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Master Yi Build Guide by

Master Yi

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0 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author Jessterr

Master Yi Build Guide By Updated on

Guide Discussion More Master Yi Guides

Choose Champion Build:

Spells:

Flash

Exhaust

Ability Order

Master Yi Passive Ability

Introduction

This build is for Jungling with Master Yi. Master Yi is roughly the same whether he starts on lane or in the jungle. The exception is mostly in the order of items taken.
This build focuses on

Armor penetration
Attack Damage
Critical hit chance
Very little defensive options

Runes

Greater Mark of Desolation and Greater Quintessence of Desolation

High amount of armor penetration at the start of the game
Will help you deal much higher damage against enemies with low armor.
Results in much higher damage dealt than taking flat attack damage runes.

Will help you survive early game threats
No better options available

Will help against spells a minor amount throughout the game.
No better options available (even cooldown reduction is bad for Master Yi
Very little impact at the start of the game.
It can become useless since most AP based champions build Magic Penetration items

Masteries

Offensive Masteries

Summoner's Wrath gives Exhaust another 10% Armor penetration; making it more useful against tanks.
Brute force is filled in to get to the next tie

Tier 2

Take Alacrity so you can progress to Weapon Expertise in third tier.

Tier 3

Weapon Expertise's 10% Armor Penetration is amazing through the whole game but it works best against enemies with high armor.
Deadliness is very good since your build is based on critical strikes.

Tier 4

Lethality is great combination with Infinity Edge.
Vampirism isn't noticeable early game because of lower damage, but stacks great mid-late game with lifesteal items.

Tier 5

Combined with runes this will make your damage more like true damage when fighting enemies with low armor.

Tier 6

Most games this will get you another 20 to 40 damage; as long as you're focusing targets with low hp.

Defense Masteries

Extra Armor and Magic Resist is alright. These bonuses are mostly to help protect Master Yi at early levels and stack well with the runes above.

Tier 2

Gives 108 health at level 18. Nothing to scoff at.

Tier 3

30 Health at the start of the game helps Master Yi survive embarrassing gank situations.

Skill Sequence

A very good passive. This will happen very often with Master Yi's high attack speed.
Attack minions until double strike is ready before you attack an enemy champion.

Great for harassing (bringing enemy health down without directly engaging them).
Amazing for farming gold (by killing either lane or jungle minions).
Can rarely be used to escape.
Max this skill second (other than taking Meditate at level 4).

Amazing damage boost throughout the whole game.
Great when used in combination with Double Strike.
Max this skill out as soon as possible.

Grants a high amount of armor and magic resistance.
Can be used to reduce the damage from a single spell or to weather enemy attacks for a couple seconds. Also great against abilities that you can't dodge (example: Karthus' Requiem.)
Great when fighting with teammates when the enemy targets you first. Use this to make them waste abilities on you. If they change targets because of Meditate just end it and attack.
Useful, but not as much as your other abilities. Take a rank at level 4 and then Max this skill last.

Great escaping and chasing tool. It grants increased movement speed and you are unable to be slowed. Watch out for being rooted in place (example: Varus' Chain of Corruption.)
Cooldowns will reset after killing an enemy or be reduced by half after earning an assist.
IN rare situations can allow you to have Wuju Style's active and passive abilities affecting you at the same time.
Max this before all other abilities (levels 6, 11, 16)

Items

Purchased early in the game to maximize damage output.
The damage output of Highlander is useless unless you also have high attack damage.

Taken next because it is a cheap attack speed boost.
Purchase this before Infinity Edge if you need the extra movement speed to escape harassment.

Provides attack damage, armor, and lifesteal. Good offensive and defensive.
Use it to place wards at key locations. This item can help deter enemy ganks by placing this in the bushes by the river and it can detect when the enemy is going for a Dragon or Baron kill. I suggest placing it at baron a little early if you are losing.

At this point the bonus movement speed and attack speed will mean more to Master Yi now that he has some real damage output.

Purchase this next for extra health and to slow enemies on every melee attack. Great for chasing.
Until this item is purchased you should focus on getting the red buff (as long as no one else needs it more) before team fights so that your attacks will slow enemies.

Last Item Slot:

This will help you against high armored tanks.

Buy this when being targeted heavily by crowd controls. Make sure you are able to quickly use this item once affected by a CC that you want to cleanse. If you can't do this then I suggest Banshee's veil instead.

This will be the most help when the enemy has one person with a single targeted cc, stun, or high damage spell. I would only rely on it if there are only 1 or 2 CCers on the enemy team.

Jungling Guide

For a more in-depth guide on how to jungle with Yi I use Zoki's Yi, The Master of Disaster.

I start taking on the Blue Buff Golem. After getting blue I move down and get Wolves, Wraiths, Golems, and then Red buff. The main job of a jungler is to gank early and often. The enemy isn't always aware of your position. Watch for enemies that stay on lane at low health, or are pushing too far away from their tower. Make sure you co-ordinate with your team. I usually start ganking at level 4, but sometimes as early as 3.