Bulls0717 here, a Set 2 challenger player who is currently Grandmaster.
Brawler Blaster is a staple comp of this set that has risen in popularity the last couple of patches. This patch, Brawler Blaster feels especially strong and has become my favorite comp.
Table Of Contents
Strengths
Simple to play – You will generally use the exact same units every game, so you can learn what units to look for very quickly
Strong early game – Blasters are one of the best early game synergies and with a Red Buff or Giant Slayer can win streak well into Stage 4
Strong anti-meta comp – Brawler Blaster is a great matchup into many of popular comps right now
Weaknesses
No immediate damage source – Jinx has to takedown 2 units before you really have a strong damage source
Positioning-heavy comp – Brawler Blaster can be difficult to play in the late game because you have to constantly be changing your positioning to keep Jinx and Miss Fortune safe
Items
Carousel Priority
First Carousel
Chain/Belt
Bow/Sword
Glove/Cloak
Rod/ Tear
Prioritize Jinx items, later on into the game you can begin to look for Miss Fortune items.
Key Items
Jinx
2-3 Offensive and 0-1 Defensive Item
Offensive: GS + Red Buff > IE + LW (Deathblade also seems strong right now)
Defensive: Trap Claw > GA > QSS
Jinx uses on-hit items extremely well with her high attack speed and the Blaster trait. I personally prefer GS + Red buff, but Last Whisper is becoming more popular on Jinx recently.
Miss Fortune
2 Offensive and 1 Defensive
Offensive: Seraphs > AP items > Tear items
Defensive: QSS > Trap Claw > GA
Miss Fortune wants to ult as soon as possible while also putting out maximum damage. Because her ult can be interrupted, QSS and Trap Claw are essential for MF to reliably put out damage.
Rebel MF is also very strong
Other Items
Ionic Spark and Frozen Heart on Vi >> Zephyr > Zz’rot
Strategy
Early Game (Stage 1 & 2)
Brawler Blaster prefers to win streak early-game. You should be leveling to 4 at 2-1 or 2-2 every game and always be playing your strongest possible board. Ideally, you’ll have either a Red Buff or Giant Slayer to carry your early game.
You should be playing your strongest board early. An ideal board would look like the one above, but sometimes you won’t have 2 Blasters early on. Playing TF + Cait with one of them holding items is also a strong early game.
Mid Game (Stage 3 & 4)
The mid-game of Brawler Blasters is relatively simple. You should continue playing your strongest board. Hopefully, by this point in the game, you have some 2-star Blasters and can potentially even be playing 4 Brawlers.
Lucian should be holding items for Jinx throughout the mid-game. You can also play 3 Cybers temporarily if you find an early Vi 2*. Continue to play as aggressively as possible. Leveling to 6 should always be done at 3-1 or 3-2. If you really want to push your win streak, consider leveling to 7 after the Stage 3 carousel.
Late Game (Stage 5+)
The late game of Brawler Blasters should look nearly identical every time. The only exceptions being if you don’t hit Miss Fortune or you find a Rebel spatula. The board above shows standard positioning and what a typical level 8 board would look like. At level 9, you should add either Rebel or Valkyrie.
Variants and Positioning
Brawler Blaster is a very positioning heavy comp. You need to constantly be scouting to see if there’s anything you can do that can change a fight. Vi and Blitz positioning can be important if you are able to hit carries with them. Another thing to think about is positioning for Jinx to reset as fast as possible.
Because Jinx needs 2 resets to really become a carry, you want to get resets early on in the fight. Blitzcrank allows Jinx 1 free reset every fight, but you should be scouting to see if Blitzcrank is ulting units with a QSS/Trap Claw. If Blitzcrank is ulting a unit with one of these items you should be swapping sides. Keeping Jinx and Miss Fortune safe should be your top priority when playing this comp.