Dark Star Cho'Gath Slow Roll: 3-Star Frontline and 6 Dark Star Finish

Consider the line when you open with 2-star Cho'Gath, 2-star Lissandra, or clean components for Warmog's Armor, Spirit Visage, Jeweled Gauntlet, or Nashor's Tooth. Two of those signals are enough; lower ladder games can loosen the entry requirement.

The capped board is Cho'Gath, Ezreal, Lissandra, Mordekaiser, Pantheon, Kai'Sa, Galio, Karma, and Jhin for 6 Dark Star with Brawler, Mage, Voyager, Timebreaker, and Sniper splashes.

On level 5, bridge with Cho'Gath, Lissandra, Ezreal, and Pantheon, or play 4 Dark Star when that board is higher quality. Add Timebreaker on 6, then Brawler or Dark Star depth on 7. Without Emblem or Jhin, level 8 can use Riven or Galio first.

Once you have Dark Star Emblem or Jhin, play 6 Dark Star plus Pantheon and fill with Galio. Two-star Jhin can replace Ezreal; two-star Riven or itemized Kai'Sa can replace lower-quality fillers. Level 9 completes the standard board, with Rhaast as the extra-unit option.

Prioritize Dark Star Emblem. It can sit on Ezreal while you build the board, then move to Riven later. The goal is to reach the 6 Dark Star spike earlier and clean up the Mordekaiser, Ezreal, or Riven slot by quality.

Main tank Cho'Gath wants Warmog's Armor, Spirit Visage, and Iceblast Armor. Warmog's is the best early tank item and also increases his spell damage; Iceblast and Visage help him cast more often.

Main carry Lissandra wants Jeweled Gauntlet, Nashor's Tooth, and Striker's Flail. Jeweled Gauntlet plus one mana or attack-speed item is the baseline. Blue Buff or Spear of Shojin can replace Nashor's when components are awkward.

Karma is the secondary carry. Prioritize Void Staff and anti-heal, then put extra AP on Karma and extra AD on Kai'Sa or Jhin.

Build Cho'Gath and Lissandra items together. Early utility items should live on those two units first, then later you can optimize secondary carries and tanks.

Cho'Gath wants Warmog's first because it stabilizes early and later feeds the Dark Star black hole. His best follow-ups are Iceblast Armor and Spirit Visage; if you cannot use spare Magic Resist cleanly, Gargoyle Stoneplate or Dragon's Claw is fine.

Lissandra needs Jeweled Gauntlet plus a cast-speed item. Nashor's is ideal, while Blue Buff and Spear of Shojin are playable. Dawncore is a huge artifact upgrade, often stronger than a radiant item here.

For extra utility, prioritize Magic Resist shred because Cho'Gath and Lissandra both deal magic damage. Statikk Shiv is preferred over Ionic Spark, then add anti-heal.

This version avoids the Ezreal and Cho'Gath double-reroll line and instead plays Dark Star Cho'Gath. The data is steadier, Cho'Gath's huge Health feeds the black hole, and the cap is higher than a normal 6 Dark Star board.

The carry slot is flexible. Once Cho'Gath is 3-star, Lissandra does not have to be 3-star every game; Kai'Sa, Karma, or Jhin can carry extra items. The drawback is that 6 Dark Star is a real breakpoint, but the requirement is still easier than needing both Ezreal and Cho'Gath 3-star.

When frontline count is low, put Cho'Gath on the third hex from either side so corner units walk behind him and Lissandra can hit more targets. Keep the Dark Star black hole near the middle in TFT; putting it in the corner makes it easier for units like Master Yi to cut through.

First augment should usually be item or reroll economy. Later, prioritize augments that can produce Dark Star Emblem. If no Emblem appears, take combat power or more items. Loot Singularity is excellent for this comp, and Jhin-focused augments are playable when you need Jhin to unlock 6 Dark Star.

Varus and Yasuo are best. Yasuo is strong on every hex except the attack-speed one; choose the rest by the current carousel reward, item gaps, and economy pressure.

Do not level early. Drift through the opener, preserve economy, and use 3 Timebreaker plus Cho'Gath when your items are awkward.

Small roll on 3-1, then naturally level to 5 on 3-2 for 4 Brawler or 4 Dark Star. Slow roll for 3-star Cho'Gath and Lissandra. If Cho'Gath reaches roughly seven copies, you can roll deeper. If Lissandra is too far away, move AP items to Karma later and build another Dark Star carry.

After that, level for traits. With low HP, roll on 8 for Jhin and upgraded 4-costs to secure placement. With good HP, lightly roll for Tahm Kench and go 9. Once Jhin activates 6 Dark Star, the board is capped, and 3-star Cho'Gath gives the black hole a massive late-game Health pool.