A champ that is notorious in both the League of Legends and TFT scene, so infamous that the mastery 7 emote is solely associated with his character, yet so powerful that his very presence is feared by allies and enemies alike; there is no unit that is hated and loved simultaneously like Yasuo.
Yasuo has established himself as a strong and effective carry in Set 7.5, having the ability to be placed as a +1 in any team comp and still perform effectively. In this guide I will be breaking down the team comp Cavalier Yasuo, explaining in-depth the final board, how to play the early, mid, and late game, which items/augments to pick, and some tips and tricks!
Final Board:
Note: The best Mirage traits for this comp are: Electric Overload, Dawnbringer’s Determination, and Executioner Edge.
The worst traits are: Pirates Greed (good econ trait early, useless late), and Spellsword’ Enchantment ( Yasuo’s DPS is from his skill casts rather than auto-attack).
What makes this comp so strong?
With Yasuo’s ability causing him to dash randomly throughout the board, he sometimes finds himself in the middle of nowhere with no units to strike. The Cavalier Spat eliminates this problem as he would not only charge at the closest enemy to continue his onslaught, but he also gains tons of bonus armour and MR with each charge, making him extremely tanky.
Early Game:
During the early game, you have two options:
- Play your strongest board, aggressively level and slam items, and win streak until mid-game (recommended)
- Sac the early stages and pray there's a spat on the carousel.
No matter which option you choose, however, econ should be your main priority as you not only need to level to 9 but also play a variety of 4 and 5-cost units to cap off your board. Judge the lobby strength and play accordingly, ensuring you're keeping your streak while remaining relatively healthy.
Here are some examples of strong boards you can play as your opener, drafting early cavalier units to make the mid and late-game pivots as straightforward as can be.
Example Board 1:
This is a good example of a strong AP opener, having Karma carry Daeja’s items AND blue buff for Yasuo. The guardians make for a stable frontline, with the Sett being able to hold Cav Spat if you hit it early.
Example Board 2:
Mid-Game:
To prevent losing too much HP, you may need to pivot slightly from your early game board, to a relatively stable mid-game board. This board must have: 1. A solid AP carry to hold Daeja items 2. A solid frontline to hold Cav Spat and Yasuo items.
Here are some examples of strong mid-game boards that meet both requirements:
Example Board 1:
Example Board 2:
As for Daeja’s AP items, Diana is a great item holder that would cause her to one-shot any backline unit with a single cast if positioned correctly.
Items:
Good items: Titans Resolve, Spark, Dragons Claw
Daeja BIS: Seraphs, Shojin, Jeweled Gauntlet
Good Items: Rabadons, Guinsoos, Giant Slayer
Good Items: Bramble, Spark, Sunfire
Augments:
Silver: Celestial Blessing 1*, Stand United 1, Electrocharge 1, Tiny Titans, Late-Game Specialist*, Cavalier Heart*, Recombobulator
Gold: Celestial Blessing 2, Stand United 2, Electrocharge 2, Devastating Charge*, Cavalier Crest*, Urf‘s Grab Bag 1*, Sunfire board
Prismatic: Celestial Blessing 3*, Stand United 3, Golden Ticket, High-End Shopping*, Level Up, Verdant Veil, WIndfall, Cavalier Crown*, Cavalier Unity*
Pros and Cons:
Pros: This comp is insanely strong while remaining extremely tanky. Since this teamuses 2 reliable carries as their main sources of damage, they provide reliable DPS no matter what comp they face. If Daeja gets picked off from a sin comp, Yasuo is able to avenge her by ramping up and wiping the board. Vice Versa, if Yasuo gets cc’d and deleted, Daeja would be able to clean up with a couple of wind blasts swooping through the board.
Item flexibility is a massive plus in this comp, as it utilizes mostly unwanted components such as tears and chains. Daeja can practically hold any AP items, while Nunu just needs to be built chonky enough (with leftover HP and tank items) to soak some damage for Yasuo.
Cons: The main con of this comp is that it needs at least 1 spatula. Although spatula chances per game are high, they are not always guaranteed, making this comp impossible to force every lobby.
Another con is that this board is fairly expensive and it is highly recommended to roll at 9 due to the units. Yasuo 2-star is essential to win with this comp, as he has much more survivability and AOE damage output when upgraded. Pairing this with Daeja 2, an expensive 21 gold unit, this board is the opposite of frugal.
Tips and Tricks:
DO NOT LOOK TO SLAM BLUE BUFF EARLY GAME. I know I said that blue buff is BIS on Yasuo, but looking to rush and slam this item by early without any damage items will doom your chances of win streaking. Before slamming blue buff, make sure you have at least 2 out of these 3 requirements:
1. AP item: An AP item on the unit you are going to slam blue buff on is a must. Slamming a BB on a naked carry will do as much damage as a sprinkler and might even be the reason why you lose the fight by acting as a mana generator for the enemy units.
2. Reliable AP carry: Most early AP carries in the early game use blue buff pretty efficiently, such as Lux, Taliyah, Kaisa, and Karma. Make sure to always slam your blue buff on a unit with low mana!
3. Dropped 2 Tears: This would be the scenario when you lose the first carousel and are stuck with a tear as your opener. When fighting minions, you get dropped another tear and a cloak… quite possibly the most unlucky early game you could be offered. This would be the time when slamming blue is correct if you have requirement #2.
Good luck in your next games, and may Cav Yasuo lead the charge toward your next first!
