TL;DR — A complete leveling and econ reference for TFT: the exact level-by-stage benchmarks for win, loss, and mixed streaks, plus roll-down patterns for 1-, 2-, and 3-cost reroll comps and the interest thresholds that govern your econ. Match your leveling pattern to your game state.
Your leveling pattern should match your game state — aggressive when you’re win streaking, early rolls when you’re bleeding, cheap and efficient when you’re mixed. This is the benchmark sheet for all of it.
Introduction
Standard leveling is the most popular way to play TFT — playing around 4-cost units. It’s great for comps that like to reach Level 8 or 9 quickly (Fast 8 or Fast 9).
This guide covers:
Leveling patterns for win streaks, loss streaks, and mixed streaks.
Reroll strategies for 1-cost, 2-cost, and 3-cost carries.
General econ tips and interest thresholds.
Part 1 — The Three Early-Game Scenarios
Scenario
Description
Gold/HP outcome
Win streak
The best case.
The most health and the most gold.
Loss streak
A consistent option.
Good gold, low HP.
Mixed streak
Win-lose-win-lose.
The worst outcome — low gold, average HP.
Part 2 — Win-Streak Leveling
The Benchmark
Stage
Level
Condition
2-1
Level 4
—
2-5
Level 5
—
3-1
Level 6
—
3-5
Level 7
30+ gold
4-2
Level 8
—
5-2
Level 9
—
Key Principles
Principle
Why
Push levels aggressively
Access higher-tier units and maintain your streak.
Roll on 3-1 or 3-5
If you have pairs.
Roll the majority at Level 8
On the 4-2 spike.
Fast 9
Roll very little — just enough for upgrades.
Level 8 Roll-Down Goals
Priority
Units to hit
1
A few 4-cost 1-stars.
2
Maybe a 5-cost.
3
Ideally a 2-star 4-cost.
If you hit a 2-star 4-cost: You can easily go Level 9 on 5-2.
If you roll a lot on Level 8: Level 9 may be delayed to 5-5 — not a big deal.
Leverage Your Health
On a win streak:
Leverage your health to hit Level 9 before others.
In some cases, you can hit Level 9 as early as 4-5.
Key insight — Win streaking is the best outcome. When you get one, make the most of it.
Part 3 — Loss-Streak Leveling
The Benchmark
Stage
Level
Condition
2-3
Level 4
—
2-7
Level 5
—
3-2
Level 6
—
3-5
Level 7
40+ gold
4-1
Level 8
—
5-5
Level 9
—
Why the Timings Are Different
Difference
Why
Level to 8 on 4-1
Roll before the win-streakers.
Preserve HP
Play around your health pool more conservatively.
A big roll-down
Save crucial HP in Stage 4.
Stage 4 has the most pivotal fights in the game.
The Risk Strategy
Situation
Action
A super-good econ augment or econ portal
Go straight to Level 9 on 4-5.
Only recommended when Fast 9 is in the meta.
Part 4 — Mixed-Streak Leveling
The Worst Outcome
Problem
Why
Less gold than win streaking
No win-streak bonus.
Less gold than lose streaking
No loss-streak bonus.
The most difficult games
You must be extremely efficient.
Leveling Timings (Mixed Streak)
Stage
Level
Decision
2-1 or 2-3
Level 4
Depends on strength.
2-5 or 3-1
Level 5
Depends on strength.
3-2
Level 6
—
3-5 or 4-1
Level 7
Depends on gold.
4-2
Level 8
—
5-5 or 6-1
Level 9
Depends on the game.
The Most Important Decision
Leveling to 4 or 5 during Stage 2.
Action
Why
Be extremely efficient
There’s no extra income from streaking.
Play cheaper comps
Alleviate the gold deficit.
Vertical comps
Many 1/2-cost units.
Examples: affordable, vertical comps built around many low-cost units.
Strategy for Mixed Streak
Goal
Why
Play for top 4
It’s hard to win out.
Stay strong in Stage 4
Beat the lose-streak players.
Knock players out
Prevent them from capitalizing on their gold advantage.
Advantage — You have a small health advantage over the lose-streak players.
Part 5 — 1-Cost Reroll
The Strategy
Stage
Action
Stage 2
Do NOT press the level button.
Stage 2
Pick up all the 1-cost units you want.
3-1
Roll down (50-60 gold ideal).
Rolling on 3-1
Gold
Action
50-60 gold
Roll to ~32 gold.
