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Choose Champion Build:
Spells:
Smite
Ignite
Ability Order
Shepherd of Souls (PASSIVE)
Yorick Passive Ability
Do not read this guide!
This will not happen in this guide, read another one.
And before you proceed, DO NOT READ THIS GUIDE.
Its full of in depth explanations of how and why Yorick works, you dont want that. You also dont want to see anyone tell you why DPS Yorick is bad. So please refrain from reading further, it'll only bore and anger you, so please dont read it.
So instead of just showing you what to build, im going to try to teach you HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN YORICK.
If this interests you, please read on.
Yorick, you'd be suprised how big of a biceps he has. And as a sidenote, Shakespeare probably based a character in Hamlet after Yorick. I mean, he is a deceased court jester who has his head exhumed by a gravedigger. I think LoL might go to court with this! Ive also heard a rumour that some four horsemen probably want to rethink their names by now.
Story:
The work of gravediggers is essential amongst the living, but invaluable in the Shadow Isles. There are many shades of death there, and each is embraced rather than feared or reviled. One can only ascend from one state to the next with the magical aid of a skilled professional. At the end of the first Rune War, Yorick Mori made his living as a gravedigger. His family owned and maintained the Final Rest Memorial, one of the oldest cemeteries in Valoran. The shovel he employed for his work had been passed down for generations. Each gravedigger taught his son that this shovel was imbued with the spirit of every forefather, and that those spirits would protect him during the long lonely nights amongst the tombstones. To his eternal regret, Yorick died without an heir, bringing the proud Mori line to a close. His body was interred with his shovel in the family mausoleum, and the Final Rest Memorial soon fell to ruin. Death, however, was not the end Yorick had expected. Yorick emerged on the haunted shores of the Shadow Isles - not quite dead, definitely not alive - still clutching his beloved shovel. He soon learned that with it he could act as a ferryman for the Isles' undead denizens, helping them climb death's many-tiered ladder. This proved a curse, as a gravedigger must ''bury his quota'' before he too can ascend, or so the legend goes. No one knows what ''his quota'' is. Yorick dug tirelessly, waiting in vain for the day when he would be freed of his burden. As decades turned to centuries, the shame of his failures came to a head. He returned to Valoran to find his corpse, convinced that salvation might be buried with it. When he arrived, no trace remained of either the mausoleum or the memorial. Hope nearly lost, he discovered the League of Legends, and there saw an opportunity to immortalize the family name he allowed to be forgotten ages ago.
"Die first, then we'll talk." -Yorick
btw, sad family.
Story:
The work of gravediggers is essential amongst the living, but invaluable in the Shadow Isles. There are many shades of death there, and each is embraced rather than feared or reviled. One can only ascend from one state to the next with the magical aid of a skilled professional. At the end of the first Rune War, Yorick Mori made his living as a gravedigger. His family owned and maintained the Final Rest Memorial, one of the oldest cemeteries in Valoran. The shovel he employed for his work had been passed down for generations. Each gravedigger taught his son that this shovel was imbued with the spirit of every forefather, and that those spirits would protect him during the long lonely nights amongst the tombstones. To his eternal regret, Yorick died without an heir, bringing the proud Mori line to a close. His body was interred with his shovel in the family mausoleum, and the Final Rest Memorial soon fell to ruin. Death, however, was not the end Yorick had expected. Yorick emerged on the haunted shores of the Shadow Isles - not quite dead, definitely not alive - still clutching his beloved shovel. He soon learned that with it he could act as a ferryman for the Isles' undead denizens, helping them climb death's many-tiered ladder. This proved a curse, as a gravedigger must ''bury his quota'' before he too can ascend, or so the legend goes. No one knows what ''his quota'' is. Yorick dug tirelessly, waiting in vain for the day when he would be freed of his burden. As decades turned to centuries, the shame of his failures came to a head. He returned to Valoran to find his corpse, convinced that salvation might be buried with it. When he arrived, no trace remained of either the mausoleum or the memorial. Hope nearly lost, he discovered the League of Legends, and there saw an opportunity to immortalize the family name he allowed to be forgotten ages ago.
"Die first, then we'll talk." -Yorick
btw, sad family.
How I came to play this style:
After playing a lot of games with Yorick and trying different builds i couldnt help but notice that Yorick has a very potent jungle potential. When i played Yorick at a duolane, i didnt get many lasthits, i didnt do great earlygame damage, and i was proned to ganks. Whatever i tried i could not find a nice balance between hp, armor and damage. So what to do?
Spec hard tank from the start?
- No, didnt work. Got no dps or CC, so the enemy team will just ignore me.
Spec hard carry from the start?
- Hard to without the pure dps other champs have. So why go hard carry Yorick when many other can output lots more dps than him? I mean, why try to carry with AP Rammus, when he is clearly more suited as tank?
I could spec support?
- Even if you win the paralympics, youre still a ******.
So I decided to jungle, and by now its the best way I have of playing this dead geezer. Rather play him as carry? Go ahead, but I like it this way!
Facts:
1. Yorick is insanely dependant on his cooldowns. Without them he is nothing. Mana is not a big problem after lvl 5, it's rather his cooldowns. If you dont agree, please comment below.
2. Yorick does not have the great tank abilities. He lacks the stun, taunt, cc, whatever. Right?
3. He does not have the engaging skills, so hes not the initiator type.
4. He does not have the natural insane DPS like Katarina, LeBlanc, Yi and so on.
5. He's dead... and probably smells
So how to build a succesfull Yorick?
After playing a lot of games with Yorick and trying different builds i couldnt help but notice that Yorick has a very potent jungle potential. When i played Yorick at a duolane, i didnt get many lasthits, i didnt do great earlygame damage, and i was proned to ganks. Whatever i tried i could not find a nice balance between hp, armor and damage. So what to do?
Spec hard tank from the start?
- No, didnt work. Got no dps or CC, so the enemy team will just ignore me.
Spec hard carry from the start?
- Hard to without the pure dps other champs have. So why go hard carry Yorick when many other can output lots more dps than him? I mean, why try to carry with AP Rammus, when he is clearly more suited as tank?
I could spec support?
- Even if you win the paralympics, youre still a ******.
So I decided to jungle, and by now its the best way I have of playing this dead geezer. Rather play him as carry? Go ahead, but I like it this way!
