#09 · Standard body

Master Yi

The Wuju Bladesman

Blink rushdown with a counting puzzleResource: HighlanderDifficulty

A fast sword who blinks through your buttons and strikes twice on every fourth basic attack. His three Unique forms each land that Double Strike in a different shape (knockdown, bounce, or float), so where you land the double decides the route. Pick him if you like fast movement, crossup blinks, and combos you steer by counting.

Strengths

+Fastest ground dash on the roster, plus blinks that pass through attacks
+Two-way close mix at once: 2U is both a low and a crossup
+Double Strike and Wuju add true damage that ignores combo scaling
+The Wuju leap picks up every hard knockdown, so routes run multiple legs
+Highlander and Awakening turn every leg into a longer one

Weaknesses

−Short normals; the blinks and the leap are his range
−Every blink and form is minus on block
−Alpha Strike has a cooldown, so a string has only one blink by default
−623H is armor, not a reversal; the real reversal costs 50 Style
−Meditate cuts damage but loses to throws and still takes hitstun

Unique mechanic

Double Strike

Every landed basic attack banks a stack (Twin Edge banks two), and with three stacks the next basic strikes twice for bonus true damage, refreshes Alpha Strike, and takes the shape of the form that lands it.

Overview

Master Yi is a blink swordsman with the fastest ground dash in the game and short buttons. His three ground Unique buttons are the Double Strike forms: 5U Twin Edge (mid), 6U Wuju Leap (overhead), and 2U Slip Cut (a low that crosses under a close opponent). They're basic attacks, like his normals.

Every fourth basic attack is a Double Strike. It deals extra true damage, gives Alpha Strike back, and takes the shape of the form it lands on: Twin Edge knocks down, the Wuju Leap bounces, and the Slip Cut floats. Counting to the double and choosing its form is the character.

On top of that, Wuju Style (6U and 623) opens a window where every hit deals bonus true damage, Alpha Strike (236, j.U) blinks through the opponent, and Highlander (22) makes the double come faster.

Gameplan

Neutral

His normals are short. Use his dash to get in, and the blinks to go through attacks: every Alpha Strike is fully invulnerable from its first frame until it arrives, so a well-timed blink is his dodge.
236L blinks forward without crossing, 236M crosses up, and 236H goes furthest and knocks down. All three share one cooldown, so after one blink you usually need a Double Strike before the next.
5L/5M are plus on hit and even on block. They're good frame-trap and throw setups.

Offense

Close up, the mix is two ways at once:
- Overhead: 6U, the Wuju Leap. Slow, but it opens Wuju and hands straight into 2H on hit.
- Low + side: 2U slips under a close opponent and cuts from the far side, so it has to be blocked low and the right way.
- Blink cross or stay: 236M crosses, 236L doesn't.
- Throw: after 5L/5M.
After a hard knockdown (3H, 236H, the Twin Edge double), the leap 6U picks them up, or you run the same mix on wakeup.
The forms run one way: 5U into 6U or 2U, and 6U into 2U. They never loop back.

Defense

623EX is the real reversal: strike and throw invulnerable through startup, launches, and jump-cancels.
623H is not a reversal. It armors one strike, banks a stack, and knocks down, but it's very minus on block.
Blinks and the close 2U are invulnerable until they arrive, so they can pass through a predictable button. They're minus on block, though.
214 Meditate cuts incoming damage and heals, but he still takes hitstun and throws ignore it. 214EX adds one hit of armor and arms the double for the counterattack.
Backdash has invulnerable frames. Burst is the corner exit.

Unique Mechanic

Double Strike

Basic attacks are every ground and air normal and the three ground forms (5U, 6U, 2U). Throws, blinks (236, j.U), and 623 don't count.
A landed basic banks one stack. 5U Twin Edge banks two. Meditate banks them too.
With 3 stacks (2 under Highlander), the next landed basic is the double:
- it adds half its damage again as true damage, scaled like the hit it rides on;
- it stuns longer;
- it spends the stacks and refreshes Alpha Strike;
- under Highlander, it extends the window;
- on a form, it takes that form's shape:

Form	Double Strike shape
5U Twin Edge	Hard knockdown (can be picked up by 6U)
6U Wuju Leap	Ground bounce, low and close, so the chain runs again (once per combo)
2U Slip Cut	Float straight up with long stun, so 2U jump-cancels into the air chain

Stacks fade a few seconds after the last one is banked (Meditate pauses the fade). The HUD pips pulse when the next basic is the double, and the hit reads DOUBLE STRIKE.
Counting: 5L 5M 5U banks four, so the next form is the double (5L 5M 5U 6U bounces). 5L 5U banks three, so 5L 5U 2U floats. 5L 5M 5H 5U lands the double on Twin Edge for a hard knockdown.

Alpha Strike cooldown

j.U and 236L/236M/236H share one cooldown of a few seconds, counted from when you start the blink. On cooldown, they're refused.
Every landed basic attack shortens it. A Double Strike clears it. 236EX ignores it and clears it.
Under Highlander the cooldown is much shorter, and under Awakening there's none.

Wuju Style

A window where every landed hit adds bonus true damage. 6U opens a short window, and the 623 cuts open longer ones (L < M < H < EX). A longer window replaces a shorter one.
Meditate pauses it, and Awakening keeps it on for the whole install.

Highlander (22)

The double comes every third basic instead of every fourth, and Alpha's cooldown is shortened (more at each tier).
From 22M up, a connected 5U, 6U, j.U, or 236L/236M/236H can dash-cancel once (j.U's is a free air dash).
Only one Highlander at a time.

Combo Notes

Count first. Before each form, know your stack count: after 5L 5M (two stacks), 5U makes four, so the next basic is the double.
Bounce route (meterless one-leg best): 5L 5M 5U 6U 5L 5M 5H 2H jc j.M j.U j.H. The leap's double bounces, the chain restarts, and the next double on 2H refreshes Alpha for j.U.
Float: 5L 5U 2U jc j.L j.M j.U j.H. Three stacks make the slip the double, and it floats into the air chain.
Knockdown and pickup: 5L 5M 5H 5U lands the double as a hard knockdown. Add 6U 2U 2H jc j.M j.U j.H for a second leg.
Legs: the bounce is once per combo, so later legs use 5L 5M 5U 6U 2H (the leap double hands to the launcher) and end on 5L 5M 5U 236H.
Wuju first: routes that open a Wuju window early (6U, 623) deal more, because every later hit adds true damage.
Meter: his meter pays most when spent early. At 50, open with 5L 5M 5H 236EX 6U. At 100, open with 5L 5M 5H 236M Awakening jc.
Corner: 236H and Skybound wallstick.

Key Moves

Generated from the kit data.

Fastest button	5L 4f
Reversals (strike invuln)	623EX 5f
Lows	2L 5f 2M 9f 2U 10f 3H 12f
Overheads	6U 17f
Safest specials on block	236L 8f · -2 236M 11f · -3 623L 6f · -4