7-8 copies
Dig deeper (your last chance at Level 4).
Why 3-1 is critical
It’s the last time you’ll be Level 4.
After Level 5, the odds of hitting 1-costs drop significantly.
Stage 3-5 Decision
Situation
Action
Close to a 3-star
Aggressively roll past 50 gold.
Not close
Econ back up.
Why — Hitting the 3-star and winning two rounds gives you extra life and griefs players who went Level 7 early.
After Hitting a 3-Star
Phase
Action
Post-hit
Level up.
Goal
Add units sharing traits.
Gold after the hit
Dedicate it to leveling.
Note — 1-cost rerolls don’t cap as high as 4/5-cost boards. Winning Stage 2-3 and early Stage 4 is crucial.
Part 6 — 2-Cost Reroll
Two Ways to Play
Start
Leveling pattern
Loss streak
4 at 2-3, 5 at 2-7, 6 at 3-2 → stabilize at 3-2 → slow-roll at 6.
Win/mixed
4 at 2-1, 5 at 2-5, 6 at 3-2 → 3-star → Level 7+.
Loss-Streak Pattern
Stage
Level
Action
2-3
Level 4
—
2-7
Level 5
—
3-2
Level 6
Stabilize.
Post-hit
Level 7
Stage 4.
Stage 5
Level 8
—
Stage 6
Level 9
—
Win/Mixed Pattern
Stage
Level
Condition
2-1
Level 4
If strong.
2-5
Level 5
If strong.
3-2
Level 6
—
After 3-star
Level 7
—
Only level if you have:
A copy of the unit.
A slammable item.
A good augment.
Part 7 — 3-Cost Reroll
Loss-Streak Pattern
Stage
Level
Condition
2-3
Level 4
—
2-7
Level 5
—
3-2
Level 6
—
3-5
Level 7
40+ gold
After the 3-5 Roll-Down
Goal
Action
Stabilize
Roll for a 2-star 3-cost.
Econ back up
Save gold.
Slow-roll
Until you 3-star.
After 3-star
Level to 8.
Win/Mixed Pattern
Stage
Level
Condition
2-1
Level 4
If strong.
2-5
Level 5
If strong.
3-2
Level 6
—
3-5 or 4-1
Level 7
Econ augment = 3-5; no econ = 4-1.
Key Conditions
Condition
Why
An artifact item
Encourages forcing the reroll.
A copy of the unit early
A good start.
A good augment
Synergy with the comp.
Part 8 — General Econ Tips
The Three Ways to Spend Gold
Option
Best when
Save
You need to roll at a specific level / you’re healthy / strong board.
Roll
To preserve health / you have pairs / you’re at the optimal level.
Level
You need an extra unit / need to roll for a specific cost / have too much gold.
Win streak → push levels aggressively and leverage your health.
Loss streak → roll on 4-1, before the win-streakers.
Mixed streak → be efficient and play affordable comps.
Reroll → stay at your optimal level and roll at the key breakpoints.
The Key Insight
Your leveling pattern should match your game state:
State
Strategy
Win streaking
Level aggressively.
Loss streaking
Roll early to preserve HP.
Mixed streak
Play cheap comps; aim for top 4.
Rerolling
Stay at the optimal level and roll down.
Good luck on the Convergence — and may your leveling be perfect.
Frequently asked questions
When should you level in TFT on a win streak?
On a win streak, hit Level 4 at 2-1, 5 at 2-5, 6 at 3-1, 7 at 3-5 (30+ gold), 8 at 4-2, and 9 at 5-2. Push levels aggressively and leverage your health to reach Level 9 before others, sometimes as early as 4-5.
What are the TFT interest thresholds?
You earn +1 interest gold for every 10 gold banked, up to a cap of +5: 10 gold gives +1, 20 gives +2, 30 gives +3, 40 gives +4, and 50 gives +5.
What level should you roll for a 1-cost reroll comp?
Stay at Level 4. Do not press the level button in Stage 2, pick up the 1-costs you want, then roll down on 3-1 (50-60 gold ideal) to about 32 gold. 3-1 is your last time at Level 4, and after Level 5 the odds of hitting 1-costs drop significantly.
How this guide was made: researched, drafted or edited with AI tools from MadeByKeo's notes, Riot's own sources and
our own data. MadeByKeo decides what is published. How we make guides
Put this into practice
Set 18 comps tier list: every live comp ranked by tier, with carries, items and the full board.
TFTSense features: what the coach calls during a game, read from your screen.