Baba vs Yamato

Do

• Plan for Divine Barrier Divine Barrier 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorPress +45s Cooldown +0.2s Cast Delay +1.5 Out of Combat Regen +6s Buff Duration +600 Barrier +10% Ability Range +10% Radius Builds from Guardian Ward — know which tier it sits in so you are not improvising at the shop.
• Know what Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist looks like. It is the cooldown this lane revolves around.

Avoid

• Walking to lane on the same path every wave against a hero with Yamato's engage range.

Do

• 730 max health, tied lowest in this group, and no barrier anywhere in the kit
• Sister's Lament is the weakest weapon in this group at around 63 DPS, so she loses pure gun trades badly
• Threadsap Threadsap 35m Range26s Cooldown Baba throws a spool of thread that follows her crosshair as it flies, then bursts along the whole line it drew. Crowd Control none at base. Tier 3 makes each hit pull the enemy 7m along the thread. Damage 50 spirit damage on the burst. Defensive Taking Spirit away from a caster lowers the damage of their next abilities… 1 +8 spirit damage per bullet while she holds stolen Spirit 2 -12s cooldown and +8s on the steal 5 +1 charge, and every hit pulls the enemy 7m reaches 35m and steals Spirit from both laners at once if they stand in line, so she wins spirit trades early

Avoid

• Power Slash Power Slash 12s Cooldown Yamato channels for around a second and a half to build up a sword strike, then releases it as a ranged slash. Crowd Control T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s Damage 145 spirit at full charge (about 1.85x spirit scaling), with T3 adding +150… Mobility none — she is channelling 1 +32% movement slow for 3s 2 -4s cooldown (12s base) 5 +8m cast range, +150 damage, and increased Spirit Power scaling charged from behind cover pokes for 145 with a 32% slow at T1, from range her weapon cannot reach
• Crimson Slash Crimson Slash 16s Cooldown A wide slash in front of her that damages enemies and reduces their rate of fire. Crowd Control none, but -30% fire rate for 4s is a heavy offensive debuff Damage 55 spirit (about 0.37x spirit scaling) Defensive Heals 55 (about 1.04x spirit scaling) on hero hit; 1 on hit, +30% melee damage for 4s 2 on hero hit, additional +6% max health heal 5 -10s cooldown and increased scaling 's heal on hero hit lets her win extended trades without buying sustain

Do

• Their first real spike is Flying Slash Flying Slash 26m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 26m base (T3 adds +15m, up to 41m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +15m cast range, and +1 charge T1 (-18s cooldown) — respect it from that point, not before.
• Your spike is ult unlock: Feed The Birds Feed The Birds 18m Range150s Cooldown Baba channels for up to 6.5 seconds, covering enemies in front of her with bread. Crowd Control A stacking slow up to 32% during the channel (64% at Tier 1), then a pigeon… Damage Up to 450 spirit damage per target at full stacks (+1.6 per Spirit), reached… Mobility She can keep moving while she channels. 1 +4m cast range and +32% max slow 2 -55s cooldown 5 +125 max damage, +1.5 Spirit scaling and +0.5s on the hex lets her slow and hex a whole team that walks into her cone

Avoid

• Taking an even fight against Yamato on their spike timing when you could take the same fight ten minutes later on yours.

