Smolder vs Yasuo
Hard matchup
You are stronger late game. Farm safe and avoid early trades.
Build vs Yasuo
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Smolder: Essence Reaver, Black Cleaver, Spear of Shojin, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Rapid Firecannon, Infinity Edge, B. F. Sword, Hubris.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Yasuo's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
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.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4s | 25s | 0.5s | – |
| 6 | 4s | 25s | 0.5s | 1m10 |
| 9 | 4s | 23s | 0.5s | 1m10 |
| 11 | 4s | 21s | 0.5s | 50s |
| 16 | 4s | 17s | 0.3s | 30s |
| 18 | 4s | 17s | 0.1s | 30s |
Playing as Smolder
Tips to maximize your impact
- Last-hit minions with your fireball
Last-hit minions with Super Scorcher Breath (Q): each kill with the spell gives you a Dragon Practice (passive) stack, which empowers your basic spells.
- Poke with your sneeze
Poke with Achooo! (W): the sneeze slows, explodes on champions hit, and each champion hit gives you a Dragon Practice stack.
- Aim for the final tier
Build enough stacks for the final tier of Super Scorcher Breath (Q): it burns its target, and kills a champion who drops below a health threshold.
- Take flight to escape
Escape or reposition with Flap, Flap, Flap (E): you fly over obstacles, bombarding the enemy with the lowest health.
- Call your mom from far away
Cast MMOOOMMMM! (R) to finish or slow from far away: the center of the breath hits harder and slows, and if it hits you, your mom heals you.
Playing against Yasuo
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Pop his shield first
Hit him with a cheap attack to trigger the Way of the Wanderer (passive) shield, then start the real trade: otherwise, it absorbs your best damage.
- Wait for his Wind Wall
If you have projectiles, save them for after Wind Wall (W): it blocks them all for 4 seconds, on a 25 to 17 second cooldown. Other spells go through it.
- Don't give him minions
Don't stand right behind your minions: each one gives him a target for Sweeping Blade (E), and he gets closer to you with every dash.
- Dodge his whirlwind
Get out of the line of his whirlwind, the third Steel Tempest (Q): without a knock-up, he can't cast Last Breath (R).
- Judge him by his crit items
Judge his threat by his crit items more than his level: Way of the Wanderer (passive) raises his critical strike chance, so each crit item does more for him.
Other Smolder matchups
Patch 16.21.1