Master Yi
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Excellent (8.5/10)
Low Investment
Epic Relics
Rare Relics OK
Master Yi is widely regarded as a premiere One-Turn-Kill (OTK) powerhouse. His ability to cycle spells infinitely and scale stats exponentially allows him to trivialize many encounters. However, his gameplay loop is often described as repetitive or 'solitaire-like,' leading to mixed opinions on his fun factor despite his undeniable strength.
Infinite Flow
Essential for the infinite combo. It fills your deck with Champion copies, ensuring you draw Master Yi and fueling his Wuju Style chain, which draws more champions.
Doubles the effectiveness of all stat-buffing spells. Since Master Yi relies on spamming Wuju Style and Twin Disciplines, this relic provides exponential power growth.
Provides Fated for scaling, but most importantly grants Overwhelm and Challenger. This ensures your massive Master Yi can bypass blockers and end the game immediately.
Strategy
This build focuses on reducing the cost of your spells (via adventure powers like Spellslinger or Wild Inspiration) to create an infinite loop of 0-cost Wuju Styles. Echoing Spirit keeps your hand fueled with champion cards, while Secret Technique and Chosen by the Stars ensure a single attack is lethal.
Signature Ephemeral
Master Yi's signature relic. It synergizes perfectly with his high-star powers to create powerful ephemeral copies that scale rapidly.- Doubles the buffs applied to both the original Master Yi and his ephemeral copies, leading to massive board strength very early.
Grants Overwhelm to all allies. This is crucial for ensuring that your ephemeral units and Master Yi connect with the Nexus rather than being chump-blocked.
Strategy
Leverages the synergy between Master Yi's signature relic and his constellation powers to flood the board with high-stat ephemeral units. This build is less reliant on drawing a specific infinite combo and more on raw board presence and Overwhelm damage.
Budget Sensei
Ensures you have a steady supply of Master Yi's champion spell each turn, allowing for consistent buffing and Alpha Strike protection.
Refills spell mana every round, allowing you to cast your generated champion spells and protection spells without running dry.
Strategy
A reliable setup for players without Epic relics. The goal is to stay on the board, generate value through GGC, and use Archangel's mana to control the board until Yi is large enough to trample over enemies.
Other Relic Options
Useful for OTK strategies, providing a Rally on level up to attack twice in a single turn.
Can be used in a 'Plunder' build to reduce Master Yi's high mana cost and get him on the board turn 1.
A solid common relic for mana sustainability on summon, helping to kickstart his spell chains.
Constellation
Master Yi is highly effective even at 2 or 3 stars, making him a great low-investment champion. His higher star powers shift his identity slightly towards synergy with ephemeral units and aggressive scaling.
Mind and Body
When you play a non-Fleeting spell or Skill, create a 1 cost Fleeting Twin Disciplines in hand.
Emai
+1 Starting Mana. Round Start: Flow: Give your Strongest ally Elusive this round.
Mind and Body II
When you play a non-Fleeting spell or Skill, create a 1 cost Fleeting Twin Disciplines in hand. Round Start: Flow: Grant allies +1|+1.
Gameplay Tips
The Infinite Combo
Master Yi's champion spell, Wuju Style, has the 'Hero's Horn' item, meaning it draws a champion when cast. If you have the Echoing Spirit relic, your deck is full of Master Yis. This means casting Wuju Style draws another Master Yi, which turns into another Wuju Style. If you acquire powers like Wild Inspiration or Spellslinger that reduce spell costs by 1, this loop becomes infinite, allowing you to buff Yi to maximum stats on Turn 1.
Hand Management
Because Master Yi generates so many cards (Twin Disciplines, Wuju Styles, Meditates), it is very easy to burn cards due to a full hand. Be careful not to obliterate your Master Yi draw. Prioritize playing non-essential cards to make space before continuing your combo.
Lissandra's Counter
The Lissandra adventure is the hardest counter to Master Yi. Her power increases the cost of cards after you play a few each turn, effectively shutting down his infinite combo. Against her, rely more on single big hits and Overwhelm rather than spell spam.
Turn 1 Lethal
With the right setup, Master Yi is one of the most consistent Turn 1 kill champions. Look for the Spellslinger power in shops and reroll aggressively for it. Even without the infinite combo, the Secret Technique relic allows his stats to grow fast enough to threaten lethal damage very early.