TFT Enchanted Wilds How to Play Elderwood
Placeable plants, not a Prismatic forest every game.
Elderwood is the Enchanted Wilds summon origin. Its power budget lives on hexes: Stonebark Trees, Lifeblooms, and later the Deepwood Protector occupy real board space, stun or buff based on where they sit, and scale with Elderwood star level. If you treat it like a stat vertical and copy a screenshot, a tree will replace your 4-cost and you will swear the trait is weak.
Use this with positioning for plant placement and the trait list for the stop-at-5 default. Patch 18.1 is live. 18.2 is September 10 and not out yet.
Who is Elderwood
Ornn, Xayah, Alistar, LeBlanc, Hecarim, Ezreal, Gnar, and Avatar Lux.
| Cost | Champion | Job |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ornn | Defender opener |
| 1 | Xayah | Fae / Rapidfire opener |
| 2 | Alistar | Brawler reroll front |
| 2 | LeBlanc | Spellweaver reroll |
| 3 | Hecarim | Vanguard |
| 4 | Ezreal | Executioner carry |
| 5 | Gnar | Transformer cap, also Sprykin / Brawler |
| 5 | Lux | Avatar +2 Elderwood |
You do not need Gnar to play the origin. A 5 Elderwood board with 2-star Ezreal and planted trees in the right pathing is a real game. Gnar and Maokai from the legendaries page are caps, not openers. Maokai is Old Growth, not Elderwood — splash him when you need a Health stacker, not because the name sounds woody.
Breakpoints
- 3 Elderwood: a Stonebark Tree and a Lifebloom. This is the splash. Take it whenever you already own three copies.
- 5 Elderwood: a second Stonebark Tree, and the trees gain Health. This is the default destination. Positioning skill lives here.
- 7 Elderwood: Deepwood Protector. A real board-presence spike. Only go here if 5 is already winning and the extra summon has a hex.
- 9 / 11: plants star up to 2-star then 3-star. Highlight boards. Average lobbies 8th chasing 11.
Plants also gain maximum Health and Ability Power with Elderwood star level. A 9-piece forest is crowded. Leave attack range for Ezreal and Xayah. Put the tree where it eats the first pathing, not on the carry corner.
How to place the forest
Frontline still occupies the first two rows. The tree belongs on the edge assassins walk, or in front of the carry if the opponent has a single-target dive. Lifebloom is a support plant — do not use it as a fake tank in the corner opposite the fight. If Ivern is also on the board, Greenfather hexes stack with Elderwood objects; that is a Fast 9 puzzle, not a Stage 2 plan. Details sit on positioning.
Scout other Elderwood players. Two forests mean contested Ornn and Ezreal and a board full of overlapping plants. If Riftbeast or Blossom is open, leave.
Lines that actually use it
Ezreal Fast 8. Stabilize on Ornn / Xayah / a 2-cost pair, hit 8, 2-star Ezreal. Itemize Executioner recipes — Infinity Edge, Last Whisper, or Shojin depending on the lobby — from the item recipes. Stop at Elderwood 5 unless Gnar is uncontested.
Alistar / LeBlanc reroll. 2-cost reroll into the origin. Only if copies are open and you can sit at 50 gold. Read reroll versus Fast 8 before you roll to zero looking for a third Alistar.
Gnar cap. Gnar links Elderwood, Sprykin, and Brawler. Mega Gnar is disruption plus a body. Buy him when 5 Elderwood is already online, not as a random legendary.
Avatar Lux as Elderwood counts twice and her live laser grants team Health on cast in patch 18.1. Buy the Lux that completes 5 or 7.
Common Elderwood mistakes
Covering the carry’s hex with a tree. Forcing 11 plants in a three-player contest. Itemizing Xayah as the forever carry when Ezreal is the plan. Ignoring Stage 5 Combat Wisps because “the plants will stun.” Plants do not replace a lost fight at 12 Health — how Wisps work.
If you cannot name where each plant stands before combat, you are not playing Elderwood. You are playing a crowded screenshot. Slam a tank item, place one tree on the dive path, and 4th.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for Enchanted Wilds players.
Should I always cap Elderwood at 9 or 11?
No. Patch 18.1 default is stop at 5 and add Ezreal, Gnar, or a legendary tank. Prismatic forests are win-more.
Is Gnar required?
No. He is the best capstone when uncontested. Ezreal Fast 8 is the standard line.
Where do I put the trees?
On the pathing you want to block, not on the carry. See positioning.
Is Maokai an Elderwood unit?
No. Maokai is Old Growth. Splash him as a tank; do not count him toward Elderwood breakpoints.