Facts:
1. Yorick is insanely dependant on his cooldowns. Without them he is nothing. Mana is not a big problem after lvl 5, it's rather his cooldowns. If you dont agree, please comment below.
2. Yorick does not have the great tank abilities. He lacks the stun, taunt, cc, whatever. Right?
3. He does not have the engaging skills, so hes not the initiator type.
4. He does not have the natural insane DPS like Katarina, LeBlanc, Yi and so on.
5. He's dead... and probably smells
So how to build a succesfull Yorick?
ALOT of you hate me when you read this. "WHY NOT GO CRAZY IMBA OP CARRY???!!!111!?!?#¤%! NOOOOB". Id like to think that my readers arent ******s, but if you are i urge you to carry on reading, you might learn something.
Have you ever been in a game where you have, lets say Caitlyn, Nocturne, Malzahar, Xin Zhao and Vayne? In champ pick Xin says they will lose the match cause Malz is a noob champ and will fail. Nocturne then proceeds to steal mid for, lets say Malz because, unless he gets mid he will feed and you will loose? This is every two to third game i play, and i could'nt be more tired of it. My mains was Kassadin and Anivia(whoose guide is soon coming up). I usually mid and dominate my lane with them. I can remember only a few times after reaching lvl 20 that I had trouble mid with Anivia. When i say trouble i dont mean have a negative kill ratio, that matters little to me. Im not saying 0/10/0 is good, but if I am at 0/2/0, their mid turret is down and ours not touched, Im lvl 12 and opponent 10, my CS(creepscore) 100 and opponent 60. That's a win for me. Ill actually take my time to explain why too for you readers that find me as a "noob" after reading this. So have you come this far, why not read a few lines further?
The reason why what i said is my win is because:
1: 1 turret for my team is worth 150gold each. That's 5x150=750g total. With the current max of 500g per kill, thats worth alot. And also the turret is the defense for the base. Your job in a lane is kill creeps and down turret.
2. CS. 100CS vs 60CS is a difference of 100x20(20 being a average)=2000 and 60x20=1200g. Thats a difference of 800g + 150 for the turret. The 2 kills my opponent has on me is only worth a max of lets say 600g. 400 for FB and 200 for second kill. Am i using wrong numbers? doesnt really matter for i have come out on top anyway. This is all numbers I made up, but its the usual mid game i have. Now what does all this have to do with Yorick and 5dps team? Relax, read on.
To win a game you either need the surrender after 20 mins or kill the opponents Nexus. These two things goes as one, and there is a few things needed for this to happen. First you need a good team lineup. Why is it important with a tank and/or offtank? If you engage a fight with the 5 champs above, all the enemy team has to do is taunt the one of you that has stolen the most kills thus doing most damage(in teams like that noone seems to care about minion kills anyway, so i wont mention those). While the main dps is taunted, the opposing team's carry blasts each and everyone of you 1 by 1. You die a lot, you dont get gear, you get constant ragequits and you eventually ends up in ELOhell. Welcome to the world of MOBA games!
Back to the beginning. As i said i love to play Anivia and Kassadin. Both of which are hard carry glass cannons. But after playing so many games as a hard carry dps team i realized i couldnt always expect someone to the tanking. So i started playing Rammus. Rammus might be one of the most fun char's i play. He is insanely hard to kill with some gear, and he is a immense help for the whole team. I wont go into details, but going first into a cluster of 5 well geared enemies hoping they all attack me... thats fun! Im sidetracking all the time, anyways. After i started to play Rammus and getting good with him, i started to win way more games, but i still get to play Anivia, Kassadin, Twitch or Twisted Fate too, its just that i only play them when noone else in my team plays a tank. I also recently have started playing some support. Point is that i dont Pick and Lock champ the second i get a game, i look at our lineup and see what my team needs. Sometimes i have to play tank even though im a bit fed up of it, but we win the games. Some games we are just plainly overpowered by a better team. Sidetracked again. I also actually started playing Warwick, but he was not my cup of tea, so i was looking for a potential Jungler. I already also play a halfgood Irelia so i can also offtank, but i had no jungler. Along came Yorick. The beautiful part about him is that i finally have the last champ i need in my arsenal. When we lack a tank, i will tank. When we lack a carry, i will carry. Do we need a offtank or jungler? Ive got it all. And you have no idea how much that benefits my team. I wont say i win all matches, but 2 out 3 soloqueue, we win. When we meet a better team, thats ok, we loose. And i wont say that im the reason we win, but im saying having a right lineup, thats half the game already. So if you include Yorick offtank/jungler to your list of champions not only will you help your team and win more matches, you will understand a whole other aspect of the game thus taking you further on the road to true skills in League of Legends.
Have you ever been in a game where you have, lets say Caitlyn, Nocturne, Malzahar, Xin Zhao and Vayne? In champ pick Xin says they will lose the match cause Malz is a noob champ and will fail. Nocturne then proceeds to steal mid for, lets say Malz because, unless he gets mid he will feed and you will loose? This is every two to third game i play, and i could'nt be more tired of it. My mains was Kassadin and Anivia(whoose guide is soon coming up). I usually mid and dominate my lane with them. I can remember only a few times after reaching lvl 20 that I had trouble mid with Anivia. When i say trouble i dont mean have a negative kill ratio, that matters little to me. Im not saying 0/10/0 is good, but if I am at 0/2/0, their mid turret is down and ours not touched, Im lvl 12 and opponent 10, my CS(creepscore) 100 and opponent 60. That's a win for me. Ill actually take my time to explain why too for you readers that find me as a "noob" after reading this. So have you come this far, why not read a few lines further?
The reason why what i said is my win is because:
1: 1 turret for my team is worth 150gold each. That's 5x150=750g total. With the current max of 500g per kill, thats worth alot. And also the turret is the defense for the base. Your job in a lane is kill creeps and down turret.
2. CS. 100CS vs 60CS is a difference of 100x20(20 being a average)=2000 and 60x20=1200g. Thats a difference of 800g + 150 for the turret. The 2 kills my opponent has on me is only worth a max of lets say 600g. 400 for FB and 200 for second kill. Am i using wrong numbers? doesnt really matter for i have come out on top anyway. This is all numbers I made up, but its the usual mid game i have. Now what does all this have to do with Yorick and 5dps team? Relax, read on.
