Unfortunately, the last patches nerf some important items which Yorick used, unbalancing him to very low. I was trying to balance it with some other good items which can use it, but now on the patch 6.9 we reach another 3 MAIN ITEMS NERFED, without them yorick gonna be very low.
I could nothing do anymore right now, so for the moment I am going to Archive the guide until the final yorick rework or some main items get restored to work like before.

The same like you, mid-game season is going to make lots of changes, and maybe is going to be somehow in Yorick's advantages.
And agree with you, Corrupting Potion got a nice mana buff :)

Unfortunate hit to IbG, but Corrupting Potion is a nice mana buff and really looking forward to Tear changes.

I hope too, and It will, sooner or later...
We will keep a vivid memory to Maw... :(

RIP Maw.
Let's hope the rework actually happens considering Taric is a thing now.

Hello again :)
Yorick's one of the biggest problem it's the lack of gaping closer to a target.
Many enemies avoid fighting in 1 vs 1 situation, and they're running all the time.
Yorick's Q stacked with black cleaver gives you a "burst of movement speed" more that enough to gap them as fast as you can. But if the enemy champion is ranged or have low cd movement and gap abilities like kassadin, maybe ezreal with blue build, and some other champions, avoid to chase them, if you're not aware that is going to be a safe kill.
Once yorick's ghouls are out (these stand for 5 seconds maximum except your ultimate), he lose his "ace from the hand", which is an increased damage and absorption while ghouls are active.
Although, E gives you pretty sustain while your Q gives you huge burst after mid-game, with it's standard build, with the stack of extra movement speed, slowing the enemy target with W letting you run in a point.
The "hit and run" tactics are attacking an enemy target, like an AD carry or low HP / total health enemy, slowing with W damaging with E as second time if he started to damage you back for burst and to steal this life, and in a matter of second, you just got closer hitting with "Q", your huge burster, giving you after that the mobility you need to run if there's another enemies around, or to chase the enemy escape with low HP / having escape tools and mechanics.

One simple example one of my videos, named "Yorick, insane damage and life steal", where i made a quadra solo with these tactics.

That's why i'm trying to focus on a burster build, but things can be changed during on situation.

For example, if you fight on 1 vs 1 against a feeded tryndamere, if you are tanky you will fall in a matter of second because of his crits and because your damage is not high enough to fight back. But if you have this burst build, he deal insane damage to you, but the same happen for you to deal to him, and of course stealing insane amount of life. In case he have his ultimate, your "W" ghoul, your Q movement speed and additional FLASH if you have and he gap closer, gives you more that enough insane mobility to trick him while his ultimate is going down (or ignite is doing it's job on a matter of second / 1.5 seconds after he used his ultimate).
I succeed it many times, and yes if you play against tryndamere, IGNITE is mandatory!

Don't hesitate to use your "Q" on minions for the extra burst speed.

There are many ways to trick, gap, escape and "kill and run" with yorick, even if he doesn't have any abilities that helps him do that except hi's Q movement speed and somehow his W aoe slow.

Btw. dive your ultimate into the enemy turret and go in, because the turret aggro your ultimate and you can secure a kill if it's safe to do (low enemy hp).


Well, as a very short answer, his "Q" mobility is his GAP / escape main skill, while his "W" increase his odds.


Any other further questions, please ask me. I will glad answer :)

Thanks for the detailed and quick reply. :)
Your response has helped me better understand your goal with this build of Yorick, especially with the "burst to 'kill and run'" quote. Should I be trying to keep my fights with Yorick as short as possible? I noticed whenever I ran a burst damage Yorick I would have an advantage at the start of a fight, but somehow lose it when I continued to chase that target. It makes sense, considering how his passive works.
In other words, How should a Yorick fight in both 1v1 and teamfight situations?

Hello and thanks for your time to write here.

I am sorry that there wasn't enough details about situational items.
To be fair, according to the first 3 items, like black cleaver, boots on swiftness and manamure are absolutely mandatory items in any kind of yorick game.

But item like Manamure can be built later as well, and according to situational items, like Dead Man's Plate, Can be built earlier, and you can go somehow for a tanky Yorick, but everything is at your risk, since you will not have anymore the burst from the original build.


On my experience with Yorick, if you want to go for an earlier tankiness Yorick because of the enemy team, you should do something like:

* 1st recall: Phage (part of black cleaver, and don't end the item yet)

- Boots of Swiftness (standard guide boots) or Mercury's Treads (AP threat) or Ninja Tabi (AD Threat) - These are additional boots only and i recommend building them only if they have big ad or ap threat which must be countered somehow.
- Dead Man's Plate (AD Threat) or Spirit Visage (AP Threat)
- End Black Cleaver

Until now you have a balance of AD / tank against a threat.