Do

• Watch for Flying Slash Flying Slash 26m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 26m base (T3 adds +15m, up to 41m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +15m cast range, and +1 charge . Hold a displacement or Knockup (Viscous's Puddle Punch Puddle Punch 40m Range24s Cooldown Materialises a fist at a chosen point up to a long distance away, punching everyone in a small area upward. Crowd Control Knockup on everyone in the 4m radius plus a -24% movement slow for 3s Damage About 58 melee damage (about 0.6x melee scaling); Mobility Grants Viscous and allies increased air control when caught in it 1 +1 charge and +20 damage 2 +1.5m radius and +60% lifesteal 5 -14s cooldown and deals Heavy Melee damage , Venator's Gutshot Gutshot 10m Range23s Cooldown A point-blank shotgun burst within about 10m that shoves everyone hit backwards. Crowd Control knockback on everyone hit; Damage 60 base (about 0.7x weapon scaling) plus 30 bonus (about 0.8x scaling) when… Mobility none for Venator himself 1 +25 damage 2 -10s cooldown (23s base) and +0.4s stun duration 5 after a wall stun, Venator's next heavy melee becomes blessed , Wraith's Telekinesis Telekinesis 10m Range2.3s Duration150s Cooldown Lifts one enemy hero into the air, holding them helpless for a couple of seconds, then slams them toward a location Wraith chooses. Crowd Control 0.65s stun during the channel, then the target is airborne and unable to act… Damage 100 spirit base (about 1.0x spirit scaling); Mobility none for Wraith — she channels for 0.65s while aiming the throw 1 +100 damage 2 -45s cooldown (150s base down to 105s) 5 +1.5s debuff duration and +6m throw and cast range ) for the moment she lands — she arrives committed and at melee range with no follow-up escape before T3
• Never spend CC into Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist — she is status immune. Hold Binding Word Binding Word 15m Range34s Cooldown Curses a targeted enemy hero. Crowd Control 1.75s immobilise (T2 adds +0.75s, so up to 2.5s) if the target fails the… Damage 110 (about 2.44x spirit scaling) when it lands Defensive Rooting a diver in place is a strong self-peel 1 Warden deals +20% bullet damage to trapped heroes for 5s 2 +0.75s immobilise duration 5 -14s cooldown (34s base) and silences the target until they escape or are immobilised , Petrifying Bola Petrifying Bola 115s Cooldown Throws an explosive bola. Crowd Control 2.2s petrify on a direct hit (T3 adds +1s, up to 3.2s); Damage 50 area damage (about 0.74x spirit scaling); Defensive Petrifying an incoming diver removes them from the fight for over two… 1 +49.5 petrify damage 2 -20s cooldown 5 +1s petrify duration and petrifies all enemies in the area, not just direct hits , Telekinesis Telekinesis 10m Range2.3s Duration150s Cooldown Lifts one enemy hero into the air, holding them helpless for a couple of seconds, then slams them toward a location Wraith chooses. Crowd Control 0.65s stun during the channel, then the target is airborne and unable to act… Damage 100 spirit base (about 1.0x spirit scaling); Mobility none for Wraith — she channels for 0.65s while aiming the throw 1 +100 damage 2 -45s cooldown (150s base down to 105s) 5 +1.5s debuff duration and +6m throw and cast range and Puddle Punch Puddle Punch 40m Range24s Cooldown Materialises a fist at a chosen point up to a long distance away, punching everyone in a small area upward. Crowd Control Knockup on everyone in the 4m radius plus a -24% movement slow for 3s Damage About 58 melee damage (about 0.6x melee scaling); Mobility Grants Viscous and allies increased air control when caught in it 1 +1 charge and +20 damage 2 +1.5m radius and +60% lifesteal 5 -14s cooldown and deals Heavy Melee damage for the moment it expires

Avoid

• Spending your own escape before Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist is on cooldown.

• Flying Slash Flying Slash 26m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 26m base (T3 adds +15m, up to 41m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +15m cast range, and +1 charge Ability 2

  Not lockdown, but it makes disengaging cost more than it should: -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target.

  • Hold a displacement or Knockup (Viscous's Puddle Punch Puddle Punch 40m Range24s Cooldown Materialises a fist at a chosen point up to a long distance away, punching everyone in a small area upward. Crowd Control Knockup on everyone in the 4m radius plus a -24% movement slow for 3s Damage About 58 melee damage (about 0.6x melee scaling); Mobility Grants Viscous and allies increased air control when caught in it 1 +1 charge and +20 damage 2 +1.5m radius and +60% lifesteal 5 -14s cooldown and deals Heavy Melee damage , Venator's Gutshot Gutshot 10m Range23s Cooldown A point-blank shotgun burst within about 10m that shoves everyone hit backwards. Crowd Control knockback on everyone hit; Damage 60 base (about 0.7x weapon scaling) plus 30 bonus (about 0.8x scaling) when… Mobility none for Venator himself 1 +25 damage 2 -10s cooldown (23s base) and +0.4s stun duration 5 after a wall stun, Venator's next heavy melee becomes blessed , Wraith's Telekinesis Telekinesis 10m Range2.3s Duration150s Cooldown Lifts one enemy hero into the air, holding them helpless for a couple of seconds, then slams them toward a location Wraith chooses. Crowd Control 0.65s stun during the channel, then the target is airborne and unable to act… Damage 100 spirit base (about 1.0x spirit scaling); Mobility none for Wraith — she channels for 0.65s while aiming the throw 1 +100 damage 2 -45s cooldown (150s base down to 105s) 5 +1.5s debuff duration and +6m throw and cast range ) for the moment she lands — she arrives committed and at melee range with no follow-up escape before T3
  • It needs a target: standing behind a teammate or outside 26m means she has no entry at all
  • The -40% slow lasts 2.5s, so a dash or a Stamina jump immediately on arrival is better than trying to run out of it
• Power Slash Power Slash 12s Cooldown Yamato channels for around a second and a half to build up a sword strike, then releases it as a ranged slash. Crowd Control T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s Damage 145 spirit at full charge (about 1.85x spirit scaling), with T3 adding +150… Mobility none — she is channelling 1 +32% movement slow for 3s 2 -4s cooldown (12s base) 5 +8m cast range, +150 damage, and increased Spirit Power scaling Ability 1

