How to abuse lethality Yorick in the top lane and jungle in League of Legends season 11

Patch 11.7 buffs have turned Yorick into a beast in the current League of Legends meta. Players with the "Shepherd of Souls" are taking over the Summoner's Rift's top lane with a game-breaking Lethality build.

Lethality Yorick is OP AF. #LeagueOfLegends #gaming

— Larry Salomon (@foolomon) April 1, 2021

Yorick has remained underused in League of Legends since his rework between the 6.18 and 6.21 patch cycles, five years ago. Since then, he couldn't really have an impact as an effective split-push bruiser over stronger champions like Camille, Zed, Tryndamere, Fiora, and others.

Significant jump in Yoricks's pick rate between patch 11.6 and 11.7 (Screengrab from OP.GG)

Now, suddenly after a sturdy buff in the recent patch 11.7, Yorick has silently risen the ranks boasting a fascinating 6.59% increase in his top lane pick rate according to OP.GG. And not just at the top, the tweaks have led the "Shepherd of Souls" to flex as a jungler too.

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Why is Yorick so overpowering in League of Legends' top lane and jungle?

Yorick has gained two significant buffs featuring his E - Mourning Mist in the latest League of Legends patch. Firstly, when an enemy champion or a monster is marked by Yorick's E, they now continuously awaken nearby graves (maximum 4 times). Even when the ghouls in the mist disappear, they re-spawn if there are graves around. This helps massively during teamfights.

Yorick tweak information in 11.7 patch notes (Image via Riot Games - League of Legends)

Secondly, the buff on Yorick's E has allowed the damaging ability of the Mist Walkers to increase by 200%. Thus, the marked enemies and large monsters now deal double the damage from Yorick's Mourning Mist. With a full lethality build, the Shepherd of Souls can easily one-shot tanky champions.

Riot's considered the tweaks necessary to keep the champion relevant in the game. According to the developers,

"Yorick is usually able to crush his way through average play, but recently, he's fallen behind. In addition to his absence from higher-tier games, he has room for a buff to help him across levels of play, so we're taking a first pass by making his E more satisfying and effective. Coupled with some QoL adjustments, this should help our shepherd feel less wretched, while also evening out his performance in higher levels of play."

The two tweaks in terms of abilities have converted Yorick into an absolute beast since the last League of Legends update. Though he is yet to be a regular pick as a jungler, LCK caster Nick ‘LS’ de Cesare believes that it is just a matter of time. According to champion.gg, there has been a steady rise in Jungle Yorick as well since the launch of the 11.7 patch cycle.

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Lethality Yorick Item Build and Rune guide

Image via Riot Games - League of Legends

Lethality Yorick is still at an experimental stage among League of Legends regulars and is yet to be seen in pro play. But it does have potential and Yorick's one-tricks soon expect the build to be a game-changer.

Yorick Lethality Gameplay@Kampsycho @choggerNA @Fabius12300 @ManuelAutin pic.twitter.com/UF1L2WVMHR

— F4zeCtrl (@F4zeCtrl) March 31, 2021

Following are a few item choices for Lethality Yorick that boost his damage, sustaining ability, and sticking strength during battles. This steadily helps the Shepherd of Souls reach his one-shot potential.

• Eclipse
• Serylda’s Grudge
• The Collector
• Essence Reaver
• Black Cleaver
• Edge of Night

For runes, Sorcery and Inspiration suits Yorick best for lethality. Arcane Comet is the perfect keystone pick for the build path.

Lethality Yorick Runes (Image via Riot Games - League of Legends)

Sorcery

• Arcane Comet
• Manaflow Band
• Absolute Focus
• Gathering Storm

Inspiration

• Magical Footwear
• Biscuit Delivery

Shards

• Offense: +9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
• Flex: +9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
• Defense: +6 bonus armor

Top laners getting swarmed by lethality Yorick's ghouls pic.twitter.com/7gsegcTuow

— Nicholas Castro (@nichccastro) April 1, 2021

Yorick is incredibly powerful in the current meta, especially in the top lane with a Lethality build. He is outclassing other junglers as well, with his unparalleled pace and W-E ganks.

Fans and League of Legends experts thus believe that Riot did go a bit too far with his E-Buff and expect a balance-tweak anytime soon in the upcoming patch cycles.

Also: What is Lethality in League of Legends and how does it work in Season 11?