To win a game you either need the surrender after 20 mins or kill the opponents Nexus. These two things goes as one, and there is a few things needed for this to happen. First you need a good team lineup. Why is it important with a tank and/or offtank? If you engage a fight with the 5 champs above, all the enemy team has to do is taunt the one of you that has stolen the most kills thus doing most damage(in teams like that noone seems to care about minion kills anyway, so i wont mention those). While the main dps is taunted, the opposing team's carry blasts each and everyone of you 1 by 1. You die a lot, you dont get gear, you get constant ragequits and you eventually ends up in ELOhell. Welcome to the world of MOBA games!
Back to the beginning. As i said i love to play Anivia and Kassadin. Both of which are hard carry glass cannons. But after playing so many games as a hard carry dps team i realized i couldnt always expect someone to the tanking. So i started playing Rammus. Rammus might be one of the most fun char's i play. He is insanely hard to kill with some gear, and he is a immense help for the whole team. I wont go into details, but going first into a cluster of 5 well geared enemies hoping they all attack me... thats fun! Im sidetracking all the time, anyways. After i started to play Rammus and getting good with him, i started to win way more games, but i still get to play Anivia, Kassadin, Twitch or Twisted Fate too, its just that i only play them when noone else in my team plays a tank. I also recently have started playing some support. Point is that i dont Pick and Lock champ the second i get a game, i look at our lineup and see what my team needs. Sometimes i have to play tank even though im a bit fed up of it, but we win the games. Some games we are just plainly overpowered by a better team. Sidetracked again. I also actually started playing Warwick, but he was not my cup of tea, so i was looking for a potential Jungler. I already also play a halfgood Irelia so i can also offtank, but i had no jungler. Along came Yorick. The beautiful part about him is that i finally have the last champ i need in my arsenal. When we lack a tank, i will tank. When we lack a carry, i will carry. Do we need a offtank or jungler? Ive got it all. And you have no idea how much that benefits my team. I wont say i win all matches, but 2 out 3 soloqueue, we win. When we meet a better team, thats ok, we loose. And i wont say that im the reason we win, but im saying having a right lineup, thats half the game already. So if you include Yorick offtank/jungler to your list of champions not only will you help your team and win more matches, you will understand a whole other aspect of the game thus taking you further on the road to true skills in League of Legends.
Now, you're considering to be a offtank. Which items do you go for? Of course first off should be Warmog's Armor? Which will give you the most HP after this? Hmm
If you found yourself thinking something like this:
FAIL
Hp is definately the worst thing to focus on while being a tank. Id choose 200armor, 200mr and 2k hp over a 5k hp 50armor, 50mr tank ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. Except sundays, sundays im up for anything... well, not gaybars... maybe.
My point is if you are a tank/offtank, you have to google to learn how armor and magic resist works. Its VERY VITAL. HP wont do **** if you dont have armor to back it up. Ive seen a 5,5k hp Garen die in about 2-3 seconds. Insane right? Hp is just a plus. I dont say stay away from hp, but give armor and mr your first priority. When my Rammus reach 3.2k hp, im usually unkillable with a ok team in my back, that's only because of my armor and mr.
If you found yourself thinking something like this:
FAIL
Hp is definately the worst thing to focus on while being a tank. Id choose 200armor, 200mr and 2k hp over a 5k hp 50armor, 50mr tank ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. Except sundays, sundays im up for anything... well, not gaybars... maybe.
My point is if you are a tank/offtank, you have to google to learn how armor and magic resist works. Its VERY VITAL. HP wont do **** if you dont have armor to back it up. Ive seen a 5,5k hp Garen die in about 2-3 seconds. Insane right? Hp is just a plus. I dont say stay away from hp, but give armor and mr your first priority. When my Rammus reach 3.2k hp, im usually unkillable with a ok team in my back, that's only because of my armor and mr.
Everybody does these so ill join the crowd. But i will admit its usefull as i need to explain why i build as i build. You should always build around your Champ's pro's and con's.
Pro's:
- He's a Necromancer, which is cool 'cause they like to sex up dead people. Or is that another thing?
- He will do alot of damage while still be kind of tanky.
- You can have up to 4 minions active simultaneously.
- Finally the first necromancer/summoner! Ive always been a fan of necromancer in Diablo 2, so this was great for me.
- As a melee caster he is insanely fun to play.
Con's:
- Has absolutely no sense of fashion, which i personally think is sad. I mean, who walks around with a washcloth on his head? jeez.
- Weak early game.
- Some says he has a shovel for farming, but i cant see that happening early game.
- Close to no CC
- Hard to find a good balance
- Weird pets doing crazy stuff at times.
Pro's:
- He's a Necromancer, which is cool 'cause they like to sex up dead people. Or is that another thing?
- He will do alot of damage while still be kind of tanky.
- You can have up to 4 minions active simultaneously.
- Finally the first necromancer/summoner! Ive always been a fan of necromancer in Diablo 2, so this was great for me.
- As a melee caster he is insanely fun to play.
Con's:
- Has absolutely no sense of fashion, which i personally think is sad. I mean, who walks around with a washcloth on his head? jeez.
- Weak early game.
- Some says he has a shovel for farming, but i cant see that happening early game.
- Close to no CC
- Hard to find a good balance
- Weird pets doing crazy stuff at times.
Good choices:
Ignite :
If you go for Jungle route number 2, then Ingite is a good skill to use as it helps you on first Blue Buff kill, as well as for extra DPS later in the game. As my build concentrates more on survivability than damage, Ignite could be the little extra that helps your roaming.
Heal :
If you go for Jungle route number 1, then Heal is a must have to get the jungling done fast. The problem with Heal is that it becomes rather useless late game. Although a well timed Heal can change a teamfight, and maybe the game.
Smite :
As my guide heavily focus on Jungling, it would be rather ******ed not to include this pell in the awesome section.
Alternative Choices:
Flash :
Another viable skill if you go for Duolaning. Will not help you out with your jungling, but might get you a kill or two later while roaming. Great for both escapes and chasing.
Exhaust :
Also a viable skill if you go for Duolaning. Will help you and your teammate while chasing. Although a good Yorick will not need it at all. Omen of Pestilence is your private Exhaust, learn to use it.