  Nothing to respect until the upgrade lands, and then T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s.

  • The charge is loud, long (1.4s) and visible — break line of sight or change elevation during it and the whole channel is wasted
  • Do not trade bullets into a charging Yamato: she has 60% Bullet Resist for the duration, so Spirit Damage or simply disengaging is strictly better
  • It is a directional projectile at 22-30m; strafing perpendicular to her facing at release avoids it
• Crimson Slash Crimson Slash 16s Cooldown A wide slash in front of her that damages enemies and reduces their rate of fire. Crowd Control none, but -30% fire rate for 4s is a heavy offensive debuff Damage 55 spirit (about 0.37x spirit scaling) Defensive Heals 55 (about 1.04x spirit scaling) on hero hit; 1 on hit, +30% melee damage for 4s 2 on hero hit, additional +6% max health heal 5 -10s cooldown and increased scaling Ability 3

  Sticking power rather than damage: -30% fire rate for 4s is a heavy offensive debuff.

  • Spread your formation — the heal is gated on hitting heroes, so denying her contact with anyone denies her sustain entirely
  • Anti-heal ( Healbane Healbane 1,600 souls Tier 2ArmorPassive +8s Duration +7 Spirit Power -35% Incoming Healing -35% Incoming Healing +275 Heal On Hero Kill , Toxic Bullets Toxic Bullets 3,200 souls Tier 3WeaponPassive -35% Incoming Healing -35% Incoming Healing , Venator's Consecrating Grenade Consecrating Grenade 25s Cooldown Lobs a grenade that bounces once or twice before detonating in a roughly 4.5m area. Damage 35 impact (about 1.0x weapon scaling) plus roughly 10 burn DPS (about 1.6x… 1 -5s cooldown (25s base) 2 +1.5m radius and +1s burn duration 5 an additional 20% healing reduction on top of the base 30%, and grants extra charges , Vindicta's T1 Crow) directly attacks her only sustain source and is very efficient against her
  • It is a frontal cone at 13m radius; stepping behind or to the side of her avoids it
• Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist Ultimate

  Her all-in. It makes her untouchable through the transformation, resets her combo, and then lets her chain kills — each kill extending the window further.

  • Do not spend CC into it. She is immune to negative status effects for the whole duration, so a Binding Word Binding Word 15m Range34s Cooldown Curses a targeted enemy hero. Crowd Control 1.75s immobilise (T2 adds +0.75s, so up to 2.5s) if the target fails the… Damage 110 (about 2.44x spirit scaling) when it lands Defensive Rooting a diver in place is a strong self-peel 1 Warden deals +20% bullet damage to trapped heroes for 5s 2 +0.75s immobilise duration 5 -14s cooldown (34s base) and silences the target until they escape or are immobilised , a Petrify or a Snap Trap thrown at a transformed Yamato is a wasted cooldown
  • Disengage and wait it out. The base duration is only 5s (8s at T3) and the cooldown is 130-150s — walking away costs you nothing and costs her the ultimate
  • Deny kills above all else: each hero kill heals her 15% max health and extends the transformation by 2s, so pulling a low teammate out of reach ends the ultimate sooner

1. 1 Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist

   Shadow Transformation first — it is the only thing making her survivable. Force it early with a fake commit, disengage, and then fight her for the next 130-150 seconds as a 730 HP hero

