Why Fishbones Isn’t the Best Choice for Jinx in Team Fight Tactics (TFT)

As a seasoned TFT player with countless hours spent mastering the intricacies of this captivating game, I find myself drawn to thought-provoking discussions such as the one surrounding Fishbones and its compatibility with Jinx.

In the ever-changing world of Team Fight Tactics (TFT), the success of each game hinges on strategy, fitting items together, and choosing champions that work well together. A current post in the TFT subreddit explores the efficiency of a specific item, Fishbones, when used on Jinx, a champion designed for single-target damage. The author, Annuitized, shares an instance where they placed highly using a full Hunter Wukong team, but observed a substantial decrease in Jinx’s overall damage once armed with Fishbones rather than her standard item setup. This led to a vibrant debate among players about the usefulness of this item on Jinx and the ideal way to equip her with items.

Why is Fishbones so bad on Jinx?
byu/Annuitized inTeamfightTactics

Summary

A player experienced a disappointing performance with Jinx after equipping her with Fishbones.
Discussion centered on why Fishbones doesn’t synergize well with Jinx’s kit.
Community members provided insights regarding the champions’ ability mechanics and the nature of the item.
There was a general consensus that Fishbones is better suited for burst champions rather than hyper carries.

Understanding Jinx’s Mechanics

To determine if Fishbones is not suitable for Jinx, let’s initially analyze her abilities. Jinx specializes in dealing massive damage to individual targets and has a passive that resets her abilities upon getting a kill, making it easier for her to escalate her attacks during fights. However, when assessing the compatibility of an item with a champion, it’s essential to look beyond just the numerical values; one should also consider the champion’s skills and how they work within a team fight setting. For instance, some players have pointed out that “Jinx’s abilities activate after she gets a kill, her passive triggers after she gets a kill. Wait a minute, could there be any problems when she equips an item that intentionally diverts her attention from her current target?” The main problem lies in the way Fishbones affects attack priorities and overall damage distribution.

The Role of Fishbones

Fishbones is often praised for its ability to quickly eliminate opponents, making it a preferred choice for characters who excel in delivering high-impact, swift attacks – much like a sniper focusing on a lone backliner. A user pointed out that “Fishbones is an item designed for burst champions to one-shot backline targets; however, giving it to Jinx doesn’t align with her attack speed when cast.” This statement summarizes the main point: Jinx performs poorly in scenarios where her damage is spread among multiple targets due to the delay it causes in obtaining the first kill and utilizing her resets. Advocates for burst champions such as Veigar or Ahri, who benefit from burst damage for taking down backline opponents, argue that Fishbones complements their playstyle effectively. On the other hand, Jinx’s gameplay is centered around sustained damage output, which makes Fishbones an inappropriate choice for her.

Community Reactions

The subreddit thread blossomed into a thorough analysis of Jinx and her itemization by various community members. User GalaSerpico brought attention to Hunter trait mechanics. They stated, “A lot of Hunter’s trait power is locked behind the attack damage bonus they get after killing a unit. If she’s spreading her damage with Fishbones, it slows getting that initial kill down and can negatively snowball in the fight as a result.” This perspective resonated with other players, who reiterated that spreading damage often hampers units that rely on hyperscaling, especially when Jinx’s primary strength lies in her synergy with Hunter traits, which are best utilized when she closes in on a target with a higher single-target focus.

Potential Alternatives

Players are increasingly questioning whether Fishbones is the best choice for Jinx, and are instead investigating other items that could raise her damage potential. Items like Hurricane or Infinity Edge have been praised for increasing her attack speed and critical strike damage, helping her maintain her role as a carry throughout mid-game and into late-game battles. The importance of focusing on Jinx’s strengths – rapid attacks and targeting abilities rather than spreading damage – is emphasized by comments such as “No consistent kills mean no Hunter procs and no Jinx ult reset.” By building items that boost attack speed and critical strike chance, players might discover that Jinx remains just as powerful, if not more so.

Final Thoughts

The debate about how well Fishbones and Jinx work together in Team Fight Tactics shows off the intricacies of character optimization, abilities, and play styles. While Fishbones can be quite effective on champions built for quick damage, examining Jinx’s role explains why some players have found less success when they choose items involving her. These discussions within the gaming community underscore how rapidly TFT is changing, as players are always evaluating strategies based on character interactions, item choices, and a bit of luck. With so much interconnected action happening, the insights shared by the community are incredibly useful, giving dedicated gamers a chance to refine their strategies and challenge traditional beliefs about which items work best.

2024-09-13 19:58