Gnar vs Master Yi — Top Lane Matchup Guide

How to win lane as Gnar against Master Yi · 49.77% win rate over 215 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27

Verdict: A genuine skill matchup — the favour swings window to window (3 apiece of the 7 stages). Gnar wins 49.77% of games vs Master Yi in top lane (215 Emerald+ games analysed).

Favour timeline — who owns each window

StageFavouredWhy
Level 1GnarLevel 1 is yours — ranged Boomerang poke controls the wave while Yi has no way to close the gap.
Level 2GnarLevel 2 stays Gnar: Hyper procs and auto harass keep chipping him for free.
Level 3GnarLevel 3 is yours — a Mega Wallop stun can burst him down before Alpha Strike is even available.
Levels 4-5Even / skillLevels 4-5 even out as his lifesteal starts eating your poke — a genuine skill window.
Level 6Master YiLevel 6 is Yi's: Highlander gives him the sustained DPS to out-duel you head-on.
First itemMaster YiFirst item stays Master Yi — lifesteal and attack speed let him shrug your poke and shred you in return.
Two+ itemsMaster Yi2+ items is his: a crit hyper-carry out-scales your utility bruiser kit, so win with your team, not alone.

Early game (levels 1–5)

Levels 1-3 you own him: Boomerang poke and Hyper chip control the wave while Yi has no closer, and a Mega Wallop at 3 can flat-out burst him before Alpha Strike answers. Zone him off CS relentlessly — the lead you build now is what keeps you relevant, because at 4-5 his lifesteal starts eating your poke and the free window closes for good.

Read the rest of this matchup

The full Gnar vs Master Yi report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.

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Playing the other side? Master Yi vs Gnar guide →
All Gnar top lane matchups →