2. 2 Flying Slash Flying Slash 26m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 26m base (T3 adds +15m, up to 41m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +15m cast range, and +1 charge

   Flying Slash second: it is her only engage and, pre-T3, her only movement tool. Baiting it out on a durable frontliner strands her for 18-36 seconds

3. 3 Power Slash Power Slash 12s Cooldown Yamato channels for around a second and a half to build up a sword strike, then releases it as a ranged slash. Crowd Control T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s Damage 145 spirit at full charge (about 1.85x spirit scaling), with T3 adding +150… Mobility none — she is channelling 1 +32% movement slow for 3s 2 -4s cooldown (12s base) 5 +8m cast range, +150 damage, and increased Spirit Power scaling

   Power Slash third: make her commit the 1.4s channel behind cover where the release hits nothing, then punish the 8-12s cooldown

• 730 max health and no barrier — she dies instantly if caught outside her ultimate Strong evidence
• Weakest weapon in this group; almost all her damage is on cooldowns Strong evidence
• Currently underperforming (around 44-48% win rate on current-patch samples despite high pick rate) Strong evidence
• Yamato threatens you two ways at once — a combo that kills and a disable that makes the combo land — and the three big defensive actives are deliberately orthogonal, so you have to decide which half you are answering. Metal Skin Metal Skin 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +24s Cooldown +5s Duration +12% Bullet Resist -20% Dash Distance blocks Bullet Damage and no statuses; Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer blocks statuses and no damage; Ethereal Shift Ethereal Shift 6,400 souls Tier 4TechInstantCast +37s Cooldown +4s Duration +5s Buff Duration +30% Spirit Resist +20 Spirit Power blocks everything but takes you out of the fight and cancels your own channels. Buying two is the honest answer if you have the souls; buying the wrong one is the same as buying nothing. Strong evidence
• You fight at mid range and Yamato has to reach close range, but they have the movement to do it — which means the matchup is not a range advantage, it is a cooldown one. Their gap-closer is the only thing bridging the band, so track it rather than tracking their health. With it up you are in their range and should behave accordingly; with it down you are in a range they cannot reach and every second of that window is free. Strategic

• Flying Slash Flying Slash 26m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 26m base (T3 adds +15m, up to 41m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +15m cast range, and +1 charge reaches 26-41m and lands with a -40% slow for 2.5s, which means once she picks you there is no walking away from Power Slash Power Slash 12s Cooldown Yamato channels for around a second and a half to build up a sword strike, then releases it as a ranged slash. Crowd Control T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s Damage 145 spirit at full charge (about 1.85x spirit scaling), with T3 adding +150… Mobility none — she is channelling 1 +32% movement slow for 3s 2 -4s cooldown (12s base) 5 +8m cast range, +150 damage, and increased Spirit Power scaling and Crimson Slash Crimson Slash 16s Cooldown A wide slash in front of her that damages enemies and reduces their rate of fire. Crowd Control none, but -30% fire rate for 4s is a heavy offensive debuff Damage 55 spirit (about 0.37x spirit scaling) Defensive Heals 55 (about 1.04x spirit scaling) on hero hit; 1 on hit, +30% melee damage for 4s 2 on hero hit, additional +6% max health heal 5 -10s cooldown and increased scaling Strong evidence
• Power Slash Power Slash 12s Cooldown Yamato channels for around a second and a half to build up a sword strike, then releases it as a ranged slash. Crowd Control T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s Damage 145 spirit at full charge (about 1.85x spirit scaling), with T3 adding +150… Mobility none — she is channelling 1 +32% movement slow for 3s 2 -4s cooldown (12s base) 5 +8m cast range, +150 damage, and increased Spirit Power scaling at T3 does up to roughly 295 Spirit Damage from 30m while she holds 60% Bullet Resist during the charge, so trading bullets into it loses Strong evidence
• Crimson Slash Crimson Slash 16s Cooldown A wide slash in front of her that damages enemies and reduces their rate of fire. Crowd Control none, but -30% fire rate for 4s is a heavy offensive debuff Damage 55 spirit (about 0.37x spirit scaling) Defensive Heals 55 (about 1.04x spirit scaling) on hero hit; 1 on hit, +30% melee damage for 4s 2 on hero hit, additional +6% max health heal 5 -10s cooldown and increased scaling strips -30% of your fire rate for 4s while healing her 55 + 6% of her max health, so diving her carry is both punished and self-sustaining Strong evidence
• Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist makes her immune to negative status effects — your Binding Word Binding Word 15m Range34s Cooldown Curses a targeted enemy hero. Crowd Control 1.75s immobilise (T2 adds +0.75s, so up to 2.5s) if the target fails the… Damage 110 (about 2.44x spirit scaling) when it lands Defensive Rooting a diver in place is a strong self-peel 1 Warden deals +20% bullet damage to trapped heroes for 5s 2 +0.75s immobilise duration 5 -14s cooldown (34s base) and silences the target until they escape or are immobilised , Petrifying Bola Petrifying Bola 115s Cooldown Throws an explosive bola. Crowd Control 2.2s petrify on a direct hit (T3 adds +1s, up to 3.2s); Damage 50 area damage (about 0.74x spirit scaling); Defensive Petrifying an incoming diver removes them from the fight for over two… 1 +49.5 petrify damage 2 -20s cooldown 5 +1s petrify duration and petrifies all enemies in the area, not just direct hits , Snap Trap or Knockup simply does not apply for 5-8 seconds Strong evidence
• Each kill during Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist heals her 15% max health and adds 2 seconds, so a chained pick can keep the ultimate running through an entire fight Strong evidence
• During the ultimate her abilities cast 60% faster, which removes Power Slash Power Slash 12s Cooldown Yamato channels for around a second and a half to build up a sword strike, then releases it as a ranged slash. Crowd Control T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s Damage 145 spirit at full charge (about 1.85x spirit scaling), with T3 adding +150… Mobility none — she is channelling 1 +32% movement slow for 3s 2 -4s cooldown (12s base) 5 +8m cast range, +150 damage, and increased Spirit Power scaling 's charge tell entirely Strong evidence
• Yamato can take you from healthy to dead inside one combo, so health-bar management is not a useful frame in this matchup — being visible at all inside their range is the risk. Assume any moment you are in their line of sight at full health is a moment they can kill you. Strong evidence

