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

Yorick is an AD carry who also has the potential to be beefier than most carries. A build that emphasizes his AD, as well as MR and Armor, and donates some to Health is a good build for him.

Pros:
-Consistent character
-Beefy carry
-Great pusher

Cons:
-Weaker early game
-Team reliant

Greater Quintessence of Desolation Greater Mark of Desolation
-To improve your dps output of course!


Armor and MR, because what better than to cover all those tanky bases?

21 Points in utility so he's not quite a one-trick pony, plus the lower CDR can help crank out those goulies, and the 11 in offense for the AD and Armor Pen.

Begin with Philosopher's Stone for increased Health and
Mana regen, because at the start mana will be an issue, as well as the extra gold per 5 seconds. Move to for more movement/escaping the gank attempts. Move to for more health and gold. Move on to or if you feel like you want more gold, pick up for s'more. For someone like Yorick is an amazing item for its versatility and usefulness. As you keep building up the AD, is a great option for both the CDR and AD as well as the attack and movement speed proc. By late game, it's definitely good to build up a strong defense, and and are definitely the things to do it with. By this time you should be a prepped carrying machine, but is the icing on the cake.

Having a bad game? After heart of gold, build right into and max to increase survivability without the price. It will leave you pretty weak still, but let your teammates worry about the dps.


or are good for armor, but if things aren't going your way, seeing too much offense and MR, I suggest

switching to and/or .

Need more mana? Replace Philosopher's Stone with and build into a instead of . But DON'T BE FOOLED. It's not an easy early-game, but by late game, you might be really glad you didn't do this.

Q:
-This should be your dps baseline. I suggest you max this ASAP to increase your damage.

W:
-This is what I consider the most useful of his abilities. Think of it like . Just know that you might not get the kills with this, but definitely the assists.

E:
-The key to your survivability, and multi-purpose: Use it to farm, use it to wear down the enemy, but it's a deceptive little trick, good up the sleeve.

R:
-DO NOT mistake this for Zilean's ultimate. This will not bring you back to life. If you have a vendetta, and your almost-dead opponent won't give up, it's a great way to turn the tide. Want to strengthen yourself and your push by one more mighty morphin' minion? Good. But this will not help you survive, it'll only help achieve a kill or two.

The Good:

-Always a useful move. If you feel like you might want more overall mobility, the obvious choice.

-Quickly engage or disengage in a fight. Even tanks might need to get away sometimes.

-Just a great strategic spell overall, I've seen it turn the tides in so many fights.

The Bad:
Teleport: You're not about mobility, leave the superior farmers to that.
Smite: Not jungling.
Revive: Hopefully you're really not dying that much.
Rally: I've never seen this used, let alone well.
Cleanse: If you really really need this in a fight, Banshee's Veil or Quicksilver Sash does a great job.
Exhaust: As I said above, already have Omen of Pestilence.
Ignite: A good spell, but maybe not for Yorick.
Clairvoyance: I say leave it to the supports.

The Ugly:
Clarity: No.
Heal: No.

[Levels 1-5] Get out to that lane and start farming! Use your ghouls for extra help and use Omen of Pestilence's AoE for the extra kick. DO NOT try tanking on enemy champions, they will waste away your health. You can harass them with your ghouls without having to be in their range, letting you buffer them while reaping the farming benefits.

[Levels 6-13] With all of your spells in hand, you can start moving beyond the lane. If you're seeing team fights around, you can get in there, but still don't charge right into the thick of it. If you see a lone enemy low on health, chase away, but take obvious care and keep aware of if their teammates might be waiting in ambush.

[Levels 14-18] At this point, you should be fully set, a strong Bruiser with great Armor/MR defense. Just remember to keep aware, use Omen of Death on yourself if you have a vendetta against that one guy, and keep the baddies out whenever you can.

This is my first real guide, so I really hope you enjoy it, and that it serves you well. I appreciate constructive criticism (instead of a downvote XD ) and please upvote if you find the guide well-written and helpful. Happy gaming!

-DHumphrey106