Translation: Yasuo Guide by Log1 (KR Challenger)

Translation by maddekay

Link to original guide: http://lol.inven.co.kr/dataninfo/champion/manualToolView.php?idx=100293


Things to think about when playing Yasuo and Tips

• Don't first pick Yasuo
• Before you pick Yasuo, check the enemy's team comp. If they have a lot of hard CC, it's better to not pick Yasuo.
• Yasuo is one of the strongest mid laners level 1 and 2. You need to take an advantage in that period.
• Taking E at level 1 is a strong skill for level 1 jungle invade fights.
• After level 6 if you don't have your core items, then in comparison to most meta mid laners you are inferior in cc, damage dealing, jungle 2v2 fights. Just play passive and wait till you buy your core items.
• Yasuo with red is extremely strong. Because Q procs red you can run circles around melee champions that walk towards you like Shyv.

Runes
If your lane opponent is AD:
Reds: 5 Crit Chance, 4 AD
Yellows: 9 Flat Armor
Blues: 4 Flat MR, 5 Scaling MR.
Quints: 1 AD, 2 AS

If your lane opponent is AP:
Reds: 5 Crit Chance, 4 AD
Yellows: 4 Flat Armor, 5 Flat Health.
Blues: 9 Flat MR
Quints: 1 AD 2 AS.

Why I go MR blues even if my lane opponent is AD:
Due to the rise of supports that go Spellthief's Edge on early levels or a level 1 their AP damage may be enough to take you down. Also, because you won't be going any MR items early on, scaling MR works well to fill the gap in your defenses. 

Why I go AS in my Quints:
Yasuo's Q's cooldown is reliant on AS, also the speed of the animation of Yasuo's Q is also dependent on AS.
If you have low AS then your Q will hit the enemy much more slowly, thus meaning the more AS you have the easier it is to hit the enemy.
Also, with a lot of AS it's good for all ins and for pushing.

Masteries
http://imgur.com/5yb0TBm
There are a lot of masteries in the offence tree that are very inefficient for Yasuo, but 21/9/0 is the truth for Yasuo.

Summoner Spells
Heal/Flash
If you want to kill someone like Nidalee who has their own heal, take ignite. That being said, heal allows Yasuo to survive ganks, which he's weak to, and allows him to also take a more advantages during a 2:2 fight at mid with the junglers. The higher tier you are the better heal becomes because players give you less and less room to kill them while the ganks become more and more frequent.

Skills
E-Q-W-Q-Q-R-Q-E-Q-E-R-E-E-W-W-R-W-W

For level 1 the debate is whether to skill Q or E.
If the enemy mid laner is a melee champion or doesn't have much poke take Q but if the enemy mid laner is ranged and has a lot of poke always take E first and pressure them during the laning phase. After 4 stacks of E, E on to the enemy champion for a lot of damage. After level 6 and you learned your ult, when you hit your airborn you should use the combo Q (airborne) - AA - R. The auto between the airborn and the ult is very important for making a kill opportunity. Also, when your Q airborne is charged up if you have the distance to EQ, use the EQ combo. This is because unless the enemy flashes they cannot evade the EQ airborne. There will be a champion by champion guide below which will tell you which skill to take at level 1.

Items
Starting items: Doran's Blade + Pot. Core Items: Statikk Shiv Final Items: Statikk Shiv - BotRK - IE - Merc Treds - Banshees - Randuins - BT

I used to think that rushing BotRK was better than Shiv but now after experimentation I've found out that at mid Shiv is the best item to rush first. If your lane is extremely difficult get another DBlade before rushing Shiv.

The exception to this is if you are going top and the opponent is a melee tank, then it's ok to go BotRK first. 
Once you have your first core item, you can blow up the enemy AD carry (assuming he hasn't stomped your bottom lane). It's great for split pushing bottom.
 
As for why you go BotRK for your second core item even though it has no crit is because of the following. * It provides sustain in lane * It's great for chasing * It increases AS.
To follow up on these points basically because your Q's cooldown relies on attack speed BotRK allows you to maximize damage with Q.

Shiv to IE means that you can't hit the Q cooldown limit. To hit the Q cooldown limit you have to go Berserker's Greaves and if that happens you can't build into Merc Treads, which is one of the best items for Yasuo who is weak to CC.

The only time to rush IE over BotRK is when the enemy team lacks a lot of CC and you can afford to build Berserker's without putting yourself in danger.
Anyways, after you build Shiv, BotRK, and IE you have enough damage. After that build tank items flexibly according to their team's composition (MR items to counter a fed AP champ, armor if their AD is fed etc etc)

If their team comp has a lot of CC go Banshee's or QSS. If their AD is fed get a Randuins. Also your last time should be a BT.
Also if you think you might be 100-0'd by their AP deal getting a hexdrinker is also very good.

