Does Master Yi climb? An honest read
Whether Master Yi is a good climbing pick, judged on what the kit demands and what it hands you for free.
What the kit asks of you
Riot rates Master Yi at 4 out of 3 for difficulty. Blunt, but it tracks something real: how much of the champion's power sits behind execution rather than being handed to you.
At 175 attack range Master Yi has to walk into damage to deal it, so every trade begins with a decision about whether you can afford the walk.
The kit you are being asked to execute
Double Strike
Every few consecutive basic attack, Master Yi strikes twice.
Alpha Strike
Master Yi teleports across the battlefield with blinding speed, dealing physical damage to multiple units in his path, while simultaneously becoming untargetable. Alpha Strike can critically strike and deals bonus physical damage to monsters. Basic attacks reduce Alpha Strike's cooldown.
Meditate
Master Yi rejuvenates his body by focus of mind, restoring Health and taking reduced damage for a short time. In addition, Master Yi will gain stacks of Double Strike and pause the remaining duration on Wuju Style and Highlander for each second he channels.
Wuju Style
Grants bonus true damage on basic attacks.
Highlander
Master Yi moves with unparalleled agility, temporarily increasing his Move Speed and Attack Speed as well as making him immune to all slowing effects. While active, Champion kills or assists extend Highlander's duration. Passively reduces cooldown for his other abilities on a kill or assist.
The case for
A fighter that can trade repeatedly, survive the return damage, and win the third exchange rather than the first scales with individual skill rather than coordination — and coordination is exactly what you cannot rely on in the lower ranks.
The case against
The counter-argument is taking the first trade instead of the trade that wins — a habit the lower ranks reward right up until they suddenly do not, which makes it hard to unlearn later.
Master Yi is mana-gated, which is the real limit on how often you can contest a wave early.
Where the power actually is
| Stat | Level 1 | Level 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Health | 640 | 2425 |
| Attack damage | 65 | 65 |
| Armour | 33 | 109.5 |
| Magic resist | 32 | 66.9 |
Movement speed 355 and attack range 175 do not grow with levels — they are the two numbers that stay true all game.
Riot's own notes on playing against Master Yi
Worth reading even when you are the one playing Master Yi: it is the list of what your opponent is being told to do to you.
- Meditate is an effective method of healing damage over time, but Master Yi is susceptible to coordinated team ganks early in the game.
- If Master Yi tries to farm with Alpha Strike, hit him a few times so he has to use mana with Meditate to heal.
- Although Master Yi cannot be slowed while using Highlander, other disables can stop him in his tracks.