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LEAGUE CLASSIC CHAMPION GUIDE

Master Yi Classic: AP/AD & First Buys

Fighter · Assassin

Choose an AD or AP role before your first core. Buy-order suggestions use the updated item snapshot; unsourced Classic skill values are withheld.

QUICK ANSWER

Choose AD for sustained resets and objective pressure; choose AP when Alpha Strike burst and Meditate scaling are the reason for the pick.

BuildsAbilitiesItem order

Overview

Master Yi has two real Classic identities. Commit to the branch that matches the job you need, then use the first completed item to create a clear reset window.

The maintained Wriggle's Lantern record now uses an attack-speed profile and a Madred's Razors + Recurve Bow recipe, not the earlier attack-damage/Vampiric Scepter recipe. Keep the existing Razor when continuing this jungle route, check the remaining components, and do not buy a second Razor. This explains the purchase path; it does not establish a measured best build. See Wriggle's current recorded recipe.

Notes checked through
26.20
Jungle / mid
Execution dependent
EVIDENCE STATUS
NEEDS VERSION CHECK

QUICK BUILD ROUTES

Choose the route that solves the current game.

Jungle

AD reset carry

TESTING

Use attack speed, critical strike, and lifesteal to keep Highlander resets moving.

First recall

Madred's Razors700gBoots of Speed325g

If buying all listed items: 1,025g

Owned components are not deducted; alternatives below are not additional purchases.Prices: item snapshot 16.20.1, not a live shop feed. Check the client before buying.

Buy priority: Buy the smallest components that solve the lane before saving for a full item.

If short on gold
Long Sword400gDagger400g

Change course when：Change branch when the opponent's main damage type or your assigned role changes.

Next target — not part of this recall total

Complete the first core only when its stats still answer the current fight pattern.

Wriggle's Lantern2,000g
Continue this purchase route →
Mid lane

AP Alpha Strike

TESTING

AP amplifies Alpha Strike and Meditate, trading sustained attacks for burst and reset safety.

First recall

Amplifying Tome435gBoots of Speed325g

If buying all listed items: 760g

Owned components are not deducted; alternatives below are not additional purchases.Prices: item snapshot 16.20.1, not a live shop feed. Check the client before buying.

Buy priority: Buy the smallest components that solve the lane before saving for a full item.

If short on gold
Doran's Ring400gMana Potion35g

Change course when：Change branch when the opponent's main damage type or your assigned role changes.

Next target — not part of this recall total

Complete the first core only when its stats still answer the current fight pattern.

Nashor's Tooth2,500g
Continue this purchase route →

Item order

What to buy at each recall.

AD reset carry

Buy the smallest components that solve the lane before saving for a full item.

If short on gold
Long Sword400gDagger400g
Change course when: Change branch when the opponent's main damage type or your assigned role changes.
First core completion
Wriggle's Lantern2,000g

Complete the first core only when its stats still answer the current fight pattern.

If short on gold
Madred's Razors700gBoots of Speed325g
Change course when: Delay damage when survival, control resistance, or target access is the limiting factor.

AP Alpha Strike

Buy the smallest components that solve the lane before saving for a full item.

If short on gold
Doran's Ring400gMana Potion35g
Change course when: Change branch when the opponent's main damage type or your assigned role changes.
First core completion
Nashor's Tooth2,500g

Complete the first core only when its stats still answer the current fight pattern.

If short on gold
Amplifying Tome435gBoots of Speed325g
Change course when: Delay damage when survival, control resistance, or target access is the limiting factor.

Abilities

Classic values and scaling.

Classic 26.16 fixes an E cooldown bug without publishing its exact value; 26.17 fixes Highlander's slow-immunity interactions. These are not a full ability dataset. Unsourced numeric fields are withheld; AD/AP builds and priorities are editorial suggestions. Item prices and recipes use Data Dragon 16.20.1, not a live shop feed. Modern Summoner's Rift changes are not imported into Classic.

P

Double Strike

NEEDS VERSION CHECK
Base values
Not yet sourced for Classic
Scaling
Not yet sourced for Classic
Cooldown
Not yet sourced for Classic
Cost
Not yet sourced for Classic

Suggested habit: check the client counter before an extended trade; its exact trigger is not sourced here.

