Yasuo Counters
The best Yasuo counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Malphite, Malzahar, Swain, Garen, Viktor. The best Yasuo counter is Malphite, with Yasuo having only a 37.61% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Yasuo counter choices are Naafiri, Kayle, Vex, Ahri, Vladimir. Below are the top Yasuo counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Way of the Wanderer
Yasuo's Critical Strike Chance is increased. Additionally, Yasuo builds toward a shield whenever he is moving. The shield triggers when he takes damage from a champion or monster.
Steel Tempest
Thrusts forward, damaging all enemies in a line.
On hit, grants a stack of Gathering Storm for a few seconds. At 2 stacks, Steel Tempest fires a whirlwind that knocks Airborne.
Steel Tempest is treated as a basic attack and scales with all the same things.Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 4
Range:- 475
Wind Wall
Creates a moving wall that blocks all enemy projectiles for 4 seconds.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 25/
- 23/
- 21/
- 19/
- 17
Range:- 400
Sweeping Blade
Dashes through target enemy, dealing magic damage. Each cast increases subsequent dash's damage, up to a max amount.
Cannot be re-cast on the same enemy for a few seconds.
If Steel Tempest is cast while dashing, it will strike as a circle.Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 1/
- 0/
- 0/
- 0/
- 0
Range:- 475
Last Breath
Blinks to an
Airborne enemy champion, dealing physical damage and holding allAirborne enemies in the area in the air. Grants maximum Flow but resets all stacks of Gathering Storm.
For a moderate time afterwards, Yasuo's critical strikes gain significant Bonus Armor Penetration.Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 70/
- 50/
- 30
Range:- 1400
- Fighter,
- Assassin
These champions are Yasuo's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Malphite is Yasuo's biggest counter with only a 37.61% win rate for Yasuo. When facing these Yasuo counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Yasuo matchups.
Malphite
Malzahar
Swain
Garen
Viktor
Naafiri
Kayle
Vex
Ahri
Vladimir
When facing Yasuo in League of Legends, understanding Yasuo's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Yasuo deals primarily physical damage, which means prioritizing armor in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Yasuo's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Yasuo include Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide substantial armor stats that directly mitigate Yasuo's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Yasuo counters are Malphite, Malzahar, Swain, and Garen. These champions either out-trade Yasuo in lane, have abilities that negate Yasuo's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Malphite in particular exploits Yasuo's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Yasuo involves understanding Yasuo's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Yasuo when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Yasuo in team fights before Yasuo can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Yasuo to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Yasuo's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Yasuo's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Yasuo is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Yasuo may look for extended trades. Avoid long fights and kite with slows. Short trades favor you against sustained damage.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Yasuo becomes increasingly tanky mid game. Focus on kiting and percent health damage. Avoid fighting in choke points.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Yasuo is very durable late game. Use armor penetration or anti-tank items. Focus squishier targets first if Yasuo is too tanky.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Yasuo in lane or team fights.
- Pick Malphite or similar champions with kits that exploit Yasuo's weaknesses
- Build Plated Steelcaps or Seeker's Armguard early to reduce Yasuo's damage in lane
- Track Yasuo's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Yasuo's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Yasuo during vulnerable windows
- Group with teammates to deny Yasuo solo picks
- Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Yasuo's engages
Yasuo performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Miss Fortune is Yasuo's best matchup with a 67.62% win rate. When playing Yasuo into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Yasuo can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Miss Fortune
Sylas
Mel
Katarina
Lux
Twisted Fate
Zoe
Aurelion Sol
Xerath
Zed
Yasuo Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Yasuo?
The best Yasuo counters are Malphite, Malzahar, and Swain. These champions have favorable matchups against Yasuo and can exploit Yasuo's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Yasuo's hardest counter?
Malphite is Yasuo's hardest counter with Yasuo having only a 37.61% win rate in this matchup. Malzahar (42.08% WR) and Swain (44.94% WR) are also strong Yasuo counters.
Who does Yasuo counter?
Yasuo performs well against Miss Fortune, Sylas, and Mel. These are Yasuo's best matchups where Yasuo has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Yasuo in lane?
To beat Yasuo in lane, pick a counter champion like Malphite or Malzahar. Focus on trading when Yasuo's key abilities are on cooldown, and build armor items to reduce Yasuo's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Yasuo gains an advantage.
What items counter Yasuo?
The best items to counter Yasuo are Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide armor which directly reduces Yasuo's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Yasuo in lane.
When is Yasuo weakest?
Yasuo is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Yasuo's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Yasuo before Yasuo can set up fights on Yasuo's own terms.
How do I play Yasuo into counter matchups?
When playing Yasuo into counters like Malphite, focus on safe farming, waiting for jungle assistance, and playing around power spikes. Avoid extended trades in unfavorable matchups and look for opportunities to scale into mid and late game.
What champions are similar to Yasuo's counters?
If Malphite, Malzahar, or Swain are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Yasuo's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Yasuo's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.