Heartsteel is dominating Wild Rift, and not just on tanks. From bruisers to assassins to hyper-carry jungle picks like Master Yi, players across all ranks are spamming Heartsteel and actually winning.

What started as a meme has become meta-breaking madness, especially in lower MMR games where creativity and chaos reign supreme. So today, we’re breaking down why Heartsteel is being built on everyone, how it works on champions like Master Yi, and what the implications are for ranked play.


🛡️ Heartsteel on Master Yi: Why It Works

On paper, it sounds crazy. Master Yi, one of the most high-damage, on-hit-reliant champions in the game, building a scaling tank item that doesn’t even synergize with his typical kit. But in practice? It slaps.

Here’s why:

  • 700 bonus HP from Heartsteel gives Yi massive survivability
  • Heartsteel’s bonus damage proc scales off that HP, giving him a pseudo-on-hit nuke
  • Yi’s Alpha Strike and Meditate combo makes him deceptively tanky
  • When built with items like Titanic Hydra, Sterak’s, or Overgrowth, he becomes an unkillable blender

Yi’s usual full-on-hit DPS build (Wit’s End, Blade of the Ruined King, etc.) is replaced with unhinged bruiser-tank scaling, and the result is a Yi that can 1v5 and not die doing it.


🧠 Understanding Yi’s Mechanics with Heartsteel

Yi players leveraging Heartsteel know exactly when to:

  • Double auto via his passive
  • Auto-reset with his E and W
  • Proc Heartsteel’s max HP bonus during key moments in fights

With correct jungle pathing and itemization, this build becomes terrifying around just Blade of the Ruined King + Heartsteel + one tank item.

Yi thrives in long, drawn-out fights, where Heartsteel stacks rapidly and makes him virtually untouchable.


📊 Jungle Pathing: Full Clear Optimization

Watching high-level Master Yi play from Chinese servers showcases:

  • Efficient jungle clears
  • Smart camp dragging (pulling one camp into another)
  • Use of Alpha Strike to kite and burst finish

By stacking up Heartsteel early while farming jungle efficiently, Yi hits a power spike around Zerkers + Heartsteel, often before his opponents can itemize anti-tank or heavy CC.

And since most Heartsteel builds come with Overgrowth or Sudden Impact, you’re getting free HP scaling or true damage baked into every gank or skirmish.


🧪 This Isn’t Just About Yi

Heartsteel is being built on:

  • CAMILLE
  • NASUS
  • Even some assassins in troll builds

It’s the ultimate “win more” scaling item for lower MMR, where fights are chaotic, and deathballing becomes the norm. Even champions that traditionally shouldn’t be tanky are now surviving dives, healing through CC, and bonking squishies with 600+ Heartsteel procs.


🎯 The Dopamine Factor

Let’s be real: full on-hit Yi is fun. But Heartsteel Yi?

  • Feels like Interstellar meets Dark Souls
  • You dive into the backline
  • Proc Heartsteel mid-Q
  • Absorb damage with Meditate
  • Pop out of Alpha Strike and delete two people

It’s absurdly satisfying, and that’s before factoring in Titanic Hydra waves or stacking Overgrowth for +500 HP by midgame.


💀 What About the Enemy Team?

They can’t stop him.

Unless they:

  • Hard CC him perfectly
  • Chain-lock him before Alpha Strike
  • Delete him before he gets 3 Heartsteel procs

And even then, there’s a good chance he survives with Meditate and resets with Highlander. In teamfights, Yi thrives as the cleanup king, and Heartsteel buys him enough time to hit that tipping point.


🎮 Should You Build It?

Yes, especially in lower elo. Try:

  • Heartsteel → Titanic Hydra → Sterak’s → Death’s Dance
  • Boots: Zerkers or Plated Steelcaps
  • Runes: Overgrowth / Lethal Tempo / Triumph

The goal is to survive initial damage, reset cooldowns, and sustain through every fight while stacking permanent HP and chunking people with every hit.


📉 Will Riot Nerf It?

Probably.

  • Heartsteel has been nerfed in PC League
  • In Wild Rift, it’s still a hyper-efficient tank item
  • Combine it with fast stacking, auto resets, and durability? It’s too good

But for now? Abuse it. Yi’s not even a meta pick—and Heartsteel lets him scale insanely hard while still dealing on-hit damage through sheer item synergy.


Final Thoughts – Meme or Meta?

It started as a joke. Now it’s carrying ranked games.
Heartsteel on Master Yi proves that Wild Rift’s item freedom and champion flexibility means almost anything is viable—if you understand your build and play your role right.

Want to meme your way up the ladder and tank 5k damage while getting a penta?
Heartsteel Yi is the move.


For more busted builds, jungle optimization, and chaos-fueled item abuse, follow LoLNOW.gg — we test what’s broken, so you can climb faster.


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Frequently Asked Questions about Heartsteel Master Yi

Is Heartsteel a good item for Master Yi in Wild Rift?

Surprisingly, yes. It gives Yi a ton of HP, bonus damage, and sustain, making him a tanky hypercarry that still deals massive damage.

What’s the best build for Heartsteel Yi?

Heartsteel into Titanic Hydra and Sterak’s is a strong core. Add Death’s Dance or Overgrowth for bonus tankiness and true damage.

Why is Heartsteel so good in Wild Rift?

Wild Rift’s pace and item stats allow Heartsteel to scale fast. It’s efficient, adds a ton of durability, and synergizes well with fast-farming junglers.

How do you play Heartsteel Yi in jungle?

Focus on efficient full clears, drag camps together, and spike on Zerkers + Heartsteel. Abuse your reset potential and Meditate to survive dives.

Will Riot nerf Heartsteel in Wild Rift?

Possibly. It’s been nerfed on PC, and in Wild Rift it’s still very strong, especially on champions that weren’t meant to be tanks.