It’s time to bow down and welcome into the fold the newest champion in the League of Legends roster. Yasuo, known eerily as ‘the Unforgiven’, is a brutal close-quarters melee character. Armed with a classic samurai sword and a bunch of increasingly powerful skills, Yasuo sounds yet another complex addition to the already packed selection screen.
Yasuo’s key is sustained damage, something that’s made all the more achievable the longer he stays alive. The more time Yasuo remains alive, the stronger he becomes and the higher his damage output. This could easily make him an overpowered champion, but to gain this advantage requires powering through an early game with a relatively fragile hero. If you can keep him quick on his feet though, you should be able to survive long enough to unleash his late game power.
In Yasuo’s skills inventory is Steel Tempest on Q, offering a straight forward thrust that damages all in it’s path. Each attack will stack Gathering Storm, and with three stacks using Q will result in a whirlwind that catches enemies and throws them up.
Hitting W casts Wind Wall, which blocks projectiles and also allows a dash to replenish Yasuo’s Flow.
Sweeping Blade is attached to E and can be used multiple times in succession to deal extra damage on a multiplier. Yasuo dashes before lunging into this attack, adding a little extra reach to his blade.
When things have suitably heated up, Yasuo’s ultimate is Last Breath. Pressing R will cause Yasuo to teleport to a nearby airborne champion and attack, and other nearby enemies will be suspended in mid-air too. After the attack finishes, Yasuo gains armour penetration boost against his enemy’s bonus armour for a period of time. Sounds the perfect follow-up to using Steel Tempest’s whirlwind finisher.
Riot recommend Yasuo as a strong mid-lane fighter, and note that he works as an excellent team fighter due to his escalating damage. By swifty jumping from enemy to enemy in teamfights and allowing other allies to absorb damage, Yasuo can build his damage multiplier and dominate. The faster Yasuo moves the faster his Flow gains, thanks to his Way of the Wanderer passive. When the Flow meter fills, Yasuo gains a shield after taking damage, which is ideal for escapes or standing strong.
Check out the League of Legends blog for more details on Yasuo’s move set and playstyle, and keep an eye on the champion select screen for this ninja assassin.