Which gear sets and stats to build for each champion role

Knowing a champion's role is the quickest way to know how to build them. Damage dealers, debuffers, buffers and control champions each lean on a different handful of stats and sets. Get those right and most builds start to make sense.

Gear can now be swapped between champions at no cost, and the Gear Preset system makes the swap quick. That changes how you can play, and it is covered at the end.

Damage dealers

These are the most stat-hungry builds. The priorities, in order:

• C.RATE to 100%. It gives the biggest damage multiplier. C.RATE gloves get you there easily, while C.DMG gloves add more damage but need C.RATE substats on almost every other piece.
• SPD of 170-250. Damage dealers are usually your slowest champion, but they still need to act before they die. Aim for 170 early, 220 mid-game, 250 late-game and 300+ end-game.
• C.DMG of 150-300%: 150% early, 200% mid-game, 250% late-game and 300% end-game.
• ATK, DEF or HP, whichever your skills actually scale from, balanced against C.DMG.

Ignore DEF is what makes a damage set good. Savage adds 25% Ignore DEF as a 4-piece. Lethal adds 25% Ignore DEF plus 12% C.RATE, making it the best 4-piece option. Merciless gives 35% Ignore DEF at 6 pieces. For 2-piece sets, Cruel gives 15% ATK and 5% Ignore DEF, while Zeal gives 20% C.DMG and extra damage based on remaining HP, and is the best 2-piece choice.

Debuffers

Debuffers are much easier to build than damage dealers. ACC comes first: 200, 350 or 500 for early, mid and late game. Aim for about 25 ACC above the enemy's RES to land debuffs 95% of the time. SPD comes next at 200, 250 or 300, so debuffs go on early and stay up. After that, put spare stats into HP or DEF so they survive.

Useful sets are Speed (12% SPD), Accuracy (40 ACC) and Perception (5% SPD and 40 ACC, a direct upgrade on the first two). Feral is a direct upgrade on Perception, with a 9-piece bonus of 5% damage per debuff placed. Reflex gives a 40% chance to reduce a random skill cooldown each turn, which helps keep debuffs up.

Buffers

Buffers have one key stat: SPD. They need to go first so buffs are active when allies act. Aim for 200 early, 280 mid-game, 350 late-game and 400+ end-game. Many also build defensive stats, and if a heal or shield scales off HP or DEF, that becomes a secondary priority. A support that also debuffs needs ACC as well.

Good sets include Speed, Regeneration (a 4-piece that heals each turn), Reflex and Relentless (an 18% chance of an extra turn). Protection is a variable set with a 9-piece bonus of 5% damage per buff placed.

Control

Control champions are debuffers who stop enemies taking turns. Build enough ACC for your effects to land, at 200, 350 or 500, then fit in as much SPD as possible: 200, 300 or 400. Speed, Accuracy, Perception and Reflex all work here. Supersonic is a variable set with a 4-piece bonus of 2% turn meter for every buff the enemy receives.

Using gear presets

Because swapping is free, you no longer have to gear every champion at once. Keep a preset for your best ATK damage dealer gear and move it each day to the right champion from each faction. That should let you get further in Faction Wars with the gear you already own.