Ghost :
Opposite of Exhaust, depends on which way is your style. Exhaust is rather a support ability which helps your teammate kill the opponent, where Ghose helps you get the kill. How do you want to play your Yorick?
Clarity :
While jungling or laning Clarity can give you the extra mana that'll keep you longer in the lane or jungle before you have to go home to restore. Yorick have a big problem with mana early game, but dont need it at all during late game.
Stay Away :
Clairvoyance :
Leave it to your Support.
Cleanse :
Together with Flash it is a powerfull escape skill, but not what you want with Yorick. You want to stay the fight out, no matter how it turns out. Rather you die, than your Carrie's.
Fortify :
On Rammus Fortify is a great skill. Taunt -> Ballcurl -> Fortify. But on a Yorick, it's more than useless.
Rally :
I'd rather not ask you to use this, not usefull lategame, and Heal is better earlygame. If it's your style, it's your style!
Revive :
Once and again you will die, that's how this game works. When and if you make it back to the fight, it will probably be over.
Ignite :
If you go for Jungle route number 2, then Ingite is a good skill to use as it helps you on first Blue Buff kill, as well as for extra DPS later in the game. As my build concentrates more on survivability than damage, Ignite could be the little extra that helps your roaming.
Heal :
If you go for Jungle route number 1, then Heal is a must have to get the jungling done fast. The problem with Heal is that it becomes rather useless late game. Although a well timed Heal can change a teamfight, and maybe the game.
Smite :
As my guide heavily focus on Jungling, it would be rather ******ed not to include this pell in the awesome section.
Alternative Choices:
Flash :
Another viable skill if you go for Duolaning. Will not help you out with your jungling, but might get you a kill or two later while roaming. Great for both escapes and chasing.
Exhaust :
Also a viable skill if you go for Duolaning. Will help you and your teammate while chasing. Although a good Yorick will not need it at all. Omen of Pestilence is your private Exhaust, learn to use it.
Ghost :
Opposite of Exhaust, depends on which way is your style. Exhaust is rather a support ability which helps your teammate kill the opponent, where Ghose helps you get the kill. How do you want to play your Yorick?
Clarity :
While jungling or laning Clarity can give you the extra mana that'll keep you longer in the lane or jungle before you have to go home to restore. Yorick have a big problem with mana early game, but dont need it at all during late game.
Stay Away :
Clairvoyance :
Leave it to your Support.
Cleanse :
Together with Flash it is a powerfull escape skill, but not what you want with Yorick. You want to stay the fight out, no matter how it turns out. Rather you die, than your Carrie's.
Fortify :
On Rammus Fortify is a great skill. Taunt -> Ballcurl -> Fortify. But on a Yorick, it's more than useless.
Rally :
I'd rather not ask you to use this, not usefull lategame, and Heal is better earlygame. If it's your style, it's your style!
Revive :
Once and again you will die, that's how this game works. When and if you make it back to the fight, it will probably be over.
Unholy Covenant :
This skill is the bread and butter for the AD, the nice added damage for the DPSOfftank and the leftovers for the Tanky Yorick. For every spell you pop, there will spawn a Ghoul who give's Yorick 5% increase in damage. I did some math on it. If you are a very tanky Trinity-Yorick, it will add 200 damage while all ghouls are active. But an astounding 600 extra damage for a AD Yorick, on your Passive Spell? Insane. Too bad Yorick is so squishy.
Omen of War :
Duolane, Jungle, Ganks or just normal fights - this is a very nice spell. It gives you hard damage while also grant you speed for chases or escaping. A lesser skillshot. If you want to play a good Yorick, you HAVE to learn how to use this correctly.
Omen of Pestilence :
Together with OoW, you main basic damage skill. Great for slowing down when chasing, making Exhaust not needed. Good damage, allright AoE and very nice slow.
Pestilence can also be used in a very nice way to prevent Rammus' powerball, or Nida's Javelin. A great skill if used correctly. Also nice for pushing tower, or maybe check the brush from a distance to check if theres anyone at home.
Omen of Famine -
Lifesteal skills are always fun, also does a bit damage. Like when chasing a opponent: you have casted Pestilence with it's Cd on forever. Ashe is running all she can with barely HP left. What else to do that pop this little piece of heaven? Very nice indeed. But on a serious note, this is a great skill for jungling. It will give you some Lifesteal in the jungle, which is basically what defines Yorick, this skill. Without Famine Yorick would be a boring character with - in my honest opinion - no use, thats how important i see it.
Omen of Death :
Your only real skillshot. A good Yorick MUST learn how to use this to its fullest potential. This i believe can only be done by gather alot of experience.
And PS: the ulti can be controlled by Alt + Right Click if you didnt know. Extremely good for pushing towers using ult as tank.
By the way, here is a fact you might need. If youre teamed with Zilean, then his Chronoshift wont work after you have cast your Omen Of Death on someone.
This skill is the bread and butter for the AD, the nice added damage for the DPSOfftank and the leftovers for the Tanky Yorick. For every spell you pop, there will spawn a Ghoul who give's Yorick 5% increase in damage. I did some math on it. If you are a very tanky Trinity-Yorick, it will add 200 damage while all ghouls are active. But an astounding 600 extra damage for a AD Yorick, on your Passive Spell? Insane. Too bad Yorick is so squishy.
Omen of War :
Duolane, Jungle, Ganks or just normal fights - this is a very nice spell. It gives you hard damage while also grant you speed for chases or escaping. A lesser skillshot. If you want to play a good Yorick, you HAVE to learn how to use this correctly.
Omen of Pestilence :
Together with OoW, you main basic damage skill. Great for slowing down when chasing, making Exhaust not needed. Good damage, allright AoE and very nice slow.
Pestilence can also be used in a very nice way to prevent Rammus' powerball, or Nida's Javelin. A great skill if used correctly. Also nice for pushing tower, or maybe check the brush from a distance to check if theres anyone at home.
Omen of Famine -
Lifesteal skills are always fun, also does a bit damage. Like when chasing a opponent: you have casted Pestilence with it's Cd on forever. Ashe is running all she can with barely HP left. What else to do that pop this little piece of heaven? Very nice indeed. But on a serious note, this is a great skill for jungling. It will give you some Lifesteal in the jungle, which is basically what defines Yorick, this skill. Without Famine Yorick would be a boring character with - in my honest opinion - no use, thats how important i see it.
