Hero counter guide
* Stats are based on Phantom and higher ranked matches.
Items That Punish Yamato
Weapon
No weapon counter items in this tier.
Vitality
No vitality counter items in this tier.
Spirit
No spirit counter items in this tier.
Yamato has a rough time when enemies buy Decay, Disarming Hex and Knockdown. Decay adds pressure over time, so longer fights become harder for Yamato to stabilize. Disarming Hex is a major problem because it can shut down a key play right when Yamato wants to start or finish a fight. Knockdown can interrupt Yamato before a play is finished, especially when the fight is already crowded. Most of the strongest results here are spirit items, so the pattern is less about one random purchase and more about enemies making fights harder to start, finish, or escape. If you are playing Yamato, check for these items before taking a full fight. If you are playing against Yamato, these are strong tools for making each engage harder and forcing Yamato to work for every kill.
Hero Matchups
Hard counters
| Hero | Yamato win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 McGinnis Mystic | 45.3% | 9,512 |
 Seven Mystic | 46.2% | 17,373 |
 Victor Brawler | 47.2% | 17,215 |
 Kelvin Brawler | 48.2% | 11,129 |
 Dynamo Mystic | 48.3% | 13,787 |
 Graves Marksman | 48.4% | 11,670 |
Slightly difficult
| Hero | Yamato win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Ivy Marksman | 48.7% | 12,778 |
 Vyper Assassin | 49.4% | 8,581 |
 Mo & Krill Brawler | 50.0% | 13,461 |
 Lady Geist Mystic | 50.2% | 11,697 |
 The Doorman Mystic | 50.3% | 11,903 |
 Warden Brawler | 50.6% | 15,078 |
Even matchups
| Hero | Yamato win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Mina Marksman | 50.7% | 21,545 |
 Abrams Brawler | 50.8% | 14,393 |
 Calico Assassin | 50.8% | 11,615 |
 Drifter Assassin | 51.2% | 21,845 |
 Haze Assassin | 51.3% | 22,161 |
 Apollo Assassin | 51.5% | 14,164 |
Favorable targets
| Hero | Yamato win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Venator Marksman | 56.4% | 16,333 |
 Rem Operative | 55.7% | 11,254 |
 Sinclair Mystic | 54.6% | 8,434 |
 Bebop Brawler | 54.3% | 25,954 |
 Shiv Brawler | 54.1% | 25,035 |
 Viscous Mystic | 54.1% | 9,125 |
Yamato has the hardest time into McGinnis, Seven and Victor because those matchups can make it difficult to take clean fights. These heroes can slow the game down, punish bad engages, or force Yamato to spend too much before getting real value. On the other side, Yamato looks more comfortable into heroes like Venator, Rem and Sinclair, where there is more room to move, trade, and choose when the fight starts. The middle matchups are still playable either way, so do not treat the list as a hard rule. Team setup, item timing, and how safely Yamato enters the fight will matter a lot.
Yamato By Rank
Yamato is not going to feel the same in every rank. In some brackets, players may give cleaner openings and let Yamato stay active in fights. In tougher games, enemies are more likely to respect Yamato's timing, group better, and shut the play down before Yamato gets full value. The strongest read is not just where Yamato has the highest win rate, but where the results stay consistent across enough matches.
Detailed item stats against Yamato
| Counter item |  Initiate |  Seeker |  Alchemist |  Arcanist |  Ritualist |  Emissary |  Archon |  Oracle |  Phantom |  Ascendant |  Eternus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Decay 166 total matches | 42.6% | 38.7% | 43.0% | 44.1% | 39.3% | 38.9% | 36.6% | 43.2% | 37.0% | 34.4% | 28.6% |
 Disarming Hex 739 total matches | 36.8% | 38.1% | 33.2% | 38.8% | 32.8% | 35.4% | 35.8% | 34.1% | 37.3% | 35.7% | 34.5% |
 Knockdown 461 total matches | 43.6% | 44.1% | 41.6% | 39.0% | 40.8% | 39.9% | 39.6% | 39.9% | 41.1% | 40.8% | 26.8% |
 Rusted Barrel 854 total matches | 37.8% | 39.1% | 42.6% | 45.4% | 38.8% | 39.1% | 42.1% | 41.2% | 41.6% | 39.5% | 41.8% |
 Bullet Resist Shredder 125 total matches | 56.9% | 34.3% | 34.3% | 44.7% | 50.0% | 42.6% | 50.0% | 49.2% | 39.5% | 47.0% | 38.1% |
 Slowing Hex 1,688 total matches | 42.6% | 45.3% | 43.9% | 42.7% | 42.2% | 43.7% | 43.5% | 44.1% | 42.4% | 46.2% | 43.9% |
 Toxic Bullets 213 total matches | 47.2% | 44.8% | 29.3% | 38.0% | 46.2% | 47.5% | 40.4% | 41.7% | 46.6% | 42.9% | 45.0% |
 Metal Skin 12,009 total matches | 43.8% | 40.1% | 41.1% | 42.2% | 41.9% | 42.8% | 43.6% | 43.3% | 43.9% | 46.2% | 46.2% |
 Arcane Surge 538 total matches | 46.4% | 46.1% | 46.9% | 44.2% | 48.5% | 50.0% | 46.8% | 48.7% | 48.1% | 44.0% | 34.6% |
 Cursed Relic 316 total matches | 35.9% | 39.0% | 40.8% | 41.5% | 38.8% | 41.8% | 35.3% | 35.0% | 46.5% | 42.0% | 54.5% |