Yasuo
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Excellent (8.5/10)
Low Investment
Rare Relics OK
Yasuo is widely regarded as an exceptionally strong and consistent control champion, capable of locking down the toughest encounters. While his stall-heavy playstyle can feel slow to some, his ability to effortlessly clear boards makes him a top-tier choice.
The Unforgiven Control
Provides crucial early mana to accelerate Yasuo's deployment and synergizes perfectly with his control game plan.
Ensures consistent access to Yasuo and floods the deck with cheap stun spells to fuel his passive.
Creates a massive board swing by stunning all enemies upon Yasuo's level-up, allowing him to strike the entire enemy board.
Strategy
This is Yasuo's premier control build. The goal is to use the extra mana from Yasuo's Windblade to drop him on the board as early as Turn 1 or 2. Echoing Spirit guarantees you have the resources to keep the enemy board permanently stunned, while Tempest Blade serves as a devastating board wipe when he levels up.
Mischiefmaker Yasuo
Plants puffcaps every time Yasuo deals damage, providing a powerful alternative win condition.- Provides the necessary spell generation to keep Yasuo striking constantly.
- Grants the starting mana needed to get the engine running quickly.
Strategy
This highly popular build transforms Yasuo into a puffcap engine. Because Yasuo strikes enemies every time they are stunned or recalled, Mischiefmaker's Flute allows him to plant massive amounts of puffcaps in the enemy deck. This provides a reliable way to deal Nexus damage without risking Yasuo in direct combat, solving his occasional struggle to close out games.
Accessible Control
- Provides a guaranteed board wipe upon leveling up.
Generates a fleeting copy of Yasuo's champion spell every round, ensuring a steady supply of stuns.
Grants immediate board control the moment Yasuo is summoned.
Strategy
A highly effective build utilizing only rare and common relics. The Grand General's Counterplan is vital here, as it provides infinite stun generation and prevents you from decking out by shuffling Yasuo copies back into your deck. Everfrost provides immediate tempo, and Tempest Blade acts as your primary board clear.
Other Relic Options
An excellent option for providing Overwhelm to your board, allowing Yasuo and his followers to push damage through chump blockers.
Yasuo is highly vulnerable to hard removal. Black Shield provides essential Spellshield to ensure he stays on the board to execute his game plan.
Offers a safety net against removal and allows you to aggressively block with Yasuo, as his revival will trigger an additional stun if paired with Everfrost.
A strong stat-scaling option that provides Yasuo with valuable keywords as he clears the board.
Constellation
Yasuo is a powerhouse even at 3 stars, capable of clearing most high-difficulty content without epic relics. While his higher constellations provide significant power spikes, they are often considered luxury upgrades rather than strict necessities.
Follow the Wind
Round Start: If you have the attack token, stun the strongest enemy.
Never Dull
+1 Starting Mana. When an ally strikes, grant it +1|+0
Follow the Wind II
Round Start: Stun the strongest enemy.Review
Provides the core of his immense control capabilities, allowing him to lock down boards effortlessly and scale his damage.
Dragon's Rage
When you summon an ally, grant it Fury. It is a Dragon.Review
Grants Fury, allowing Yasuo to scale his stats significantly as he strikes stunned units. While it helps him grow into a massive threat, some players find this upgrade slow or unnecessary since his base control is already so strong.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.Review
The extra mana gem is universally praised, enabling Yasuo to hit the board earlier and establish control before the opponent can overwhelm you.
Typhoon
Round End: Recall Stunned enemies.Review
Recalls stunned enemies at the end of the round. This is a highly debated upgrade. It is incredibly powerful for removing high-stat threats in Nightmare adventures, but it can be detrimental in specific matchups, such as against Lissandra, where recalling her 0-cost Watcher allows her to replay it.
Gameplay Tips
- Prioritize Board Control
Yasuo's primary strength lies in his ability to permanently lock down the enemy board. Focus on drafting stun and recall effects to maximize his passive strikes, rather than relying on raw combat stats.
- Beware of Decking Out
Yasuo's champion spell and several of his followers draw cards. In longer, grindy encounters, this can lead to decking out. Relics like The Grand General's Counterplan or Echoing Spirit help mitigate this by shuffling copies back into your deck.
- The Lissandra Matchup
Yasuo requires a defensive approach against Lissandra. Focus on recurring stun value rather than burst damage. Be extremely cautious if you have his 6-star upgrade, as recalling The Watcher will allow Lissandra to replay it for 0 mana.
- Puffcap Vulnerability
Yasuo struggles significantly against adventures with Puffcap modifiers (like Galio's Nightmare) due to his inherent card draw. Prioritize drafting Lifesteal units or defensive relics like Voidborne Carapace to survive the indirect damage.
- Frostbite is a Hard Counter
Frostbite completely shuts down Yasuo's ability to strike stunned targets. Avoid encounters heavily featuring Frostbite, or prioritize Spellshield to protect him from these effects.