Omen of Death :
Your only real skillshot. A good Yorick MUST learn how to use this to its fullest potential. This i believe can only be done by gather alot of experience.
And PS: the ulti can be controlled by Alt + Right Click if you didnt know. Extremely good for pushing towers using ult as tank.
By the way, here is a fact you might need. If youre teamed with Zilean, then his Chronoshift wont work after you have cast your Omen Of Death on someone.
The masteries on Yorick is up for discussion, no doubt. It relies heavy on how you want to play, and build. You could go for the tanky masteries so that you need to rely less on your skills early game jungle, which also scales nicely with late game offtanking. Or you could go for the increased mana regen and cd reduction for more DPS. As i said earlier Yorick is insanely reliant on his cooldowns, without them he is a bit useless. So which one to go for, its rather up to you. Ill show you both so you can choose for yourself, but whichever you choose, playstyle and items will very much stay the same. I prefer tanky masteries for early game, and cdred and mgen for late game, so i usually go for the latter as i find late game more important, especially as jungler. The third option i added is a more damage oriented build. It focuses more on damage then armor and magic resistance. You will have to be carefull to build this way. Yorick is easyli killed, so you should always build some armor and magic resistance rather than HP.
My advice is that you try out all three and then make up your own mind what you find best for you. However you play, you will always have your own style of playing.
Regarding Archaic Knowledge i know many wants to spend a point there, and maybe you should for the extra damage + increased lifestel off Omen of Famine, But i find it might go better elsewhere. Yorick is still kind of new to everyone, so i am not 100% sure yet. Would you go for the extra spell penetration?
Masteries page 1:
This is the tanky choice, the one I'd go for. As ive mention ALOT by now I cant see Yorick in any other role than Offtank. And as so you will have to have survivability. This build helps you through the jungle, as well as in team fights. You will still have to build Items in a way that will support this though.
My item build for these masteries is not set in stone as i explain in the next chapter, but it would go something like this.
Mercury's Treads
Spirit Visage
Trinity Force
Aegis of the Legion
Guardian Angel
Frozen Mallet
Total price 14595.
A rather expensive build, but when finished almost unkillable, while still doing a great deal of Damage.
Masteries page 2:
The second page is as i said more focused on cooldowns and Mgen. This way you will be able to gain more damage while still doing some hefty Offtanking. My thoughts is a less tanky, more damagy build than Page 1.
Mercury's Treads
Spirit Visage
Manamune
Guardian Angel
Trinity Force
Frozen Mallet
Total Price: 14780
Still pretty expensive, but more suitable for a game where your Maintank does most of the hard work. You're still able to take a bit of damage, but wont survive for long if focused. Goes well with Ignite as second Summoner Spell.
Masteries Page 3:
This page is reserved for the more AD style of play. You will have to focus more on AD, Crit and Attack speed. Your spells will focus mainly on Omen of War and Omen of Pestilence for damage and slow. It will greatly benefit your Omen of Death, but be aware YOU WILL BE VERY PRONE TO GANKS. This build can not withstand any kind of focusing, a halfgeared assasin champ will easily be able to take you out. I will not propose which items and when to get it, because i dont like this at all and i have absolutely no doubt that it will NOT work against a well organized and skilled team. It will work in low ELO and before lvl 30, but against a team with more than O.K tactics, you wont stand a chance.
My advice is that you try out all three and then make up your own mind what you find best for you. However you play, you will always have your own style of playing.
Regarding Archaic Knowledge i know many wants to spend a point there, and maybe you should for the extra damage + increased lifestel off Omen of Famine, But i find it might go better elsewhere. Yorick is still kind of new to everyone, so i am not 100% sure yet. Would you go for the extra spell penetration?
Masteries page 1:
This is the tanky choice, the one I'd go for. As ive mention ALOT by now I cant see Yorick in any other role than Offtank. And as so you will have to have survivability. This build helps you through the jungle, as well as in team fights. You will still have to build Items in a way that will support this though.
My item build for these masteries is not set in stone as i explain in the next chapter, but it would go something like this.
Mercury's Treads
Spirit Visage
Trinity Force
Aegis of the Legion
Guardian Angel
Frozen Mallet
Total price 14595.
A rather expensive build, but when finished almost unkillable, while still doing a great deal of Damage.
Masteries page 2:
The second page is as i said more focused on cooldowns and Mgen. This way you will be able to gain more damage while still doing some hefty Offtanking. My thoughts is a less tanky, more damagy build than Page 1.
Mercury's Treads
Spirit Visage
Manamune
Guardian Angel
Trinity Force
Frozen Mallet
Total Price: 14780
Still pretty expensive, but more suitable for a game where your Maintank does most of the hard work. You're still able to take a bit of damage, but wont survive for long if focused. Goes well with Ignite as second Summoner Spell.
Masteries Page 3:
This page is reserved for the more AD style of play. You will have to focus more on AD, Crit and Attack speed. Your spells will focus mainly on Omen of War and Omen of Pestilence for damage and slow. It will greatly benefit your Omen of Death, but be aware YOU WILL BE VERY PRONE TO GANKS. This build can not withstand any kind of focusing, a halfgeared assasin champ will easily be able to take you out. I will not propose which items and when to get it, because i dont like this at all and i have absolutely no doubt that it will NOT work against a well organized and skilled team. It will work in low ELO and before lvl 30, but against a team with more than O.K tactics, you wont stand a chance.
Items... what to put here. There is still so much to discuss as Yorick is so new, and most quarrels is wheter or not to get Trinity Force.
In my opinion Trinity Force is awesome on Yorick, it helps on all aspects. Im really not sure what to say to get people to understand why its so good, theres nothing it doesnt do. You can even build it slowly and still get results. Please give a reason at the bottom as to why Yorick should not be equipped with this item.
