Hey, fellow Summoners! Are you ready to dive deep into the world of Master Yi, the Wuju Bladesman? In this comprehensive guide for 2023, we're going to dissect everything you need to know to dominate the Rift with this incredible champion. Whether you're a seasoned Yi player or just picking him up, this article will provide valuable insights into builds, gameplay strategies, and how to maximize your impact on the game. So, grab your swords and let's get started!

Who is Master Yi?

Master Yi, often referred to as the Wuju Bladesman, is a melee assassin known for his incredible damage output and ability to quickly eliminate priority targets. This champion thrives in the jungle but can also be played in mid-lane in certain matchups. Master Yi's kit revolves around his Alpha Strike which makes him untargetable and deals damage to multiple enemies, his Meditate which provides sustain, his Wuju Style which enhances his attack damage, and his Highlander which grants him increased movement speed and attack speed, making him a formidable opponent in team fights and skirmishes.

Master Yi's Abilities Explained

Understanding Master Yi's abilities is crucial to mastering him. Each ability has unique nuances that, when used correctly, can turn the tide of battle. Let's break them down:

• Passive - Double Strike: Yi's passive is a bread-and-butter component to his gameplay. After every few auto attacks, Master Yi strikes twice. This is extremely powerful for applying on-hit effects and increasing DPS in prolonged fights. Positioning and timing your attacks to make the most of the Double Strike passive is one of the keys to playing Master Yi effectively.
• Q - Alpha Strike: This is Master Yi's signature move. He leaps to strike up to four enemies, dealing physical damage. Most importantly, Yi becomes untargetable during the Alpha Strike duration, allowing him to dodge key abilities and reposition. Mastering the Alpha Strike involves using it both offensively to engage and defensively to avoid damage. Always consider the positioning of enemy champions to maximize the number of targets hit and to safely reposition yourself.
• W - Meditate: Meditate allows Master Yi to rapidly heal himself while reducing incoming damage. It's a crucial tool for surviving burst damage and sustaining through jungle clears. The damage reduction is significantly higher when channeling, making it vital to time this ability correctly against high-damage burst combos. Meditate isn’t just for healing; you can use it to bait out enemy abilities and turn engagements in your favor.
• E - Wuju Style: Wuju Style grants Master Yi bonus true damage on his auto-attacks. Activating this ability is essential for increasing his damage output against tanks and high-health targets. Remember that the true damage only applies when the ability is active, so manage its cooldown and usage wisely. In the early game, using Wuju Style judiciously can significantly improve your clear speed and dueling potential.
• R - Highlander: Highlander is Master Yi's ultimate ability. It grants him bonus movement speed and attack speed, and also makes him immune to slows. Additionally, kills or assists extend the duration of Highlander. This ability transforms Yi into a hyper-carry capable of wiping out entire teams. Effective use of Highlander involves timing your engages correctly, focusing on priority targets, and maintaining its duration by securing kills and assists. In team fights, try to flank the enemy team to surprise their backline and quickly eliminate key targets.

Master Yi Builds: Items and Runes

Crafting the right build for Master Yi is essential to maximizing his potential. The items and runes you choose will significantly impact your damage output, survivability, and overall effectiveness in the game. Let's explore some popular and effective builds for Master Yi in 2023.

Item Builds

• On-Hit Build:
  • Starting Item: Hunter's Talisman and Refillable Potion are standard starts for sustain and clear speed.
  • Core Items: Guinsoo's Rageblade, Blade of the Ruined King, and Wit's End. This build focuses on maximizing on-hit damage through attack speed and on-hit effects, melting through both tanks and squishy targets. Guinsoo's Rageblade is the cornerstone of this build, providing significant attack speed and on-hit damage. Blade of the Ruined King offers sustain and % health damage, while Wit's End adds magic resist and more on-hit damage.
  • Situational Items: Guardian Angel for survivability, Death's Dance for sustain and damage reduction, and Mercurial Scimitar for cleansing crowd control. These items can help you adapt to different game scenarios and increase your survivability in team fights. Guardian Angel is particularly useful for diving into the enemy team, as it provides a second chance if you get focused. Death's Dance offers a mix of damage and sustain, allowing you to stay in fights longer. Mercurial Scimitar is crucial against teams with heavy crowd control, as it allows you to cleanse stuns and snares.
• Critical Strike Build:
  • Starting Item: Same as the On-Hit build, Hunter's Talisman and Refillable Potion.
  • Core Items: Kraken Slayer, Phantom Dancer, and Infinity Edge. This build emphasizes burst damage through critical strikes. Kraken Slayer provides true damage every few auto-attacks, making it effective against tanks. Phantom Dancer increases attack speed and movement speed, enhancing mobility. Infinity Edge significantly boosts critical strike damage, allowing you to quickly eliminate squishy targets. This build is riskier but rewards players who can position well and avoid getting caught out.
  • Situational Items: Guardian Angel, Bloodthirster for lifesteal, and Lord Dominik's Regards for armor penetration. These items provide additional survivability and damage output. Bloodthirster offers significant lifesteal, allowing you to sustain through fights. Lord Dominik's Regards is essential against teams with heavy armor, as it allows you to cut through their defenses.

