Yao
Yao: Recovers Health when landing skill hits.
Build core
Rush Rapacious Bite, Boots of Resistance, Axe of Torment, then complete Spikemail, Starbreaker
Combo
Starlight Slice → Starburn (Yao) → Return to Dust → weave basic attacks
Draft
Yao excels into Angela, Mi Yue, Ziya. Avoid blind picking into Hou Yi, Daji, Angela without team peel.
Best Build for Yao
End-game item order with gold costs and slot notes. Purchase path may differ in-match.
Build philosophy
Yao benefits from Physical attack, Cooldown reduction, Penetration — match items and runes to kit scaling.
Passive: Recovers Health when landing skill hits. Using any 3 skills enhances his next skill, and using the enhanced skill will enhance his next Basic Attack.
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 |  Cuirass of Savagery | 2,050g | PATK +35, PDEF +210, HP +900 Offense & defense | Fits Physical attack priority — Passive - Fearless — When taking damage, increases own damage and Movement Speed by 1% for 3s, for up to 10 stacks (gains 2 stacks when hit by enemy heroes). |
| 2 |  Overlord's Might | 2,540g | PATK +150, CDR +5% High-damage attack | Fits Physical attack priority — Passive - Siege Breaker — Deals 30% extra damage to enemies below 50% Health. |
| 3 |  Master Sword | 2,100g | PATK +55, Crit Rate +20%, HP +600 Enhances BAs | Fits Physical attack priority — Passive - Savagery — Casting a skill increases Movement Speed by 12% for 2s and the physical damage of the next Basic Attack within 5s by (80% {ad}). |
| 4 |  Sage's Sanctuary | 2,280g | HP +900, PDEF +150, MDEF +150 Resurrect on the spot | Fits Survivability priority — Passive - Revive — Resurrects the wearer 2s after dying and restores 2,000–3,000 Health. This effect can be triggered up to 2 times per match. |
| 5 |  Destiny | 2,060g | PATK +75, ASPD +15%, HP +500 Negates fatal damage | Fits Physical attack priority — Passive - Dark Curtain — When taking fatal damage, instead of dying immediately, the hero gains invincibility and a 15% Attack Speed and Movement Speed increase for 1s (0.75s for ranged heroes). After equipping this item, its effect duration increases by 0.01s every 5s, up to a maximum of 0.5s. |
| 6 |  Ravage - Phantom | 3,350g | PATK +75, HP +900 Trades HP for shield | Fits Physical attack priority — Passive - Apoplexy — Basic Attacks deal an extra (1.5% HP) physical damage. When Health drops below 50%, the damage increases by 37.5%–75%. |
Best Arcana & Spells
| Slot | Choice | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Mutation | Recommended for Assassin Jungling |
| Spell | Smite | Adjust Purify/Execute based on enemy dive. |
Skill Order
Skill 2 → Skill 1 → Return to Dust (max Skill 2 first)
Starburn (Yao) provides mobility or stick—max first. Starlight Slice second for damage. Return to Dust on every level.
Combos
1. Standard trade
Starlight Slice → Starburn (Yao) → Return to Dust → weave basic attacks
When: Jungling skirmish or objective fight
2. All-in
Return to Dust after full rotation when Flash is down
When: Gank or backline dive with team CC
Abilities
Passive
Gift of the Stars
Recovers Health when landing skill hits. Using any 3 skills enhances his next skill, and using the enhanced skill will enhance his next Basic Attack.
Skill 1
Starlight Slice
Deals damage to nearby enemies.
Skill 2
Star Rush
Moves quickly, dealing damage and slowing enemies in his path.
Ultimate
Return to Dust
Returns to his location 2s ago, removes Star Reduction, and deals damage to enemies in his path. Passive: Some of his damage taken is converted into Star Reduction after a short delay.
Counters & Matchups
Yao is strong into
Pick Yao when the enemy drafts these heroes.
Yao struggles into
Avoid Yao 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+)
Yao sits at Tier B globally (51.4% WR). In high rank, pick only into favorable matchups or when you have a dedicated pocket pick.
vs Similar Heroes
- Yao vs Wukong (Assassin, Tier S): Wukong is 1.3% pick / 49.7% WR. Yao has +1.7% WR vs Wukong in Camp data. Choose Yao when you need Jungling identity; choose Wukong for Jungling comfort.
- Yao vs Musashi (Assassin, Tier A): Musashi is 1.1% pick / 50.7% WR. Yao has +0.7% WR vs Musashi in Camp data. Choose Yao when you need Jungling identity; choose Musashi for Jungling comfort.
FAQ
What is the best Yao build?
Recommended: Cuirass of Savagery, Overlord's Might, Master Sword, Sage's Sanctuary, Destiny, Ravage - Phantom.
How to counter Yao?
Pick Hou Yi, Daji, Angela. Strong into Angela, Mi Yue, Ziya.
Is Yao good in current season?
Yao is Tier B Assassin with 51.43% win rate, 0.56% pick rate, and 0.04% ban rate (Camp HOK international).