Another item of great discussion is Manamune. I know Manamune is nice on a dps yorick, but i dont think you need it. If you go first shoes, then triforce then manamune then you'd already spendt tons of cash on no survivability. If you go shoes, triforce, spirit visage, manamune you still have close to no healt nor armor. If you go shoes, triforce, spirit visage, randuin, mallet, manamune you have almost no mr. So if youre faced with a normal team consisting of AP and AD id rather not have Manamune. If i has to have manamune it would be instead of Trinity Force, and i would much rather have triforce. So i will not gear Manamune nor suggest it in the builds further down. As for the mana part, i dont find i really need it after triforce, especially if i keep control of Blue Buff.
If you're forced to go as the main tank, what should you buy then? All builds depends on opposing teams, so please be careful of this.
My usual build if you are the main tank:
Mercury's Treads
Aegis of the Legion
Randuin's Omen
But as a offtank you can see as above i go for:
Ionian Boots of Lucidity
Spirit Visage
Trinity Force
The Cloth Armor i usually save for Randuin's Omen later, which i usually get.
As for shoes, you can also of course go for Mercury's Treads which i often do.
After this its very dependant on team.
- I think Spirit Visage is always good and a Yorick because of the cdred and healing increase for Omen of Famine. But as a hard tank there is many other good items too.
- Force of Nature is a must against a hard AP team.
- Guardian Angel is also a good anyteam item, but with Yorick i always find myself alone at the end of the battle, rendering this item useless except for its Magic Resistance.
- If you find yourself against a overfed Xin Zhao or any alike, definately go for Thornmail.
- And if you have tons of armor and magic resistance, go for Warmog's Armor
- Frozen Heart is also a very good item for Yorick.
- Soul Shroud I dont think you should go for this, CDred is better off getting it elsewhere.
- Youmuu's Ghostblade is a very good option if youre in need of some offtank damage. CDred, Apen + the Unique. Very nice indeed for Yorick.
- Glacial Shroud is ok because of the mana, armor and cdred, but i feel its the same as Soul Shroud, get it elsewhere.
- Sunfire Aegis is a nice item for a offtank as it has some damage as well as armor and hp. Definately an item worth considering as item nr 4 or 5.
- Banshee's Veil is a must if youre plaing against some crazy AP carries. The spellblock is very usefull and will save your life over and over again. Mana and HP is also usefull.
But if you have a very good tank on your team you go for more damagebased items.
- Frozen Mallet is a good choice anyhow the match is going.
- Infinity Edge is actually nice if you go for the dps.
- Manamune is definately a good DPS item for Yorick.
So what should you get? I havent told you anything except for 3 items. I guess i mean that every game is different, and you should rather just take tips from me as to which items to get, and try out for yourself. I think you will get much better by doing that, becuase then you will understand the items better, instead of copying me. Above is just my thoughts on each item.
Too be updated!
In my opinion Trinity Force is awesome on Yorick, it helps on all aspects. Im really not sure what to say to get people to understand why its so good, theres nothing it doesnt do. You can even build it slowly and still get results. Please give a reason at the bottom as to why Yorick should not be equipped with this item.
Another item of great discussion is Manamune. I know Manamune is nice on a dps yorick, but i dont think you need it. If you go first shoes, then triforce then manamune then you'd already spendt tons of cash on no survivability. If you go shoes, triforce, spirit visage, manamune you still have close to no healt nor armor. If you go shoes, triforce, spirit visage, randuin, mallet, manamune you have almost no mr. So if youre faced with a normal team consisting of AP and AD id rather not have Manamune. If i has to have manamune it would be instead of Trinity Force, and i would much rather have triforce. So i will not gear Manamune nor suggest it in the builds further down. As for the mana part, i dont find i really need it after triforce, especially if i keep control of Blue Buff.
If you're forced to go as the main tank, what should you buy then? All builds depends on opposing teams, so please be careful of this.
My usual build if you are the main tank:
Mercury's Treads
Aegis of the Legion
Randuin's Omen
But as a offtank you can see as above i go for:
Ionian Boots of Lucidity
Spirit Visage
Trinity Force
The Cloth Armor i usually save for Randuin's Omen later, which i usually get.
As for shoes, you can also of course go for Mercury's Treads which i often do.
After this its very dependant on team.
- I think Spirit Visage is always good and a Yorick because of the cdred and healing increase for Omen of Famine. But as a hard tank there is many other good items too.
- Force of Nature is a must against a hard AP team.
- Guardian Angel is also a good anyteam item, but with Yorick i always find myself alone at the end of the battle, rendering this item useless except for its Magic Resistance.
- If you find yourself against a overfed Xin Zhao or any alike, definately go for Thornmail.
- And if you have tons of armor and magic resistance, go for Warmog's Armor
- Frozen Heart is also a very good item for Yorick.
- Soul Shroud I dont think you should go for this, CDred is better off getting it elsewhere.
- Youmuu's Ghostblade is a very good option if youre in need of some offtank damage. CDred, Apen + the Unique. Very nice indeed for Yorick.
- Glacial Shroud is ok because of the mana, armor and cdred, but i feel its the same as Soul Shroud, get it elsewhere.
- Sunfire Aegis is a nice item for a offtank as it has some damage as well as armor and hp. Definately an item worth considering as item nr 4 or 5.
- Banshee's Veil is a must if youre plaing against some crazy AP carries. The spellblock is very usefull and will save your life over and over again. Mana and HP is also usefull.
But if you have a very good tank on your team you go for more damagebased items.
- Frozen Mallet is a good choice anyhow the match is going.
- Infinity Edge is actually nice if you go for the dps.
- Manamune is definately a good DPS item for Yorick.
So what should you get? I havent told you anything except for 3 items. I guess i mean that every game is different, and you should rather just take tips from me as to which items to get, and try out for yourself. I think you will get much better by doing that, becuase then you will understand the items better, instead of copying me. Above is just my thoughts on each item.
Too be updated!
Now, the million dollar question is, how to jungle? Its easy, kill neutral minions. Ok kewl.
First off i'd like to start with Summoner Skills. I choose:
Smite
Heal
Smite i choose because i jungle, if you dont know why this is obvious, ask google.
Heal i choose because first off i spec as a offtank, heal is not the best, but it works as a Summoner Skill. Secondly its because i find Yorick weak at the start, and lvl's too slowly in the jungle without it, it really helps on the first kill. Also when you go for Blue Buff at lvl 3 its a much needed skill. Without heal i reach lvl 6 a few minutes later.
