Yorick, the Shepherd of Souls, has remained a unique and powerful champion in League of Legends, especially for those who want to dominate the top lane. Known for his ability to summon an army of ghouls and his relentless split-pushing, Yorick can put incredible pressure on enemy teams, forcing them into difficult decisions. This guide will dive deep into mastering Yorick in League of Legends, covering optimal builds, key strategies, and how to counter his most challenging matchups in Season 14. Learn the best builds, strategies, and counters with our League of Legends Yorick Guide.
Table of Contents
Understanding Yorick’s Playstyle
Yorick excels at split-pushing, thanks to his ultimate ability, Eulogy of the Isles. This skill summons the Maiden of the Mist, who not only helps Yorick in battles but can also wreak havoc on towers if left unchecked. When Yorick is left alone, he can quickly take down turrets and inhibitors, turning games around even if his team is struggling in team fights. This makes him an ideal pick for players who enjoy a more tactical and macro-oriented style of gameplay.
Yorick’s Role in the Game
Yorick is best played in the top lane, where he can farm up, control the wave, and outscale his opponents. His ghouls, summoned through Last Rites and Awakening, provide additional damage and can poke enemies from a safe distance. This, combined with his ability to lock opponents down using Dark Procession (his W), makes him a formidable opponent in duels.
While Yorick is not known for team fighting, he can still contribute to skirmishes with his Mourning Mist (E) to slow and mark enemies. However, Yorick’s true strength lies in his ability to create pressure on side lanes, forcing the enemy to divert resources to deal with him, often leading to favorable situations for his team.
Yorick’s Best Build for Season 14
The key to maximizing Yorick’s potential is selecting the right items based on the game’s circumstances. His build should focus on damage, durability, and split-pushing efficiency.
Core Items
- Divine Sunderer
This item is vital for Yorick in Season 14. The mix of attack damage, health, and healing through its passive ensures Yorick can survive and thrive in long trades. Divine Sunderer’s ability to deal percentage-based damage also makes it particularly effective against tanks, which Yorick often faces in the top lane. - Hullbreaker
A split-pusher’s dream, Hullbreaker amplifies Yorick’s power when alone, making his ghouls and Maiden even deadlier. This item provides significant bonuses to Yorick’s siege potential and his ability to survive while split-pushing. The increased resistances make him harder to kill, allowing him to sustain longer in side lanes. - Sterak’s Gage
Sterak’s Gage is a fantastic item for survivability, granting a shield that scales with Yorick’s health. This is especially useful in team fights or duels against champions who can burst him down. The added tenacity also helps Yorick deal with crowd control, which is one of his few weaknesses.
Situational Items
While these are Yorick’s core items, flexibility is key. Depending on the enemy composition and how the game progresses, you should consider the following situational items:
- Thornmail or Bramble Vest: Against heavy healing champions like Aatrox or Fiora, healing reduction is a must.
- Spirit Visage: If the enemy team is magic-damage-heavy, this item increases Yorick’s healing from his abilities and ghouls, while also providing magic resistance.
- Serylda’s Grudge: If you find yourself needing more damage and the ability to slow enemies with your abilities, this item can enhance Yorick’s ability to chase down fleeing enemies or kite dangerous foes.
Yorick’s Runes for Season 14
Primary Rune: Precision
- Conqueror: The best keystone for Yorick in most matchups. Conqueror increases his damage the longer a fight goes on, and Yorick thrives in extended trades where his ghouls and Maiden can deal sustained damage.
Secondary Rune: Resolve
- Demolish: Enhances Yorick’s split-pushing power, allowing him to tear down turrets even faster.
- Bone Plating: Provides additional durability in lane, especially against champions that rely on burst damage.
This combination gives Yorick the resilience he needs in lane while maximizing his split-pushing strength during the mid and late game.
How to Play Yorick in Different Matchups
Yorick’s lane phase can vary significantly based on his opponent. Here’s how to handle some of his most challenging matchups and how to exploit favorable ones.
Difficult Matchups
Irelia
Irelia poses a significant threat due to her mobility and ability to heal from Yorick’s ghouls. She can easily stack her passive using your summons and out-trade you. In this matchup, it’s crucial to play safe early on. Don’t let her stack her passive easily, and once you get Hullbreaker and your ultimate, you can look for opportunities to split-push or duel her when she’s out of position.
Jax
Jax is another tough matchup. His dodge mechanic counters Yorick’s ghouls, and he can easily outscale you in the late game. The key to beating Jax is to poke him with your Mourning Mist and avoid extended trades when he has his Counter Strike up. Once you reach level 6 and acquire Hullbreaker, you can pressure other parts of the map where Jax isn’t, forcing him to respond to your split-pushing.
Fiora
Fiora’s mobility and dueling power make her a nightmare for Yorick. She can easily dodge your Dark Procession and burst down your Maiden. To counter Fiora, always try to position yourself near walls to avoid giving her easy access to her Vital spots. It’s a tough matchup, but you can still win if you focus on wave control and play for the long game.
Favorable Matchups
Garen
Garen’s lack of mobility makes him an easy target for Yorick. As long as you land your Mourning Mist and trap him inside Dark Procession, you can poke him down with your ghouls and eventually win trades. Garen can be dangerous with his burst, but if you play carefully and kite around his abilities, you’ll come out on top.
Malphite
Yorick’s ability to deal percentage-based damage with Divine Sunderer makes him a solid pick against tanks like Malphite. Malphite may have consistent poke with his Seismic Shard, but once Yorick gets his ghouls and Maiden in play, Malphite struggles to match Yorick’s sustained damage and split-pushing threat.
Mastering Yorick’s Split-Push Strategy
The key to playing Yorick effectively is understanding how to apply constant pressure on the side lanes. Yorick’s ultimate, Eulogy of the Isles, is a game-changer. When the Maiden is summoned, she will automatically target minions and structures, making Yorick one of the most potent split-pushers in the game.
The best time to use Yorick’s split-pushing power is during the mid to late game, especially if your team is able to hold their own in 4v4 or 4v5 situations. Push aggressively when the enemy team is preoccupied elsewhere, and use Dark Procession to prevent enemies from escaping or engaging you under their tower.
Always be mindful of where the enemy jungler or mid-laner is. If they rotate to your lane, you can either disengage or set up a counter-attack with your Maiden. If they don’t respond to you, capitalize on their mistake by taking down structures and opening up the map for your team.
Conclusion: Dominating with League of Legends Yorick
Yorick’s ability to split-push and take control of the game by himself makes him one of the most unique champions in League of Legends. By focusing on the right item builds, understanding key matchups, and mastering his split-push strategy, you can dominate the top lane and carry your team to victory. Remember, Yorick’s true power comes from making the enemy team choose between dealing with you or your team—and either way, they’re in for a tough fight.
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