Understanding Yone's Weaknesses in League of Legends
Yone, the Unforgotten, is a fearsome dual-wielding samurai in the popular online game League of Legends. He's known for his aggressive playstyle, mobility, and the ability to phase-walk into the spirit realm, making him a challenging opponent for many champions. But even the most terrifying warriors have their Achilles' heel. This article delves into who struggles against Yone and the reasons behind these unfavorable matchups.
Champions Who Struggle Against Yone
Yone excels at closing gaps, dealing sustained damage, and punishing mistakes. Champions who lack reliable disengage, have short attack ranges, or are susceptible to burst damage often find themselves on the back foot when facing him. Here are some common types of champions and specific examples that Yone tends to dominate:
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Champions with limited mobility or slow engage: Yone's "Spirit Tsubame" (E ability) allows him to trade freely and then escape before taking significant damage. If a champion can't quickly close the distance or is too slow to react, Yone can dictate the terms of the fight.
- Garen: A melee champion with no gap closers, Garen relies on his tankiness and sustained damage. Yone can easily kite Garen, using his E to dash in, trade, and dash out before Garen can get close enough to retaliate effectively.
- Darius: While Darius has a strong early game, Yone's mobility and ability to phase-walk make him incredibly difficult to pin down. Darius's "Apprehend" (E ability) is predictable, and Yone can simply dash away during its cast or after trading.
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Champions reliant on predictable crowd control (CC): Yone's "Fate Sealed" (R ability) is a powerful engage tool that can knock up multiple enemies. However, if Yone can avoid or dodge CC abilities, he can easily outplay his opponents.
- Lux: Lux's primary CC is her "Light Binding" (Q ability), a skill shot that can be dodged. If Yone dodges this, he can freely engage and eliminate Lux before she can cast her damaging ultimate.
- Morgana: Similar to Lux, Morgana's "Dark Binding" (Q ability) is a slow-moving projectile. Yone's speed and ability to dash make it easy for him to avoid it, leaving Morgana vulnerable.
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Champions with short attack ranges and no escape: Yone is a melee champion himself, but his kit allows him to out-range many other melee champions and punish them for being in his vicinity.
- Yasuo (mirror match-up): While Yasuo and Yone share similarities, Yone's ability to phase-walk and his ultimate provide him with more reliable engage and disengage. A skilled Yone can often outplay a Yasuo, especially if Yasuo's wind wall is on cooldown.
- Sett: Sett is a melee brawler who thrives in close-quarters combat. However, Yone can use his E to trade and then disengage, avoiding Sett's devastating W ability, "Haymaker."
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Champions that are squishy and lack defensive abilities: Yone's damage output, especially when he has his ultimate ready, can quickly melt less tanky champions.
- Ahri: While Ahri has mobility with her "Charm" (E ability) and ultimate, Yone can often dodge her charm. Once engaged, Yone's burst damage can be too much for Ahri to handle, especially if she's caught out of position.
- Zoe: Zoe is a high-damage mage but is very squishy. Yone can easily close the gap on Zoe, who relies on landing her "Sleepy Trouble Bubble" (E ability) from a distance. If Yone gets on top of her, she has very little recourse.
Key Factors Contributing to Yone's Advantage
Several aspects of Yone's kit make him a formidable opponent for the champions listed above:
Mobility and Gap Closing:
Yone's "Spirit Tsubame" (E ability) allows him to dash forward and then dash back to his original location, dealing extra damage during the empowered state. This is his primary tool for engaging, trading, and disengaging. If opponents can't match this mobility or punish him during his cooldowns, they are at a severe disadvantage.
Spirit Realm Engagement:
His ultimate, "Fate Sealed" (R ability), allows him to dash forward, pulling enemies with him and knocking them up. This is a powerful engage tool that can initiate fights and lock down squishy targets. If Yone can land this on multiple opponents, he can snowball a fight in his favor.
Sustained Damage and Burst Potential:
Yone's kit, combined with items, allows him to deal both sustained damage through his auto-attacks and abilities and significant burst damage, especially with his ultimate. This makes him a threat to both squishy carries and even bruisers who can't get away from him.
Ability to Dodge and Outplay:
Yone's dash abilities give him the potential to dodge crucial enemy skill shots and CC. This makes it incredibly difficult for champions who rely heavily on landing specific abilities to lock him down and kill him.
In conclusion, champions who lack reliable escape tools, have predictable crowd control, short engagement ranges, or are naturally squishy are often the ones who find themselves in a tough spot when facing Yone. Understanding these weaknesses can help players on both sides of the matchup.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How can I play against Yone if I'm a melee champion with no escape?
If you're playing a melee champion with limited mobility, your best bet is to focus on farming safely and only engaging when Yone makes a significant mistake or his key abilities are on cooldown. Try to respect his trading pattern, especially when he has his E available. Building defensive items early can also help you survive his damage.
Why is Yone so good against champions with predictable crowd control?
Yone's kit includes multiple dashes and the ability to phase-walk into the spirit realm. These mechanics allow him to reposition quickly and dodge incoming skill shots, including predictable crowd control abilities like Lux's binding or Morgana's Q. If he avoids these abilities, he can often retaliate and eliminate the squishy caster before they can react.
What makes Yone's ultimate so effective against certain champions?
Yone's ultimate, "Fate Sealed," allows him to dash forward, pulling enemies along with him and knocking them up. This is a potent engage tool that can initiate fights and isolate targets. Champions with little to no mobility or escape find it very difficult to avoid this ultimate, and once Yone has them in the air, he can unleash a flurry of damage, often leading to their demise.
Why do some players consider the Yasuo vs. Yone matchup difficult for Yasuo?
While they are brothers in lore and share some mechanics, Yone often has an edge due to his superior engage and disengage tools. Yone's E allows him to trade and retreat, while his R can initiate fights more reliably than Yasuo's sometimes-predictable engage. Furthermore, Yone's ultimate can bypass Yasuo's wind wall if timed correctly, giving him an advantage in certain situations.
