How to counter Graves in Teamfight Tactics (TFT)

Every time a new set comes out, a handful of units become the bane of Teamfight Tactics players. That, or they become your secret weapon to win. If Set 7.5 has given you a new distaste for Graves, feel free to check out our helpful tips to fight back against him. After all, you deserve to give this cannon-blaster a run for his money.

What does Graves do?

In this set, Graves is the 4-cost powerhouse of the Cannoneer trait. Many people use him as a lynchpin of Tempest builds or Darkflight Cannoneer. Armed with things like a Bloodthirster, Giantslayer, and Titan’s Resolve, he blasts and dashes across the board. The most irritating thing about Graves isn’t just his damage, but the fact he deals said damage and then darts across the board, making it hard to position your carries to crush him. However, that doesn’t mean you can do nothing about this troublesome tempest of a champion.

Related: How do Swain and the Darkflight Trait work in Teamfight Tactics (TFT)?

What are the best builds to counter Graves?

When it comes to hop-happy champions like Graves, the best way to fight against him is by building a strong Crowd Control (CC) team. This means having strong front-liners or carries who use their abilities to trap, stun, or knock up the enemy. These can pin Graves down and give your team the chance to knock him out before he gets dashing around the board again.

Some of the best builds for this include Astral Swiftshots, Guild Ragewing, and Jade Shapeshifters. These builds work because they each have a handful of units that can keep Graves in his place. For example, if you get a gold Varus with great items, you now have a heavy-hitting carry unit with one of the strongest CC tools in the game (his group snare ability).

If you want to play around with building your own anti-Graves team, some of the best CC units in the game include Zyra, Gnar, Rakan, Varus, Jayce, Hecarim, Zoe, Bard, Yasuo, Shyvana, and Terra.

What are the best items to counter Graves?

Previously, Frozen Heart would be the go-to way to deal with units like Graves. You send an assassin to the back-line, slow his movements, and have an easier time. However, since that’s not an option, your best choice is to help your carries survive Graves’ attention. Items like Edge of Night (survival), Hextech Gunblade (Omnivamp), Bloodthirster (Omnivamp), and Shroud of Stillness (mana delay) can postpone Graves’ devastation and help you beat him and his team back.