Pros

• Easy to play (at a basic level.)
• Stupid amounts of damage late game.
• Strong snowball potential.
• Rarely banned (outside of Bronze/Silver)
• High outplay potential.
• Somewhat flexible builds.

Cons

• Considered a "noob champion"
• Extremely cheap (IP and gameplay wise).
• Alpha strike management is key to being a good Yi.
• Squishy.
• No one likes having a Yi on their team because they'll never gank (rightfully so)

Hello! I'm SnoopGrogg, a NA Master Yi/Shaco main. I'm here to show you how to play Master Yi the right way.

Double Strike - While the second strike only does 50% of your basic attack damage, it applies on-hit effects for full damage. (e.g. botrk passive, shiv lightning, wuju style active, etc.) This is what makes Yi so stupidly strong lategame.

Alpha Strike - The most misused ability in the game. Repeat after me:

Alpha Strike is not an initiation tool. Too many garbage Yi's use this to initiate into 5 people and immediately get blown up. Save this ability for when you need it.

This is an outplay tool. Here are ways you can PROPERLY use Alpha Strike:

• This makes you untargetable for a split second, meaning you are practically unCCable if you use it wisely.
• Turn around low HP fights (i.e. you are fighting a quinn and you both have <200 health)
• Follow enemies after they flash.

Meditate - This gives you 50% damage resistance, use this to clutch survive things that would normally kill you, like a Karthus or GP ult. Also an autoattack reset, so if you are fast you can attack twice instantly with this (very strong with double strike!)

Wuju Style - Only use the active if you are 1v1ing someone. When this is on cooldown, you are significantly weaker for the rest of the teamfight.

Highlander - Not much to discuss here. Press it when you want to kill someone. Also a decent escape with a short CD.

Part of what inspired me to make this guide was the most common guides for Yi were garbage. Just take a look at this.

There are SEVERAL problems with this build.

• 0 tank items
• 0 teamfight potential (ghostblade is only good for dueling)
• Infinity Edge (will go into more detail later.)
• Mostly AD, little AS.
• on-hit Yi is just superior.

Here is the build I like to use:

(Obviously I upgrade the boots, but they're situational to the game.)
When To Buy A Situational Item

Frozen Mallet - If you're ahead and need some more pick potential.

Frozen Heart - If no one on your team is buying one, get it. The CDR and stats are decent on Yi.

Dead Man's Plate - Typically my go-to defensive item on Yi. It makes you go fast, slow people and tankier.

Randuin's Omen - Buy if their adc is crit based and fed ( Tristana, Jinx, Ashe, etc)

Spirit Visage - Despite the passive giving you a lot of extra heal, I recommend veil most of the time just for the linken sphere-esque passive it grants.

Banshee's Veil - Getting CC'd? Get this.

Youmuu's Ghostblade - Buy this if:

1. If you're dueling people/splitpushing a lot.
2. If you are behind, replace PD with this.

Gives a nice early-mid game powerspike. Sell this item if you're 6 slotted for something stronger late game.

Infinity Edge - I get a lot of **** for this, but IE is very overrated. Yi scales off of attack speed far more than AD/crit. Only time you want an IE is when you're tossing more salad than a ladyboy in Thailand and can afford not having a defensive item.

Thornmail - Do you have ninja tabis? Is an autoattack based champ on their team fed? Buy this. DO NOT BUY THIS IF THEY HAVE SUFFICIENT LIFESTEAL TO COUNTERACT IT.

Hexdrinker - If their AP is fed.

Maw of Malmortius - If you've upgraded everything else and have nothing left to buy.

Black Cleaver - Decent alternative to Last Whisper if you need some tankiness.

Sterak's Gage - At first I thought this item was garbage on Yi, but Yi's Alpha Strike and Wuju Style both scale off of total AD, not bonus AD, making this item very good if you are getting bursted.

Zephyr - If you're 6 slotted, sell your boots for these.

Elixir of Wrath - I'm 6 slotted, let's end this.

Elixir of Ruin - My team's ******ed, I'll end this.

PLEASE DON'T BUY THESE

Statikk Shiv - Crit Yi is over rated, you aren't building crit, just don't.

Trinity Force - Getting the sheen passive proc on Yi with this is just awkward and not very useful. Any stats you can get from this about better obtained elsewhere.

Ravenous Hydra - You aren't going to use the active, you don't need the burst, you don't need the lifesteal, and you don't need the wave clear. Just don't.

Manamune - Fun for memetastic "WOW YI'S SWORD IS BLUE" games. Not much else.

Poacher's Knife - Riot will deny this item exists because it is irredeemably ****.

Ranger's Trailblazer - You are so fast at clearing this item is just redundant.