Q

Alpha Strike

NEEDS VERSION CHECK
Base values
Not yet sourced for Classic
Scaling
Not yet sourced for Classic
Cooldown
Not yet sourced for Classic
Cost
Not yet sourced for Classic

Suggested use: choose a safe entry window. Damage, ratios, target count and cooldown require Classic field evidence.

W

Meditate

NEEDS VERSION CHECK
Base values
Not yet sourced for Classic
Scaling
Not yet sourced for Classic
Cooldown
Not yet sourced for Classic
Cost
Not yet sourced for Classic

Suggested use: reserve a safe channel window and account for enemy interrupts; the precise healing formula is not sourced here.

E

Wuju Style

NEEDS VERSION CHECK
Base values
Not yet sourced for Classic
Scaling
Not yet sourced for Classic
Cooldown
Not yet sourced for Classic
Cost
Not yet sourced for Classic

Classic 26.16 fixes an unintended lower E cooldown but supplies no exact cooldown; check the client before planning repeated trades.

R

Highlander

NEEDS VERSION CHECK
Base values
Not yet sourced for Classic
Scaling
Not yet sourced for Classic
Cooldown
Not yet sourced for Classic
Cost
Not yet sourced for Classic

Classic 26.17 fixes slow-immunity interactions. It does not publish a complete movement-speed, duration or reset formula.

WATCH THE PLAYSTYLE

Related videos

See the old mechanics and decision points in motion, then return to the written guide for the patch-labeled setup.

Season 3 AP Master Yi… This Used to Be LEGAL | League of Legends Throwback by blackheart909YouTube

Creator: blackheart909

Season 3 AP Master Yi… This Used to Be LEGAL | League of Legends Throwback

Why watchCompare the footage with our purchase order and risk rules instead of copying the final inventory alone.

Watch on YouTube
【LOL考古怀旧向02】远古的AP剑圣真有那么强吗？萌新杀手易大师的进化史 by 猪柳蛋叔叔Bilibili

Creator: 猪柳蛋叔叔

【LOL考古怀旧向02】远古的AP剑圣真有那么强吗？萌新杀手易大师的进化史

Why watchUse it to separate community memory from the mechanics and timing decisions that made the build function.

Watch on Bilibili

Build logic

Choose the route that solves the current game.

  • Do not mix AP and AD halfway through a weak first core.
  • Track Double Strike before extended trades.
  • Enter after key control is spent so Highlander can actually reset.

Runes & masteries

Skill order

Q → E → W for AD; Q → W → E for AP, taking R whenever available

Suggested priorities, not a measured optimal rune or mastery page. No rune stats, point-by-point mastery allocation or build win rate has been verified here.

Runes & masteries

  • Armor penetration marks
  • Armor seals
  • Scaling magic resistance glyphs
  • Movement speed or attack damage quintessences

Mastery baseline

Testing baseline: 21/9/0 for AD or 9/0/21 for AP.

FAQ

Questions players ask before loading in.

Is AP Master Yi playable in League Classic?

Yes. Riot specifically highlights the return of AP Master Yi, while this page keeps the build branch labeled as testing.

What does AD Master Yi build first?

The jungle baseline uses an early Razor component, boots, and Wriggle's Lantern before critical-strike scaling.

What does AP Master Yi max first?

Alpha Strike is the first priority, with Meditate second when its AP healing is central to the plan.

When should Master Yi enter a teamfight?

After the opponent spends the control or burst that would stop Highlander before its first reset.

Did Classic patch 26.16 confirm Master Yi's exact E cooldown?

No. It fixes a lower-than-intended E cooldown without stating the exact value. Patch 26.17 also fixes Highlander's slow-immunity interactions. Modern Summoner's Rift movement-speed changes are not Classic field evidence.

Sources

Source ledger and verification limits.

Classic 26.16 fixes an E cooldown bug without publishing its exact value; 26.17 fixes Highlander's slow-immunity interactions. These are not a full ability dataset. Unsourced numeric fields are withheld; AD/AP builds and priorities are editorial suggestions. Item prices and recipes use Data Dragon 16.20.1, not a live shop feed. Modern Summoner's Rift changes are not imported into Classic.

Riot 26.16 · Classic Yi E cooldown bugfix; exact value not published Riot 26.17 · Classic Highlander slow-immunity bugfix Riot League Classic overview · AP Yi mode context