• Never spend CC into Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist — she is status immune. Hold Binding Word Binding Word 15m Range34s Cooldown Curses a targeted enemy hero. Crowd Control 1.75s immobilise (T2 adds +0.75s, so up to 2.5s) if the target fails the… Damage 110 (about 2.44x spirit scaling) when it lands Defensive Rooting a diver in place is a strong self-peel 1 Warden deals +20% bullet damage to trapped heroes for 5s 2 +0.75s immobilise duration 5 -14s cooldown (34s base) and silences the target until they escape or are immobilised , Petrifying Bola Petrifying Bola 115s Cooldown Throws an explosive bola. Crowd Control 2.2s petrify on a direct hit (T3 adds +1s, up to 3.2s); Damage 50 area damage (about 0.74x spirit scaling); Defensive Petrifying an incoming diver removes them from the fight for over two… 1 +49.5 petrify damage 2 -20s cooldown 5 +1s petrify duration and petrifies all enemies in the area, not just direct hits , Telekinesis Telekinesis 10m Range2.3s Duration150s Cooldown Lifts one enemy hero into the air, holding them helpless for a couple of seconds, then slams them toward a location Wraith chooses. Crowd Control 0.65s stun during the channel, then the target is airborne and unable to act… Damage 100 spirit base (about 1.0x spirit scaling); Mobility none for Wraith — she channels for 0.65s while aiming the throw 1 +100 damage 2 -45s cooldown (150s base down to 105s) 5 +1.5s debuff duration and +6m throw and cast range and Puddle Punch Puddle Punch 40m Range24s Cooldown Materialises a fist at a chosen point up to a long distance away, punching everyone in a small area upward. Crowd Control Knockup on everyone in the 4m radius plus a -24% movement slow for 3s Damage About 58 melee damage (about 0.6x melee scaling); Mobility Grants Viscous and allies increased air control when caught in it 1 +1 charge and +20 damage 2 +1.5m radius and +60% lifesteal 5 -14s cooldown and deals Heavy Melee damage for the moment it expires Strong evidence
• Disengage for the 5-8s ultimate duration; the cooldown is 130-150s and walking away costs you nothing while costing her everything Strong evidence
• Deny kills during the ultimate: every hero kill is +2s and a 15% max health heal, so pulling a low teammate to safety (or Cubing them) shortens the window Strong evidence
• Break line of sight or change elevation during the 1.4s Power Slash Power Slash 12s Cooldown Yamato channels for around a second and a half to build up a sword strike, then releases it as a ranged slash. Crowd Control T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s Damage 145 spirit at full charge (about 1.85x spirit scaling), with T3 adding +150… Mobility none — she is channelling 1 +32% movement slow for 3s 2 -4s cooldown (12s base) 5 +8m cast range, +150 damage, and increased Spirit Power scaling channel — outside her ultimate that tell is long and reliable Strong evidence
• Save a displacement for the instant Flying Slash Flying Slash 26m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 26m base (T3 adds +15m, up to 41m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +15m cast range, and +1 charge lands; pre-T3 she has no exit, so punishing the landing rather than the approach is what kills her Strong evidence
• Buy anti-heal — Crimson Slash Crimson Slash 16s Cooldown A wide slash in front of her that damages enemies and reduces their rate of fire. Crowd Control none, but -30% fire rate for 4s is a heavy offensive debuff Damage 55 spirit (about 0.37x spirit scaling) Defensive Heals 55 (about 1.04x spirit scaling) on hero hit; 1 on hit, +30% melee damage for 4s 2 on hero hit, additional +6% max health heal 5 -10s cooldown and increased scaling 's hero-hit heal is her only sustain, and Healbane Healbane 1,600 souls Tier 2ArmorPassive +8s Duration +7 Spirit Power -35% Incoming Healing -35% Incoming Healing +275 Heal On Hero Kill or Venator's Consecrating Grenade Consecrating Grenade 25s Cooldown Lobs a grenade that bounces once or twice before detonating in a roughly 4.5m area. Damage 35 impact (about 1.0x weapon scaling) plus roughly 10 burn DPS (about 1.6x… 1 -5s cooldown (25s base) 2 +1.5m radius and +1s burn duration 5 an additional 20% healing reduction on top of the base 30%, and grants extra charges removes most of it Strong evidence
• Bring Spirit Damage: her Crimson Slash Crimson Slash 16s Cooldown A wide slash in front of her that damages enemies and reduces their rate of fire. Crowd Control none, but -30% fire rate for 4s is a heavy offensive debuff Damage 55 spirit (about 0.37x spirit scaling) Defensive Heals 55 (about 1.04x spirit scaling) on hero hit; 1 on hit, +30% melee damage for 4s 2 on hero hit, additional +6% max health heal 5 -10s cooldown and increased scaling fire-rate debuff and Power Slash Power Slash 12s Cooldown Yamato channels for around a second and a half to build up a sword strike, then releases it as a ranged slash. Crowd Control T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s Damage 145 spirit at full charge (about 1.85x spirit scaling), with T3 adding +150… Mobility none — she is channelling 1 +32% movement slow for 3s 2 -4s cooldown (12s base) 5 +8m cast range, +150 damage, and increased Spirit Power scaling 's 60% Bullet Resist both punish weapon damage specifically Strong evidence
• Yamato kills you with Spirit Damage, so match the mitigation to the channel. Ethereal Shift Ethereal Shift 6,400 souls Tier 4TechInstantCast +37s Cooldown +4s Duration +5s Buff Duration +30% Spirit Resist +20 Spirit Power removes you from the game entirely for 4 seconds — untargetable and invincible — but you cannot act, you drift at 2.5 m/s, and it cancels your own channels; Spellbreaker Spellbreaker 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorPassive +9s Cooldown +18% Spirit Resist +25% Debuff Resist +175 Damage Threshold +65% Spirit Damage Reduction +90 Bonus Health Builds from Debuff Reducer instead caps a single spirit hit above 175 damage by 65%, which suits a one-big-cast threat. Ethereal Shift Ethereal Shift 6,400 souls Tier 4TechInstantCast +37s Cooldown +4s Duration +5s Buff Duration +30% Spirit Resist +20 Spirit Power 's known hole is aura-type damage, which keeps ticking through it, so check whether their damage is a cast or a field before you spend 6,400. Strong evidence

