Items in TFT: how to build them and who to give them to

The numbers come from high elo:

Set 18 Patch 18.5 77,232 high-elo games Games from 6 Oct to 20 Oct

Items turn a regular unit into the carry that wins the game or the tank that holds it together. Almost all of them are built from two components, and each unit can hold at most three items.

The components

These are the set’s components; each page shows everything you can build with it:

Who to give them to

Damage items on the carry. The unit that deals your comp’s damage should hold three damage items that suit it. Every comp page shows its carry’s most used build.
Defensive items on the frontline. Your tanks last longer and buy time for the carry.
An item, once placed, isn’t easy to remove. Before you place it, think about whether that unit will still be on your board at the end.

Slam early or hold

Building items early makes your board stronger and saves you health; holding components lets you choose once you know which comp you’ll play. The usual approach is to build the ones that work on almost any carry and hold the ones that only fit certain units.

The most versatile items this set

Completed items held by the most different champions in high elo:

Gargoyle Stoneplate · used by 23 champions
Giant Slayer · used by 23 champions
Spirit Visage · used by 23 champions
Warmog's Armor · used by 23 champions
Spear of Shojin · used by 22 champions

The full list, with recipes and who holds each one, is in items.

How TFT Coach helps

The in-game coach checks the items on your board: if you give a champion an item it holds in less than 5% of its high elo games, it warns you, shows you its recommended items and tells you which unit on your board (or in your target comp) it would suit better. After the game, My matches compares your carry’s items with the most used build.