Staying flexible
Early on, hold the pieces that fit many comps. Carries and finished items close doors; shared units and components keep them open.
Checked for patch 18.4. The numbers come from the live Set 18 data and follow every patch.
The idea
Early in a game you know less than you ever will again: which items will drop, which upgrades you will hit, which lines the lobby will leave open. Staying flexible means holding the pieces that keep the most of those games alive, and letting go of them once the game shows you which one is yours.
Pieces are not equally flexible. Most components fit almost any comp, a finished item fewer, a carry only a handful. Frontline units, and units whose traits several comps run, sit on many boards. Among the 71 current comps, Yorick fits 30, counted the way the comp finder counts: on the final board, in the early game or in one of a comp's flex slots. The carries of the most played comps fit between 8 and 14.
So in the early stages, play your strongest board with whatever you have, and keep the bench for pairs of units that fit several comps. Finish items that win fights now and that many comps use (Warmog's Armor goes into 60 of them), and hold the components that would only fit one carry.
Flexibility has a price. The bench runs out, and gold sitting in pairs earns no interest. Stay open too long and you end with a board that is half of two comps: boards with one of their comp's core traits short made top four 51% of the time, against 59% with the traits full. Flex until the game points one way, then stop.
See it live
The units and finished items the most current comps use. Tap what you hold and watch how many comps still use all of it.
Units most comps play
Finished items most comps use
Counted the way the comp finder on the comps page matches your spot: a unit counts when the comp plays it on its board, early on or in a flex slot, an item when the comp builds it on any unit.
The rule of thumb
Hold the pieces that fit many comps until the game picks one for you, then let the rest go.
Check yourself
Which of these units fits the most current comps?
Pick an answer.