• The moment Flying Slash Flying Slash 26m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 26m base (T3 adds +15m, up to 41m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +15m cast range, and +1 charge lands, before T3 — she is at melee range, committed, and has no escape Strong evidence
• The 1.4s Power Slash Power Slash 12s Cooldown Yamato channels for around a second and a half to build up a sword strike, then releases it as a ranged slash. Crowd Control T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s Damage 145 spirit at full charge (about 1.85x spirit scaling), with T3 adding +150… Mobility none — she is channelling 1 +32% movement slow for 3s 2 -4s cooldown (12s base) 5 +8m cast range, +150 damage, and increased Spirit Power scaling channel outside of her ultimate: she is stationary and the release is directional and dodgeable Strong evidence
• The instant Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist expires: her abilities are on cooldown, her resists drop and she is a 730 HP hero standing in your team Strong evidence
• Any fight beyond 30m — her weapon is the weakest in this group and Power Slash Power Slash 12s Cooldown Yamato channels for around a second and a half to build up a sword strike, then releases it as a ranged slash. Crowd Control T1 adds a 32% movement slow for 3s Damage 145 spirit at full charge (about 1.85x spirit scaling), with T3 adding +150… Mobility none — she is channelling 1 +32% movement slow for 3s 2 -4s cooldown (12s base) 5 +8m cast range, +150 damage, and increased Spirit Power scaling tops out at 30m even at T3 Strong evidence
• The 130-150s window whenever Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist is down, in which she has no immunity, no reset and no second chance on a failed dive Strong evidence
• Parry is your best tool against Yamato's arrival and it is now a commitment rather than a hedge. Since 09-16-2026, parrying during a dash cancels the dash and its momentum, so you cannot both reposition and hold F. The cooldown maths makes the decision for you: a successful parry costs 0.5 seconds and stuns them for 3 with no Debuff Resist reduction possible, while a whiff costs 4.5 seconds — against a hero who arrives on a cooldown, that whiff is the entire window they needed. Documented
• Your weapon has travel time and Yamato is fast enough to make that matter. Lead into where their movement is constrained rather than where they are — the closer the fight, the less your projectile speed costs you. Strategic

