Sima Yi
Sima Yi: Gains vision of casters within a range of 2000.
Build core
Rush Runeblade, Boots of Tranquility, Insatiable Tome, then complete Staves of Sorcery, Savant's Wrath, Breakthrough Robe
Combo
Shadow Stings → Barren Lands → Death Descends → weave basic attacks
Draft
Sima Yi excels into Lu Bu, Wuyan, Menki. Avoid blind picking into Alessio, Arli, Lady Zhen without team peel.
Best Build for Sima Yi
End-game item order with gold costs and slot notes. Purchase path may differ in-match.
Build philosophy
Sima Yi benefits from Physical attack, Cooldown reduction, Penetration — match items and runes to kit scaling.
Passive: Gains vision of casters within a range of 2000. Using this skill will enhance his Basic Attack and deal damage.
Arcana: Prioritize runes that boost Physical attack, Cooldown reduction, Penetration for this hero's passive and skill scaling.
4 presets — switch by draft, lane, or CN meta. Default matches Jungling when available.
| # | Item | Gold | Stats | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Runeblade | 2,160g | MATK +130, CDR +10%, MSPD +5% Monster kills boost MATK | Fits Cooldown reduction priority — Requires Smite to purchase. Reduces damage from monsters by 25% and grants 30% more EXP and 20% more Gold from monsters. |
| 2 |  Boots of the Arcane | 700g | MSPD +50, MP +400 Magical Pierce | Fits Magic attack priority — Passive - Swift — Grants 50 Movement Speed. |
| 3 |  Staves of Sorcery | 2,080g | MATK +180, HP +600, MSPD +7.5% Enhances BAs | Fits On-hit priority — Passive - Savagery — The next Basic Attack within 5s after casting a skill deals (180–360 + 40% {ap}) extra magical damage. |
| 4 |  Savant's Wrath | 2,140g | MATK +210 Greatly boosts MATK | Fits Magic attack priority — Passive - Doom — {ap} +30% |
| 5 |  Void Staff | 2,040g | MATK +210, HP +500, CDR +5% Anti-tank | Fits Cooldown reduction priority — Passive - Devastation — Magical Pierce +45% |
| 6 |  Golden Blade | 2,070g | MATK +150, ASPD +20%, MSPD +7.5% Keeps enhancing BA | Fits Attack speed priority — Passive - Precision — Basic Attack Damage +60 |
Best Arcana & Spells
| Slot | Choice | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Fate | Recommended for Assassin Jungling |
| Spell | Smite | Adjust Purify/Execute based on enemy dive. |
Skill Order
Skill 2 → Skill 1 → Death Descends (max Skill 2 first)
Barren Lands provides mobility or stick—max first. Shadow Stings second for damage. Death Descends on every level.
Combos
1. Standard trade
Shadow Stings → Barren Lands → Death Descends → weave basic attacks
When: Jungling skirmish or objective fight
2. All-in
Death Descends after full rotation when Flash is down
When: Gank or backline dive with team CC
Abilities
Passive
Quiet Whispers
Gains vision of casters within a range of 2000. Using this skill will enhance his Basic Attack and deal damage.
Skill 1
Shadow Stings
Controls an untargetable spirit, dealing damage upon contact with enemies. The main body gains crowd control immunity. When the duration ends, using another skill or a Basic Attack will cause the main body to teleport to the spirit's location.
Skill 2
Barren Lands
Damages and silences enemies within a certain range. After a short delay, if Sima Yi is still within the skill's area, he recovers Energy. Passive: A portion of the magical damage taken is converted into Health.
Ultimate
Death Descends
After a short delay, flies to the target location, dealing damage to enemies at the destination and reduced damage to enemies in his path.
Counters & Matchups
Sima Yi is strong into
Pick Sima Yi when the enemy drafts these heroes.
Sima Yi struggles into
Avoid Sima Yi or ban these when they appear on the enemy team.
Playstyle & Ranked Tips
Laning Phase
Clear to level four, then gank the lane with the least escape. Secure Tyrant when your bot or mid has crash wave.
Teamfight Role
Wait for CC from your team, then dive carry with full combo. Exit with reset or flash if focus fired.
High Rank (Diamond+)
Sima Yi sits at Tier B globally (46.2% WR). In high rank, pick only into favorable matchups or when you have a dedicated pocket pick. Below 49% global WR — high-rank players often avoid unless compensating for team comp.
vs Similar Heroes
- Sima Yi vs Wukong (Assassin, Tier S): Wukong is 1.3% pick / 49.7% WR. Wukong wins 3.5% more often globally. Choose Sima Yi when you need Jungling identity; choose Wukong for Jungling comfort.
- Sima Yi vs Musashi (Assassin, Tier A): Musashi is 1.1% pick / 50.7% WR. Musashi wins 4.5% more often globally. Choose Sima Yi when you need Jungling identity; choose Musashi for Jungling comfort.
FAQ
What is the best Sima Yi build?
Recommended: Runeblade, Boots of the Arcane, Staves of Sorcery, Savant's Wrath, Void Staff, Golden Blade.
How to counter Sima Yi?
Pick Alessio, Arli, Lady Zhen. Strong into Lu Bu, Wuyan, Menki.
Is Sima Yi good in current season?
Sima Yi is Tier B Assassin with 46.22% win rate, 0.25% pick rate, and 0.02% ban rate (Camp HOK international).