Best Counters to Play Against Yasuo in League of Legends
Yasuo is one of the most frustrating champions to play against in League of Legends. He blocks your skill shots with Wind Wall, dashes through your minions, and once he gets a few items, he crits everything for half their health bar. If you have ever rage-typed in chat after losing to a Yasuo, you are not alone.
Good news: Yasuo has clear weaknesses, and there is a long list of champions who beat him hard. This guide covers the best counters to Yasuo, why they work, and how to play the matchup so you can actually punish him.
Quick Counter Picks
Here is the short version, by lane:
- Mid: Malzahar, Lissandra, Annie, Renekton, Pantheon
- Top: Renekton, Jax, Pantheon, Sett, Malphite
- Bot (if Yasuo bot): Vayne, Caitlyn, Draven
- Support that helps vs Yasuo: Leona, Nautilus, Pyke
If you only remember one pick, go with Malzahar mid. He shows a 55%+ win rate against Yasuo because his ultimate cannot be blocked by Wind Wall.
Why Yasuo Is Hard to Deal With
Three things make Yasuo annoying.
First, his passive gives him crit chance early. He hits like a truck even without finishing items.
Second, Wind Wall blocks every projectile in the game. Auto-attacks from ranged champs, ability projectiles, even ultimates like Caitlyn's R can be stopped cold.
Third, his ult lets him chain knock-up combos. If your team gets knocked into the air by anyone (Yasuo's tornado, Alistar, Malphite ult), Yasuo gets a free Last Breath into them with bonus armor pen.
That is what makes him scary. Now let us flip every one of those into a counter.
Best Mid Lane Counters
Malzahar
This is the matchup Yasuo players dread. Malzahar's ultimate, Nether Grasp, is a point-and-click suppression. There is no projectile. Wind Wall does not stop it. He suppresses Yasuo, his Voidlings chunk Yasuo's health, and his W (Void Swarm) shoves the wave hard so Yasuo cannot farm safely.
Matchup data backs this up: Malzahar wins around 55-56% of games into Yasuo in mid lane, well above his average win rate.
How to play it: Push the wave early, max your E (Malefic Visions), and bait Yasuo's Wind Wall before you ult. Once your ult lands, your jungler can collapse for an easy kill.
Lissandra
Lissandra's Glacial Path (E) lets her engage from far. Her Ring of Frost (W) roots Yasuo before he can dash, and her ult (Frozen Tomb) is a point-and-click stun on him or a self-cast iceberg to escape.
How to play it: Use your range advantage. Q-W trade pattern at level 3. At 6, never ult Yasuo before you check his Wind Wall is on cooldown.
Annie
Annie chunks Yasuo before he hits level 6. With Tibbers stun ready by level 4, you can usually score a kill in the first few minutes if Yasuo plays aggressive.
How to play it: Stack your passive to 4 by trading with autos. The moment you have a stun ready, all-in with Q-W-R.
Renekton
Renekton dominates the early game everywhere. He outranges Yasuo's autos with Cull the Meek (Q) and his stun from Slice and Dice (E in-out) wins every short trade.
How to play it: Trade level 1 with Q, stack fury, and dump it on him with empowered Q (heal) or W (stun).
Pantheon
Pantheon is a great answer because his Shield Vault (W) is a point-and-click stun that goes through Wind Wall.
How to play it: Bait Wind Wall with your Q, then W stun into auto-Q. Repeat. Roam at level 6 to help bot lane.
Best Top Lane Counters
Renekton
Same reasons as mid. Out-trades, out-sustains, wins the level 1 cheese.
Jax
Counter Strike (E) dodges all of Yasuo's autos and the empowered version stuns Yasuo when he is in melee range. Once Jax hits 6, he wins every all-in.
How to play it: Wait for Yasuo to commit to a trade, then E to dodge his autos and counter-attack with E stun.
Pantheon
Same as mid. The point-and-click stun makes Yasuo helpless.
Sett
Sett's passive heals him while taking damage, and his Haymaker (W) is a point-blank attack that shreds Yasuo. His ult also slams Yasuo through Wind Wall.
Malphite
If you are at the rank where Yasuo players are still figuring out matchups, Malphite is a free counter. Armor stacking makes Yasuo's crits hit for half damage, and Malphite's ult sets up his own teamfight (and avoids feeding Yasuo a free knock-up ult).
Best ADC Counters (If Yasuo Bot)
Vayne
Vayne's tumble (Q) dodges Yasuo's dash timing, and her silver bolts deal true damage that ignores armor. Late game, she wins every duel.
Caitlyn
Range, range, range. Caitlyn auto-attacks Yasuo from outside his reach and traps the lane so he cannot dash through bushes.
Draven
Draven hits like a truck early. If you get on top of Yasuo before he has items, you win.
General Tips Against Yasuo
- Do not group up for his ult. If you are knocked up and your team is knocked up next to you, Yasuo R deletes the whole team.
- Stay outside the minion wave. Yasuo gets a free dash through minions with his E. If you are next to a caster minion, you are basically already dead.
- Bait Wind Wall before using your big ability. If you have a stun or root, fake it with a Q first. Once Wind Wall is down, hit him with the real combo.
- Buy armor early. Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, or Randuin's Omen reduce his auto damage significantly.
- Punish his fragility. Yasuo has no escape outside of dashing through minions. Get on top of him with hard CC and he dies fast.
Common Mistakes
- Walking up next to your minions. Free Yasuo dashes.
- Using your hard CC into Wind Wall. Always check his cooldowns.
- Building no armor. Yasuo's crits melt armor-less champs in a single combo.
- Letting him roam free at level 6. Watch the map. If Yasuo is missing, ping your sidelanes.
- Picking projectile champions blind into him. Lux, Xerath, and Jhin (in bot lane) all hate Wind Wall.
Item Recommendations
- Tanks: Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, Thornmail (anti-heal vs his Conqueror sustain)
- Mages and squishies: Banshee's Veil, Zhonya's Hourglass (block his ult mid-air)
- ADCs into Yasuo: Phantom Dancer for crit reduction, Randuin's eventually
Anti-heal is huge against him because his Conqueror rune gives him sustain in extended fights.
FAQ
Who counters Yasuo the hardest?
Malzahar in mid lane. His ult is point-and-click suppression that Wind Wall cannot block, and his wave clear shoves Yasuo under tower.
How do I beat Yasuo in lane?
Pick a champion with point-and-click CC, freeze the wave outside Yasuo's reach, and punish him when he tries to dash through your minions. Buy armor early.
Why is Wind Wall so strong?
It blocks every projectile in the game for a few seconds, including ultimates. The counter is to use point-and-click abilities (which cannot be blocked) or to bait the Wind Wall before your big play.
Is Yasuo good against tanks?
Not really. Yasuo's damage is mostly physical and tanks can stack armor to drop his auto damage hard. The matchup feels even worse for Yasuo if the tank has hard CC.
Final Words
Yasuo looks scary because he dashes everywhere and crits hard, but he is one of the most counter-able champions in the game. Pick a champ with point-and-click CC, stack armor, watch his Wind Wall cooldown, and never group up for his ult. Do that and Yasuo turns from a nightmare into an easy lane.
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