• Confirming and denying a soul orb is a hit-check, not a damage-check — one bullet or one pellet takes it regardless of how much damage it does. That is good news for you in the abstract and bad news against Yamato specifically, because your projectile has travel time and their hitscan does not. On the contested floating orb you have to pre-fire: start the shot before the trooper dies and lead the orb's spawn point, because if you both react at the same instant they win every time. Strong evidence
• Your escape route is vertical and the 09-16-2026 patch aimed at exactly that: slows now affect air drag at 35% of their value, where previously they mostly did not bite in the air. Going airborne to break Yamato's slow no longer restores your full movement — you carry a fraction of it into the air with you, at the moment you are also a stationary silhouette. The slow cut of ~20% partly offsets it, but the net is that air-escaping a slow is worse this patch than last. Documented

• If you are behind and planning to fight Yamato on the Rift point because of the comeback bubble, recheck the number. As of 09-16-2026 the behind-team resist bonus inside the 35m radius is no longer a flat 35% — it is 10% + 1% per minute, capping at 40% only at 30:00, which is roughly 20% at the first Rift. Twenty percent does not turn a losing fight against burst into a winning one. The reduced capture time (floor 6 seconds) is the part of the comeback package that is still worth playing for. Documented
• Yamato will be their Urn runner and you are the one who can stop it. The Urn cannot be voluntarily dropped — it comes loose only on melee, a Stun, or death — so chip damage and slows do not deny a delivery, your Hard CC does. Hold it for the carry rather than spending it on the approach fight, and note the favoured team gets +50% Bullet and Spirit Resist in a 60m bubble while carrying and depositing, which is why trying to burst the runner down usually fails. Documented

• Your Silence may be worth more in a chain than a teammate's Stun. The 03-06-2026 diminishing-returns system reduces subsequent CC by 10% then 30% inside an 8-second window, and community reporting holds it applies to stuns only — not to silences, slows, hexes or disarms. If that is right, sequencing your Silence after an ally's Stun costs you nothing, while a second Stun in the chain is already 10% shorter. Treat it as community-reported rather than confirmed, but order your chain accordingly against Yamato. Uncertain
• You have peel and Yamato is the dive threat, so your job in the fight is not damage — it is being in range of whoever they are jumping on. Position between their entry point and your squishiest teammate and hold your peel tool for the moment they commit, not for the moment they appear. Strategic