If you find it possible without Heal thats good for you, 'cause then you can pick up Flash, Ignite or Exhaust or even Clarity. Each of these has a nice purpose for Yorick, the problem is still that you've gotta find a style on your own, something that works for you. In the beginning i strongly advice you to go with what i wrote earlier. It will teach you the basics of jungling, why you need your skills and when.
My route nr 1:
I start off with the two Golems. I smite the first and throw Omen of Famine on him. I destroy him and go for the next while throwing "E" as often as i can. I use Heal on the second golem while i continue to blast him down. Pop a pot after the fight.
Im off to the Wolfs. I pop Omen of Famine again on centre wolf and focus him, then the two pupps. Im lvl 2, crowd is cheering.
I then pop another pot and go for the wraiths. I again pop Smite on the blue bossy wraith and spam "W" and "E".
I proceed to take out the one or two small minions by the red buff so that i ding lvl 3, then proceeds home to heal. Back home i buy Ruby Crystal and go for next round.
I go straight for the golems, pops Smite, "E" and "W". They go down relatively fast.
After this continue to wraiths or wolfs(probably wolfs since wraiths havent spawned yet.)
The second you hit lvl 4 (which should be about the same time as your Heal is ready again) go for Golem. Smite, "E" and "W", (same procedure as last year? yes james) and blast his head off. After you've gotten your buff, jungling is insanely easy.
Next time you lvl pick first step in "Q" and after this you roam around. Jungling, ganking and generally just help out fellow lanes is your job for a little time. A great trick with Yorick when you push a tower is using your ult on yourself or your mate. It really helps with the dps to get the tower down faster. Absolutely a trick every Yorick should have in his arsenal.
Route nr 2:
I have found a route nr 2 which will make jungling a bit easyer if you have a nice team. You will lvl faster in less time after the first pull on the blue buff. The problem with starting at the blue buff is that you need someone to pull it. If you are playing against a premade who's expecting this, you have already probably caused your team 2 deaths + a stolen golem. I dont like this when soloqueueing so usually i go for route nr 1. To pull off route nr 2 you also need the tanky masteries as well as fortitude quints. You should buy Cloth Armor and a few pots at the start. You also need another skill sequenze. First go for Omen of Pestilence, then as golem is pulled hit the AOE where it hurts all tree minions. Continue with Smite and dps what you can out of it. It is risky and you have to use both pots and Heal to pull it off, but it will make your jungling far easier. This is still in the testphase, so i dont recommend this yet. Will be more info on this later.
My route after the blue buff is Wolves, Wraiths, Golems then Red Buff. All minions will be dealt with in the same way as in route nr 1. This route is far more dangerous because of the start, so if youre new to the game and dont have runes this will be nearly impossible for you.
Im very open for other suggestions or routes, please comment below if there is something you dont understand or dont agree with.
First off i'd like to start with Summoner Skills. I choose:
Smite
Heal
Smite i choose because i jungle, if you dont know why this is obvious, ask google.
Heal i choose because first off i spec as a offtank, heal is not the best, but it works as a Summoner Skill. Secondly its because i find Yorick weak at the start, and lvl's too slowly in the jungle without it, it really helps on the first kill. Also when you go for Blue Buff at lvl 3 its a much needed skill. Without heal i reach lvl 6 a few minutes later.
If you find it possible without Heal thats good for you, 'cause then you can pick up Flash, Ignite or Exhaust or even Clarity. Each of these has a nice purpose for Yorick, the problem is still that you've gotta find a style on your own, something that works for you. In the beginning i strongly advice you to go with what i wrote earlier. It will teach you the basics of jungling, why you need your skills and when.
My route nr 1:
I start off with the two Golems. I smite the first and throw Omen of Famine on him. I destroy him and go for the next while throwing "E" as often as i can. I use Heal on the second golem while i continue to blast him down. Pop a pot after the fight.
Im off to the Wolfs. I pop Omen of Famine again on centre wolf and focus him, then the two pupps. Im lvl 2, crowd is cheering.
I then pop another pot and go for the wraiths. I again pop Smite on the blue bossy wraith and spam "W" and "E".
I proceed to take out the one or two small minions by the red buff so that i ding lvl 3, then proceeds home to heal. Back home i buy Ruby Crystal and go for next round.
I go straight for the golems, pops Smite, "E" and "W". They go down relatively fast.
After this continue to wraiths or wolfs(probably wolfs since wraiths havent spawned yet.)
The second you hit lvl 4 (which should be about the same time as your Heal is ready again) go for Golem. Smite, "E" and "W", (same procedure as last year? yes james) and blast his head off. After you've gotten your buff, jungling is insanely easy.
Next time you lvl pick first step in "Q" and after this you roam around. Jungling, ganking and generally just help out fellow lanes is your job for a little time. A great trick with Yorick when you push a tower is using your ult on yourself or your mate. It really helps with the dps to get the tower down faster. Absolutely a trick every Yorick should have in his arsenal.
Route nr 2:
I have found a route nr 2 which will make jungling a bit easyer if you have a nice team. You will lvl faster in less time after the first pull on the blue buff. The problem with starting at the blue buff is that you need someone to pull it. If you are playing against a premade who's expecting this, you have already probably caused your team 2 deaths + a stolen golem. I dont like this when soloqueueing so usually i go for route nr 1. To pull off route nr 2 you also need the tanky masteries as well as fortitude quints. You should buy Cloth Armor and a few pots at the start. You also need another skill sequenze. First go for Omen of Pestilence, then as golem is pulled hit the AOE where it hurts all tree minions. Continue with Smite and dps what you can out of it. It is risky and you have to use both pots and Heal to pull it off, but it will make your jungling far easier. This is still in the testphase, so i dont recommend this yet. Will be more info on this later.
My route after the blue buff is Wolves, Wraiths, Golems then Red Buff. All minions will be dealt with in the same way as in route nr 1. This route is far more dangerous because of the start, so if youre new to the game and dont have runes this will be nearly impossible for you.
Im very open for other suggestions or routes, please comment below if there is something you dont understand or dont agree with.
Lanes are pushed, minions are killed, Baron is warded and Drake is dead. What now? Usually the team gathers up to engage Turrets or teamfights, whats you'r role now?
Lets say your team consists of:
Rammus
Yorick
Karma
Ashe
Anivia
You have your ulti Omen of Death ready, who to use it on?
