequently asked questions

What are Wisps in TFT?

Wisps are the Set 18 mechanic. They're one-time effects you buy from the rightmost slot of your shop. They give combat buffs, gold, XP, champions, items or risky trades. They're an updated version of Charms from Set 12.

How many Wisps can you buy per round?

One. @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Blossom@ 9 raises that to two.

How often do Wisps appear?

In every other shop, or every shop with @tft=set18:trait:DA_18_Blossom@ 5. After stage 5, every other Wisp is a Combat Wisp.

Are Wisps worth buying?

Cheap gold and XP Wisps in stage 2 almost always are. Later, a Wisp is worth it when it beats what the same gold buys in XP or rerolls, or when it wins a fight that decides your placement.

Are there free Wisps?

Yes. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_CoinFlip@, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Truce@, the Jar Wisps and the Polymorphs are free in the early stages. @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_Drizzle@, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_GroveArmor@, @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_FoundBigFriend@ and @tft=set18:wisp:TFT18_Wisp_RoomForAShroom@ are free too, and show up from 4-1 through 5-7 when you have less than 10 gold.

Where can I see every Wisp?

Our Set 18 Wisps list has all of them with their cost and when they appear.