Is Master Yi an Assassin or a Fighter? Unmasking the Wuju Bladesman
The question of whether Master Yi is an assassin or a fighter is a common debate among League of Legends players. While he exhibits traits of both, the most accurate classification for Master Yi is a fighter with strong assassin tendencies. He excels at delivering devastating bursts of damage and quickly eliminating vulnerable targets, common among assassins. However, his overall gameplay, relying on sustained damage output and resilience rather than pure stealth and burst, aligns more closely with a fighter archetype. Let’s delve deeper into why.
Master Yi’s Kit: Fighter Mechanics with Assassin Nuances
Master Yi’s kit incorporates elements found in both classes:
Fighter Aspects
- Sustained DPS: Master Yi’s passive, Double Strike, provides consistent damage output by triggering a second hit every fourth basic attack. This is a classic fighter mechanic, focused on ongoing damage rather than burst.
- Highlander (Ultimate): This ability grants movement speed, attack speed, and immunity to slows. Its extended duration upon takedowns further promotes extended combat, a trademark of fighter champions who thrive in prolonged engagements.
- Meditate (W): While Meditate has defensive applications, the damage reduction and healing over time are valuable for a fighter, enabling him to weather the storm of a battle and stay engaged for longer.
- Alpha Strike (Q): While primarily used as a gap closer or repositioning tool, the fact that it can repeatedly target the same enemy during multiple uses over the course of a skirmish makes it similar to the continuous damage output of a fighter.
Assassin Tendencies
- High Damage Output: Master Yi is capable of quickly dealing high amounts of physical damage. With enough items, he can delete squishy champions in mere seconds, much like a traditional assassin.
- Mobility: The increased movement speed granted by Highlander, combined with Alpha Strike’s gap-closing ability, gives Master Yi the mobility to dive in and out of fights or chase down enemies efficiently.
- Target Selection: Master Yi shines by picking off priority targets that are out of position. His kit is built to allow him to quickly eliminate weaker members of the enemy team.
While he can burst down targets, Master Yi’s kit does not provide the same stealth, repositioning, or burst damage of a true assassin. He is more reliant on his auto-attacks and less reliant on executing large amounts of burst through abilities.
Master Yi: An AD Fighter Jungler
Master Yi is most effectively played as an AD fighter jungler. This means that he farms neutral monster camps to gain gold and experience, eventually becoming a strong carry threat for the team. He utilizes his abilities to gank lanes and chase down enemies, but his playstyle differs from traditional assassins. Rather than focusing on one-shotting targets using spells, he weaves around the battlefield with Highlander and continuously damages his opponents with basic attacks empowered by Double Strike. His late-game prowess is unmatched. He becomes very dangerous after level 5 and obtaining Highlander.
Why Not an Assassin?
While he shares some commonalities with assassins, there are clear distinctions that place Master Yi into the fighter category.
- Lack of Stealth: True assassins have stealth or invisibility, which allows them to infiltrate enemy lines unnoticed. Master Yi lacks these abilities. He must rely on speed and positioning to reach his targets.
- Reliance on Auto-Attacks: Assassins often use their abilities for large burst damage, but Master Yi’s sustained damage comes from basic attacks and auto-attack enhancers.
- Vulnerability to CC: Unlike some assassins who have defensive abilities that allow them to become invulnerable, Master Yi is easily shut down by crowd control effects. He is thus more reliant on his ability to stay in engagements and withstand some damage, a typical hallmark of a fighter.
- Late-Game Scalability: Master Yi is particularly strong in the late game, where he can output consistent damage and shred through enemy teams. This is a characteristic of fighters who scale well with items and levels.
In short, Master Yi has the burst potential of an assassin but the sustained damage, consistent output, and reliance on auto-attacks more reminiscent of a fighter.
Conclusion: A Skirmisher With a Fighter Heart
Master Yi is best described as a mobile skirmisher whose gameplay focuses on ambushing and chasing the enemy. He fits into the category of a fighter with assassin-like qualities. His strengths lie in his sustained damage, mobility, and ability to snowball out of control in the late game. While he can delete squishy champions, he does not have the same tools or playstyle of a traditional assassin. Therefore, categorizing him as a fighter with strong assassin tendencies is the most accurate description.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Master Yi based on?
Master Yi is theorized to be based on Sun Wukong’s original master, Subhuti. Another theory suggests a reference to Xuanzang, the historical Chinese Buddhist pilgrim.
2. Is Master Yi powerful in lore?
In lore, Master Yi possesses above-average destructive capability, high speed, and above-average durability, but is not on par with the most powerful characters in the League of Legends universe, such as Aurelion Sol.
3. Who can beat Master Yi?
Based on match analysis, strong counters for Master Yi Jungle include Morgana, Elise, Shaco, Rammus, and Fiddlesticks. He is effective against champions such as Diana, Kayn, Amumu, Jax, and Sylas.
4. How old is Master Yi in lore?
Master Yi is over a thousand years old. Despite this, he physically appears no older than thirty. He is the oldest living human in Valoran.
5. What are the goggles on Master Yi’s head?
Master Yi wears techmaturgical goggles gifted to him by Heimerdinger. These goggles, known as the “Seven Lenses of Insight,” are synced to his magical resonance, allowing him to see a wider range of the spectrum.
6. Who trained Master Yi?
Master Yi was trained by sensei Doran, who allowed him to study the art of Wuju. He quickly exceeded all expectations, earning the title of “young master”.
7. Is Master Yi a good choice for beginners?
Yes, Master Yi is excellent for beginner junglers due to his high damage output in the late game and ability to carry games.
8. Is Master Yi a ninja?
Master Yi is considered a practitioner of the Wuju arts, and his fighting style has some similarities to ninja styles, but he is not a ninja in the traditional sense. He is considered a ninja of the last Wuju practicer clan in Navori.
9. Is Master Yi immune to slows?
Yes, while his ultimate, Highlander, is active, Master Yi becomes immune to all slowing effects.
10. Is Jax and Master Yi related?
There is a theory suggesting that Jax could be Master Yi from the future, although it is not confirmed lore.
11. Can Master Yi be feared during his ult?
Yes, and it is beneficial to him. Master Yi will run away at full speed, outside of the fear range, when feared during his ultimate, which can help him escape dangerous situations.
12. Does Master Yi deal true damage?
Master Yi has an ability that grants bonus true damage on his basic attacks when Highlander is active.
13. What does the term “full clear” mean when discussing Master Yi’s jungle route?
A “full clear” refers to clearing all the neutral jungle camps at the beginning of the game, in the optimal order, allowing you to reach level 4 quickly. The standard Master Yi jungle path includes a Red Buff start.
14. Why does Master Yi have so many eyes?
Master Yi’s goggles, the “Seven Lenses of Insight,” are designed specifically for him to enhance his perception. The multiple “eyes” are not his physical eyes, but the lenses on his goggles.
15. Who is stronger in lore, Master Yi or Ryze?
Ryze is considered the stronger character in lore, being one of the most powerful mortal mages in Runeterra. Master Yi has impressive combat skills and speed, but his feats pale in comparison to Ryze’s magical prowess.