Rune Setups

• Primary (Precision):
  • Keystone: Lethal Tempo is the most popular choice, providing massive attack speed after a short delay. This synergizes perfectly with Master Yi's kit, allowing him to quickly stack on-hit effects and critical strikes. Other options include Conqueror, but Lethal Tempo generally provides more consistent value.
  • Triumph: Provides sustain after takedowns, increasing survivability in team fights.
  • Legend: Alacrity: Grants bonus attack speed, further enhancing your DPS.
  • Coup de Grace: Deals more damage to low-health enemies, making it easier to secure kills.
• Secondary (Domination):
  • Sudden Impact: Provides bonus damage after using Alpha Strike, synergizing with his burst potential.
  • Eyeball Collection: Grants bonus AD as you collect eyeballs from takedowns.

Gameplay Strategies for Master Yi

To truly master Master Yi, you need to understand how to play him effectively in different phases of the game. This involves optimizing your jungle clear, making smart ganking decisions, and knowing how to position yourself in team fights. Let's break down some key gameplay strategies:

Early Game

In the early game, your primary focus should be on farming efficiently and scaling up. Master Yi is relatively weak in the early game and needs items to become a significant threat. Start with a Hunter's Talisman and Refillable Potion. Prioritize clearing your jungle camps quickly and efficiently. A typical clear might involve starting at your Red Buff, then moving to Krugs, Raptors, Wolves, Blue Buff, and Gromp. Use Meditate to sustain through the clear and minimize health loss. Avoid unnecessary skirmishes and focus on reaching level 6 as quickly as possible.

• Ganking: Look for opportunities to gank lanes, but be selective. Focus on ganking lanes where you have a high chance of success, such as lanes with low mobility enemies or lanes where your teammates have strong crowd control. Use Alpha Strike to gap close and deal damage, and coordinate with your teammates to secure kills. Avoid ganking losing lanes, as this can put you behind and set your team further back.
• Vision Control: Place wards in the enemy jungle to track the enemy jungler's movements. This will help you anticipate ganks and make informed decisions about your own pathing. Controlling vision around key objectives, such as Dragon and Rift Herald, is also crucial for securing these objectives later in the game.

Mid Game

As you transition into the mid-game, you should start looking for opportunities to make plays around the map. Master Yi becomes much stronger with a few core items, such as Guinsoo's Rageblade and Blade of the Ruined King. Look for isolated targets to pick off and try to snowball your lead.

• Objective Control: Focus on securing objectives, such as Dragons, Rift Herald, and Turrets. These objectives provide valuable buffs and gold for your team, helping you gain an advantage over the enemy. Coordinate with your team to take objectives safely and efficiently. Use your Highlander to quickly rotate between lanes and objectives.
• Split Pushing: In certain situations, split pushing can be an effective strategy for Master Yi. Use your mobility and damage output to pressure enemy turrets and draw attention away from other objectives. Be mindful of the enemy team's movements and avoid getting caught out. Use wards to keep track of enemy rotations and escape if necessary.

Late Game

In the late game, Master Yi becomes a hyper-carry capable of wiping out entire teams. Your primary goal is to position yourself correctly in team fights and focus on eliminating priority targets. Wait for the enemy team to use their key abilities before engaging, and use Alpha Strike to dodge incoming damage and reposition.

• Team Fights: In team fights, focus on flanking the enemy team and targeting their backline carries. Use Highlander to gain bonus movement speed and attack speed, and quickly eliminate squishy targets. Be mindful of crowd control and use Meditate to mitigate damage. If you can successfully eliminate the enemy carries, you can easily win the team fight.
• Vision Control: Maintain vision control around key objectives and chokepoints. This will help you anticipate enemy movements and make informed decisions about your positioning. Use Control Wards to deny vision and create opportunities for your team to engage.

Tips and Tricks for Mastering Master Yi

• Alpha Strike Dodging: Use Alpha Strike to dodge key enemy abilities, such as CC or high-damage spells. Timing is crucial, so practice using it to avoid skillshots and turn fights in your favor.
• Meditate Timing: Time your Meditate to absorb burst damage and sustain through fights. It's not just for healing; use it to bait out enemy abilities and turn engagements around.
• Highlander Management: Manage your Highlander duration by securing kills and assists. This will allow you to stay mobile and continue dealing damage in team fights.
• On-Hit Synergies: Maximize the effectiveness of your on-hit build by stacking attack speed and on-hit effects. This will allow you to melt through both tanks and squishy targets.
• Vision Awareness: Always be aware of your surroundings and maintain vision control. This will help you anticipate enemy movements and make informed decisions about your positioning.

Conclusion

Master Yi is a formidable champion capable of carrying games and dominating the Rift. By understanding his abilities, mastering his builds, and implementing effective gameplay strategies, you can unlock his full potential and climb the ranks in League of Legends. So, summon your courage, sharpen your blades, and get ready to become a true Wuju Bladesman! Good luck, and have fun on the Rift!