Next you should go for Iceborn Gauntlet if they have an AD threat ( for bonus ARMOR) or Maw of Malmortius (for bonus Magic Resist, if they have AP Threat).

Normally you should go for both for maximum burst... But now you won't do it.

As the last item just go for Guardian Angel or Warmog's Armor for maximum health tankiness recommended for yorick (without to give up to burst you have).


YOU HAVE 5 ITEMS NOW;
Muramana you build whenever you think you can do it without to have problems against other champions. You can do it earlier, or later. But I don't prefer it as the last item since Yorick depends on it's mana and somehow from the damage it gives.


That's some combination I tried before for a tanky build, and it's works somehow, gives you some more tanky sustains during the game, but your damage output is much lower. You just have to stick with the team most of the time, to avoid 1 vs. X players alone, since you don't have anymore the burst to "kill and run".

Anyway, I hope it helps you and you understand little about, in the future I will try to add more information about a tanky sustain YORICK, but for now, everything I tried works, but only as "BETA TEST".

The point I didn't add it in the guide is because I was going only for instant burst and life steal sustain Yorick, which gives you the real potential of wiping the enemies, while with a tanky Yorick you are dependent of your team, somehow...

Thanks again for your time, and if you have more questions, please do not hesitate to write me.

My greetings;
Xplor

Could you elaborate on your situational items? I don't understand is what items are absolutely mandatory to playing Yorick and which ones can be substituted in case of a bad match-up.

For example, are the situational items only meant to substitute the last two items of your build, or could one of the tank items be built first like Dead Man's Plate instead of going straight into Black Cleaver and Boots of Swiftness.

Hello again. Now I noticed, I didn't give much importance before to warlod's bloodlust, all i've seen here is the not updated version. I see in game the updated one;
It can definitely fit into late game with Maw's passive gaining crazy life steal when you have low HP and with your E.
This is definitely worth trying, and I will make some games with yorick only to try this perk.
Sorry again for taking notes only from mobafire's links, which is not updated.

About ghouls, they get 35% of your AA and HP, the HP decading 20% per second and lasting for 5 seconds.
It stacks, but there's Death Dance which is mostly under rated...
Here goes better in my opinion, and much better, Guinsoo's Rageblade stacking with fervor of battle instead of Death Dance, but there are pros and cons again.
But I will definitely try some games with the updated Warlord's bloodlust.
I will come later with the results... :D

Hey, its me again =)

Wardlords bloodlust got reworked dude, since patch 6.4:
http://leagueoflegends.wikia.com/wiki/Warlord's_Bloodlust_(Season_2016_Mastery)
No more crits needet :->

Thats why i was wondering, but its only on AA and i read that Death Dance is not so good on Yorick, because the ghouls dmg does NOT count as your dmg, so you wont get any lifesteal from it :(

Hello and thank you so much for your support.

-To be fair, Warlords Bloodlust heals you for a percent only when you proc critical strike.
-Is not worth going on that perk since none of the items gives you critical chance.

But let's speak about Death's Dance:

-It's a good pick through, but to be fair this item is pure ad with some life steal, something similar with Ravenous Hydra, with different passive (the AoE). Hydra have also lower Life Steal (about 12% on Hydra and 15% on Death's Dance)
Although, the 15% taken damage which turns into a bleed is a good point too, because instead of taking fatal damage in some situations, your bleed gives you maybe enough time to proc some life steal.

-But at this point, this item is not a "must have it" on Yorick, but can be framed into "situational items".

-The main item list on Yorick which are on guide have more benefits which are crucial for this champ (stacking movement speed Q with Black Cleaver, CDR to proc ghouls for dmg reduction and bursts, mana pool with damage burst from muramana, one hit from iceborn with aoe slow, armor penetration with saving shield and LS / AS from maw, etc) but there can be situational as 6th item since Spirit Visage is just an situational item picked as the last one and is not mandatory, and can be replaced with Death's Dance or any other situational items.

-But up to 6th item, I prefer the standard build which is unique and the status and passive which proc from these items are crucial for Yorick.
In the further games I will try this item to check it's capability, but my personal opinion, is gonna be something similar to Hydra, and I can focus to frame it on situational items.

-On late game, the poke from "E", it's life steal and ghoul's LS is more that enough for a long time sustain in lane and burst in combat.

-I will keep it updated with further "Yorick Experiments", but there are too many items to consider which can be good for this champion. The list I picked it's absolutely unique.
Thank you again for your sustain and drawing me the attention about this item, I will try my best to fit it into the right place once I will do more tests.