Welcome to this Yasuo AP s8 guide.

Today, I decided to share my AP Yasuo build with you, because I find it really fun to play.

It's a pick I discovered in one for all, while I was telling myself "If we all go ad, ennemies will just have to build armor and we'll get destroyed. I should go AP, so I outburst them thanks to tons of AP damages."

And I went AP. It was like playing another champion. It wasn't Yasuo. It was better than this. It was a really enjoyable game and I went second to top damages. (The first one was a m7 Yasuo main).

But enough talking, let's get starterd.

Of course, you'll take a flash, like 99% of League of Legends champions.

Then, you'll go for an ignite, because in early game, due to the sheen buying, you will miss some damages, compared to AD Yasuo.

Starter and early items:
There are two possible starters. You can go for classic starter, wich is good to take trades, and sustain.
But the second one is a bit cheesy. You goal is too poke with 10 bonus magic damages every time you hit your ennemies, more damages on your E, and gold generation. The golds are importants because you need to have you sheen fast. Indeed, you don't get benefits from buying mana, so try to buy the sheen in one time. Don't buy the mana cristal to come back later to finish your sheen, one shot this item. And if you don't have the golds for it, buy a vampire scepter. I always go for Berzerker's greaves, but once you'll get used with the pick, you can try sorcerer shoes if you feel so.

Essential items: you will fast need AP ratios somewhere else than on your E. That's where lich bane is the item for you. As Yasuo's Q can proc the lich bane passive, you'll get a good burst on your Q. After buying it, you'll rush stinger to have AP ratio on all your autoattacks. Finally, gunblade is a good chasing item and offers you an even better AP burst, combined with better sustain on your spells.

Situationnal items:
-Guinsoo helps having the more AP ratios on your autoattacks and grants more attack speed too.
-Void staff is a rare option that you would take if your oppenents has a lot of MR.
-Since the mage's items rework, rabadon's deathcap gives more AP and is less expensive. It's a really good champ if you choose a very agressive build with tons of AP.
-As rabadon, you can go Luden if you have lots of AP. It gives you a better burst and the last cdr % you need to reach 40%. I woould rarely recommand this item, but in some situations it can be a good idea. Unfortunately, it doesn't give moove speed anymore, and that's why you can choose to go:
-spellbinder. It gives you moovespeed, and even more moove speed when you use its active. This item replaces the old Luden and is really nice if you need a bit moovespeed to chase champions who are too fast for you.
-Zhonya's hourglass. Cdr, armor, AP and a nice lifesaving's active. While playing against an AD matchup, it will help you reach the 40% cdr, and save you from champion's burst like Zed's R.
-Rylai helps you to stick targets that run away too easily from you. Your Q and E will prevent them from just running away and harass you while you try to chase them. It gives some HPs too, wich is always good to take against some hard matchups or teams.
-Liandry is at the same time a defensive and agressive choice. It gives you 300 HP, magic penetration, AP and his passive makes you deal more damages if you take long fights. This item is really good if you go for a defensive build, because you will take longer trades and this is where this item's passive is really strong. And it's well known to synergize with Rylai.
-Morellonomicon is not the mana item it was anymore. Now, it become a sort of second liandry. It has the same stats, but the passive is better against champions with lot of sustain.
-Wit's end is an item you will go against AP matchups. It gives you attack speed and magic resist, and tons of magic damages on EVERY autoattack, and as you go for lot of attack speed in this build, you will deal a lot more AP damages while preventing you from taking too much ap damages. And the second passive destroy your ennemies chances to win long trades, as you will decrease their magic resist.
-It's useless to present rod of ages. 500 HP and 100 AP, even if you don't get benefits from the mana, it's still a nice defensive item.
-Banshee is the second defensive item you will run against AP matchup is they still destroy you after you bought Wit's end. After that, you will take way less damages then before, as you will have ~150 magic resist, wich stops 60% if magic damages. It's enough to approach your target and finish it.
-Finally, protobelt. An item I love to use, but who's cooldown is shared with gunblade. It's a good defensive item, and the active effect is a good escaping or chasing tool.

As your only AP ratio is on your E, you will max it to be able to use it on the same target the more often as possible. After that, as a classic Yasuo you max your Q.
BUT, at level 1, I advice you to take Q, especially if you run the spellthief's edge, because your storm can be a good harass tool and a source of golds combined with this item.

There are many runes possibility for this pick.

The classic one is to go domination and precision.
In the domination tree, you will take thunderlord for the burst. Then, sudden impact is the best choice because combined with your E, it gives you permanent magic penetration and lehtality, wich is really good for early game due to your hybrid damages. After that, I personnaly choose zombie ward, but feel free to take ghost poro or even eyeball collection. Finally, ravenous hunter or ingenious hunter are both good. The first one will give you more lane sustain. Good for poking matchups. But if plan to go for a defensive build, ingenious hunter is really good as it reduces your Zhonya's, Gunblade's and Protobelt's cooldown by 40%.

In secondary tree, you have 3 choices.
The first one is to go precision. Yasuo is known to be a good 1vs5 champ, and triumph helps you to keep that 1vs5 capabilty, thanks to the sustain you get on every kill.
After that, you can go legend: alacrity for more attack speed or coup de grace for more burst.
You can choose too to go sorcellery. As your build contains a lot of CDR (generally 60-70% cdr), taking this rune avoid you to waste those 30%. You will reach the 40% cdr faster, and then the other 40% cdr you have will be converted into 80 AP. And with a rabadon, it can become 112 AP. Not bad. If you are against an AP matchup, you can then go for a nullifying orb. But if you prefer, you can go for ultimate hat. 55% ultimate cdr is something Yasuo will nicely benefit.
The last tree you can take as secondary one is inspiration. Against an AD matchup, perfect timing will give you a free Zhonya, and you will get 15 cdr on it. Combined with ingenious hunter, it becomes 55% Zhonya's cdr. Then, cosmic insight can make it become 60% cdr. But if you prefer, you replace one of them by future's market, wich will help you reaching your power spike faster.

And that's it, you know how to rune and build, depending on the matchup. I hope you'll have as much fun as I have when I play Yasuo AP. Feel free to leave a feedback, it can be about the guide itself, something I did wrong, or the way I write (I'm not an English native).

Have a nice day, and good luck in the justice fields !