Lane Match-Ups
CTRL + F to find a specific match up
Hard Champions:
Riven: Take Q level 1. Any time Riven comes up for CS poke at her with Q. This is the only time you have an upper hand in this match up, after that, assuming that Riven and Yasuo are at the same skill, you can't beat Riven. Even if you block Riven's ult with your Windwall you will lose.
Kayle: Take E. If Kayle starts pushing there's very little Yasuo can do. Also Kayle is better in teamfights too.
Akali: Take Q. Up to the first B timing, Yasuo has the upper hand. Once Akali hits 6 and B's give up laning. You can't stand the damage. Even with your core item you can't win.
Annie: Take E. The laning phase isn't that bad but when it comes to 2v2 jungle fights or her synergy with junglers when ganking she has the upper hand. Also, Annie is much better in team fights. Rush Hexdrinker and the laning phase should be alright.
Kassadin: Take Q. Whenever he walks up for CS Q gim. However, if you give him 1 kill or he takes lane dominance, once he hits level 6 it's impossible to even CS. If he doesn't get any ganks Yasuo is on equal standing with Kassadin but if you give him one kill he will snowball the lane till it's impossible to repair.

Normal Champions:
Ryze: Take E. Ryze is really good at denying melee champions. So push with E and then hit him with a 4 stacked E outtrading him and pushing him to tower. Block his spells, mostly his Q, with your W and you will be able to take the upper hand in trades.
Lulu: Take E. You have to take an advantage at level 1 and snowball it. As time goes on Lulu will Whimsy you and outtrade you and if you all in her she will survive with her ult, countering Yasuo. Take an advantage level 1 with pushing and trading with E then turn to dirty farming the jungle and pushing an even larger difference in Exp and Gold and wait for your core items.
LB: Take E. LB doesn't have the ability to chain a combo at level 1 and is very weak at level 1. Pressure her as much as possible. Another important part is to block her E with your windwall if you want to trade. As each of you level up, you'll lose lane dominance try not to lane hard with a lot of trading, rather, turn to dirty farming the jungle to create a difference in Exp and gold. Wait for your items.
Syndra: Take E. You also need to take an advantage at level 1. As you level up you should play more and more passively. You can block her ult with windwall but if you get stunned by her you will be hit by the ult. You can also block the stun so block the stun or if she ults without stunning block the ult with windwall.
Zed: Take Q. Whenever he walks up for CS poke him with Q. When you hit level 6 don't all in him even if he all ins you. If he ults you it's important to reduce as much damage as possible and then airborne him and ult him to win. If you block his Q with windwall then you can also win. Also, when laning against Zed take barrier. The damage taken by barrier will not count to the bonus damage when zed's ult pops. It's ideal to wait for your shyv. Yasuo vs Zed video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEuLrymm9DY
Ziggs: Take E. It's hard to explain but you'll get a feel for it once you lane against him. You can block all of his skills with your windwall so use it to punish him and out trade him.
Jayce: Take Q. While Yasuo is strong level 1 and 2, so is Jayce. Don't think to trade unless your airborne is charged.
Xerath: Take E. Block his stun with Windwall and you will always come ahead in trades.
Katarina: It's hard to explain this one too but take Q and poke her when she comes for CS. After level 6 play passively till you get your shyv.
TF: Block the gold card with the windwall. Only trade when windwall is up.
Fizz: Same as Katarina.

Easy Champions:
Nidalee: Take Q. Block her spear with the windwall, come ahead in trades.
Lux: Take E. Block all her spells with windwall and out trade her.
Lissandra: Take Q. Up to level 2 you can be taking poke from her and still win. At level two with Q and E you should basically have a kill opportunity.
Ahri: Take E. You can block all of her skills so you should out trade her.
Orianna: Take Q. Even if you take E she has a shield so you can't trade. I can't say you'll destroy the lane but once you get your shyv there's nothing Orianna can really do.
Anivia: Take Q. Before level 6 you can block her stun and her main damage skill so it's easy to out trade her. At level 6 the ult-frotbite combo hurts a bit so wait till your shyv. Yasuo vs Anivia video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-mHO6Qyvoo (fun fact the Lee Sin is Samsung Galaxy Blue Deft)

Counters for Yasuo during Team fights:
Riven, Warwick, Jax, Fiddlesticks, Kayle, Annie, Soraka.
If Riven or Jax stick to Yasuo when Yasuo has no flash Yasuo will die.
As for Kayle, Kayle's ult plays a huge part in countering Yasuo. Also Kayle's E is extremely strong so you will melt.
As for Warwick, Annie, and Fiddle you have strong CC such as Warwick's ult, Annie's ult, and Fiddle's fear which cannot be stopped by the windwall. Also an ult fear combo by fiddle will basically melt Yasuo before he can do anything.
For Soraka, a good silence will stop Yasuo for doing anything during a team fight while due to the fact that her heal gives armor basically counters Yasuo.
If you see the enemy pick any of these champions don't play Yasuo or dodge if you've already locked in.

Final Message
Yasuo is very reliant on Flash. If your flash is down try to not team fight till it comes back up.