• Your habit of taking the fight vertical to reset spacing against Yamato is weaker on 09-16-2026 than it was. Slows now apply to air drag at 35% of their value, so the air is no longer a slow-free zone, and 2026 has been a steady closing of exactly these loopholes — wall jumping costs 25% stamina regeneration for 5 seconds, and knockups came under debuff reduction in May. Going up is still correct against their ground CC; it is no longer a way to ignore their slows. Documented

• You deal Spirit Damage, so Healbane Healbane 1,600 souls Tier 2ArmorPassive +8s Duration +7 Spirit Power -35% Incoming Healing -35% Incoming Healing +275 Heal On Hero Kill is the cheaper and more reliable anti-heal against Yamato — it lands off your abilities at T2 rather than asking you to sustain gunfire you are not built for. Strong evidence
• Against Yamato's burst, a reactive mitigation active beats flat health. Flat health raises the number they have to hit; a barrier or damage-reduction active on a short cooldown breaks the combo itself, which is what actually saves you. Strong evidence
• Do not assume Yamato shrugs off your anti-heal by going immune. Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer explicitly does not suppress healing reduction — if you have the debuff on them before they pop it, they are still healing at the reduced rate through the whole window. Documented
• Divine Barrier Divine Barrier 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorPress +45s Cooldown +0.2s Cast Delay +1.5 Out of Combat Regen +6s Buff Duration +600 Barrier +10% Ability Range +10% Radius Builds from Guardian Ward (vitality T4) — Buy on supports to cleanse a focused ally's debuffs and shield them through a burst window from across the fight. In this game that means Yamato's Flying Slash Flying Slash 26m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 26m base (T3 adds +15m, up to 41m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +15m cast range, and +1 charge . Documented
• Slowing Hex Slowing Hex 1,600 souls Tier 2TechPress +29s Cooldown +3.5s Duration +0.1s Cast Delay +16% Move Speed -26% Dash Distance (spirit T2) — Yamato's Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist is what you are buying against here. The community-standard answer to escape artists: buy it when an enemy repeatedly dashes, blinks or flies out of your kill window. Documented
• Vortex Web Vortex Web 6,400 souls Tier 4TechPress +42s Cooldown +4s Duration +0.2s Cast Delay +0.5s Tether Duration +28% Move Speed -36% Dash Distance +8% Ability Range +8% Radius Builds from Slowing Hex (spirit T4) — Yamato's Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration150s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -20s cooldown (150s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist is what you are buying against here. Buy to set up team wipes against scattered, mobile enemies — it groups them and takes away their escapes at once. Documented

• The reflex buy against a hero who keeps deleting you is Metal Skin Metal Skin 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +24s Cooldown +5s Duration +12% Bullet Resist -20% Dash Distance , and against Yamato it does nothing. Metal Skin Metal Skin 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +24s Cooldown +5s Duration +12% Bullet Resist -20% Dash Distance is bullet-damage immunity only — Spirit Damage, abilities and every status effect pass straight through it, and you pay −1.5 m/s move speed and −20% dash distance for the privilege. The three big defensive actives are deliberately orthogonal: Metal Skin Metal Skin 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +24s Cooldown +5s Duration +12% Bullet Resist -20% Dash Distance stops bullets, Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer stops statuses, Ethereal Shift Ethereal Shift 6,400 souls Tier 4TechInstantCast +37s Cooldown +4s Duration +5s Buff Duration +30% Spirit Resist +20 Spirit Power stops everything but disables you. Yamato is a spirit threat, so it is the last two you are choosing between. Documented
• If you learned to play this matchup before 09-16-2026 you probably dash away from Yamato and parry on the way out. That no longer works: parrying during a regular dash now cancels the dash and its momentum, so you parry standing still exactly where they wanted you. Parry first and dash second, or accept that the parry is a commitment to hold ground. Note also that a whiffed parry is a 4.5-second cooldown against a hero who only needs one window. Documented
• The wrong instinct in the first six minutes is treating your health bar as a resource you can spend down to trade. Against Yamato it is not: they do not need you low, they need you in range once. With no self-sustain you also have no way to convert a survived trade into anything — you just stand there at 40% until the combo comes back. Your first 1,600 should be the item that breaks the combo, not the one that wins the poke war. Strategic