Master Yi vs Graves — Top Lane Matchup Guide

How to win lane as Master Yi against Graves · 51.01% win rate over 745 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27

Verdict: Winnable despite the lane — Graves owns 3 of the 7 game windows to Master Yi's 2, yet the win rate favours Master Yi: survive their windows and the game is yours. Master Yi wins 51.01% of games vs Graves in top lane (745 Emerald+ games analysed).

Favour timeline — who owns each window

StageFavouredWhy
Level 1GravesGraves's double-shell autos out-damage you at level 1.
Level 2GravesBuckshot (Q) plus armor stacking wins his level-2 trades.
Level 3GravesAt level 3 Smoke Screen (W) blinds and slows you out of any all-in.
Levels 4-5Even / skillLevels 4-5 even as your lifesteal offsets his poke — skill window.
Level 6Master YiHighlander (R) at 6 lets you out-sustain his burst and stick on him.
First itemEven / skillFirst item is skill-dependent: his dash and reload can still kite you.
Two+ itemsMaster YiCrit scaling wins straight duels, tipping the late game to you.

Early game (levels 1–5)

Graves wins the first three levels: his two-shell autos, Buckshot (Q) burst, and the Smoke Screen (W) blind-plus-slow let him shred you before you close, and his passive armor stacking makes any short trade favor him. Don't throw Alpha Strike (Q) into a loaded magazine — you'll just eat Buckshot and a blind.

Read the rest of this matchup

The full Master Yi vs Graves 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.

Become a Founding Member — $1.99/month →

🔒 Secure checkout · 💰 7-day money-back guarantee · ✋ Cancel anytime
Early Access price — $3.99/month for new members after launch.

Related guides

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