My theory is not set in stone yet. Which is best? I tend to use it considering how the game and fight is going. If you have a hardhitting carry(Ashe) which blasts everything she sees, use it on her. She will be focused, and the extra dps while she still is alive will be of huge help.
If your team is extremely reliant on your support and she is focused down, use it on her. If you have gotten fed, and have some good dps, use it on yourself, 'is keewl.
So, your role in a team fight is the second initiator. Go straight after Rammus and find the one youre focusing down, act as a dps. You will probably be focused, so just keep dpsing and use your AOE the best you can. Be very sure to always have all golems possible active at all times because of your passive. If you see anyone start to chase your AP carry, the by all means blast them with Omen of Pestilence to slow them down.
Also important note. As i said earlier, Yorick is extremely dependant on his cooldowns. You have to pick up Blue Buff as often and as fast as you can. If noone else is very dependant on it, be selfish. You do so well with the cd reduction.
Lets say your team consists of:
Rammus
Yorick
Karma
Ashe
Anivia
You have your ulti Omen of Death ready, who to use it on?
My theory is not set in stone yet. Which is best? I tend to use it considering how the game and fight is going. If you have a hardhitting carry(Ashe) which blasts everything she sees, use it on her. She will be focused, and the extra dps while she still is alive will be of huge help.
If your team is extremely reliant on your support and she is focused down, use it on her. If you have gotten fed, and have some good dps, use it on yourself, 'is keewl.
So, your role in a team fight is the second initiator. Go straight after Rammus and find the one youre focusing down, act as a dps. You will probably be focused, so just keep dpsing and use your AOE the best you can. Be very sure to always have all golems possible active at all times because of your passive. If you see anyone start to chase your AP carry, the by all means blast them with Omen of Pestilence to slow them down.
Also important note. As i said earlier, Yorick is extremely dependant on his cooldowns. You have to pick up Blue Buff as often and as fast as you can. If noone else is very dependant on it, be selfish. You do so well with the cd reduction.
Marks:
As for marks, what else is there to go for than Armor penetration? greater mark of desolation is for me the only choice. Mpen, AS or AD runes are void if you ask me, it's like missing the point.
Glyphs:
I have stated earlier that Yorick is insanely dependant on his cooldowns, and i still stand by it. And for that matter, which else runes should be better? You could of course go for something else, but i dont see the reason. Unless its Greater Glyph of Magic Resist. They are pretty nice for a offtank/tank. I'd still go for Greater Glyph of Cooldown Reduction though.
When it comes to people who glyph' attack speed? Nigga' please, that's ****. Yorick is - for the last time - Not a AD/AS carry. If you want to play AD/AS carry, go Xin, Yi or something, keep away from cool, hard to play and worthwhile champions. And secondly, secondary runes is a No-NO
Seals:
As for seals you can go for Greater Seal of Scaling Mana Regeneration, but i'd rather go for the flat greater seal of resillience any day.
Quintessences:
As for quints you can of course go for Greater Quintessence of Health, but id much rather go for cooldowns as stated earlier. With the quints you might not need heal though. I will come back later on this.
As for marks, what else is there to go for than Armor penetration? greater mark of desolation is for me the only choice. Mpen, AS or AD runes are void if you ask me, it's like missing the point.
Glyphs:
I have stated earlier that Yorick is insanely dependant on his cooldowns, and i still stand by it. And for that matter, which else runes should be better? You could of course go for something else, but i dont see the reason. Unless its Greater Glyph of Magic Resist. They are pretty nice for a offtank/tank. I'd still go for Greater Glyph of Cooldown Reduction though.
When it comes to people who glyph' attack speed? Nigga' please, that's ****. Yorick is - for the last time - Not a AD/AS carry. If you want to play AD/AS carry, go Xin, Yi or something, keep away from cool, hard to play and worthwhile champions. And secondly, secondary runes is a No-NO
Seals:
As for seals you can go for Greater Seal of Scaling Mana Regeneration, but i'd rather go for the flat greater seal of resillience any day.
Quintessences:
As for quints you can of course go for Greater Quintessence of Health, but id much rather go for cooldowns as stated earlier. With the quints you might not need heal though. I will come back later on this.
Following is a set of builds that all can benefit from reading and that i greatly respect:
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/rune-tips-what-secondary-and-primary-means-and-more-24255
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/5-champs-you-should-know-how-to-play-aka-who-do-i-buy-next-70445
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/jungling-101-what-you-need-to-know-77704
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/offtanks-the-new-metagame-79701
All of these are guides that will not only help you become a better player, they will teach you so much about the game in general and you will be sure to get a better understanding thus being able to make hard decisions in a instant while playing. Have fun, good luck and may caitlyn please be nerfed at early game.
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/rune-tips-what-secondary-and-primary-means-and-more-24255
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/5-champs-you-should-know-how-to-play-aka-who-do-i-buy-next-70445
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/jungling-101-what-you-need-to-know-77704
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/offtanks-the-new-metagame-79701
All of these are guides that will not only help you become a better player, they will teach you so much about the game in general and you will be sure to get a better understanding thus being able to make hard decisions in a instant while playing. Have fun, good luck and may caitlyn please be nerfed at early game.
Updates:
27.06.2011 : Published my Yorick Guide, with some updates within the next hour. This is also my first guide ever.
28.06.2011 : Edit on misc and added Pre Introduction
28.06.2011 : Added a more explained Summoner Spells chapter. Updatet several chapters. Added 3 build. Edited misc.
Additional:
Im not a fan of those "post a pic of a game i did well" kind of things, but if people crave it I can post a few pics. Anyone can meet a random team that dissolves on itself and have a good game. The point is getting control over your champ, knowing what to do and when.
Good luck, and have fun!
27.06.2011 : Published my Yorick Guide, with some updates within the next hour. This is also my first guide ever.
28.06.2011 : Edit on misc and added Pre Introduction
28.06.2011 : Added a more explained Summoner Spells chapter. Updatet several chapters. Added 3 build. Edited misc.
Additional:
Im not a fan of those "post a pic of a game i did well" kind of things, but if people crave it I can post a few pics. Anyone can meet a random team that dissolves on itself and have a good game. The point is getting control over your champ, knowing what to do and when.
Good luck, and have fun!
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