Deadlock matchup guide

How to Counter Yamato

Learn which items answer Yamato’s threats, how to play the lane, and when to commit or disengage.

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Best Items to Counter Yamato

Dispel MagicSpirit ResilienceSpellbreakerSilence WaveCursed RelicCounterspellHealbaneSpirit BurnSilencer

Buy for the threat you are facing. These are situational options, not a build to purchase in full. Tap an item for its breakdown.

Matchup Overview & Game Plan

Use high ground against right-click splash and react to the Power Slash charge with cover. Once the defensive ultimate is active, reposition and make her chase instead of spending everything into that window. If your plan is to deny the ultimate, the silence or curse needs to land before it starts.

Dispel Magic removes important setup debuffs, Spirit Resilience or Spellbreaker cuts the burst, and Silence Wave or Cursed Relic can stop the ultimate before it starts.

Laning Phase

  • Use high ground so right-click splash aimed at your feet is harder to connect.
  • Listen for Power Slash's charge and move behind cover before the damage arrives.
  • Reposition through the defensive ultimate window rather than spending every cooldown into it.
  • Silence Wave or Cursed Relic needs to prevent the ultimate cast; it is not a plan to remove an ultimate already active.

Most Common Problems vs Yamato

Identify what is losing the exchange, then use the answer and timing below.

Her point-and-click engage debuff is guaranteeing the follow-up

Dispel Magic

What to do: Purge the setup debuff as soon as she commits.

Why it helps: Removing the signal/attachment breaks the sequence before the rest of her spirit burst can land cleanly.

Power Slash and the rest of her spirit burst are chunking too hard

Spirit Resilience

What to do: Build Spirit Resilience or Spellbreaker when spirit burst is deciding the fight.

Why it helps: Dedicated spirit defense buys time against the burst, while cover and movement still matter.

She keeps getting her ultimate off before your team can finish her

Silence Wave

What to do: Silence or Cursed Relic her before the ultimate cast.

Why it helps: Preventing the defensive ultimate is stronger than trying to out-damage the protection after it has already started.

Yamato Power Slash keeps landing as free lane poke

Counterspell

What to do: Counterspell a predictable Power Slash when you cannot break line of sight.

Why it helps: The loud charge gives you a readable timing window, making a spell parry a strong answer to the specific burst rather than buying defense for every trade.

Gameplay Counterplay

  • Use high ground so the right-click splash at your feet is much harder to land efficiently.
  • Power Slash has a loud wind-up; save stamina and break line of sight as soon as you hear the charge instead of reacting to the projectile.
  • Do not overcommit during her ultimate defensive window—reposition and make her spend the duration chasing.

Mistakes to Avoid Against Yamato

Continuing the same damage commitment during the defensive ultimate

Reposition through that window. Keep your next commitment for a more useful moment.

Using cast prevention after the ultimate is already active

Silence Wave and Cursed Relic are listed for preventing the cast. Their timing needs to be part of the engage plan, not a late response to an existing defensive state.

Threat / Fight Plan

Anti-Heal

Reduces enemy healing and sustain during fights.

Useful answers: Healbane · Spirit Burn

Interrupt & Cast Denial

Interrupts vulnerable channels or denies an important cast before it starts. Silence alone is not a universal channel interrupt.

Useful answers: Cursed Relic · Silence Wave

Spirit Defense

Mitigates ability-based burst and spirit damage.

Useful answers: Spellbreaker · Spirit Resilience

Counter Items Breakdown

Dispel Magic

Mid game · 10–20 minLate game · 20+ min

Clears non-ultimate debuffs; unavailable while stunned or slept.

  • Clean answer to removable marks, burns, roots, slows, and item debuffs
  • Especially valuable when several non-ultimate debuffs are stacked at once

Use in this matchup:

Read the full Dispel Magic item guide →

Spirit Resilience

Late game · 20+ min

Passive resistance against recurring spirit damage.

  • Basic spell defense
  • Scaling durability

Use in this matchup:

Read the full Spirit Resilience item guide →

Spellbreaker

Late game · 20+ min

Adds spirit defense and periodic protection against a large spirit hit.

  • Helps survive a decisive spirit burst
  • Adds durability against ability damage and debuff pressure

Read the full Spellbreaker item guide →

Silence Wave

Late game · 20+ min

Silences enemies before an important escape or defensive cast.

  • Teamfight tool
  • Interrupt rotations before they start

Use in this matchup:

Read the full Silence Wave item guide →

Cursed Relic

Late game · 20+ min

Locks enemy actions and strips non-ultimate buffs, but lowers your damage.

  • Creates a short window where slippery or ability-reliant heroes cannot use their normal escape tools
  • Can strip important non-ultimate buffs before your team commits

Read the full Cursed Relic item guide →

Counterspell

Late game · 20+ min

Upgrades parry to block ability damage and effects.

  • Blocks Lash grabs/Infernus ults
  • Skill-based defense

Use in this matchup:

Read the full Counterspell item guide →

Healbane

Mid game · 10–20 min

Spirit damage applies anti-heal; affected enemy deaths restore health.

  • Reliable anti-heal for heroes that can consistently apply spirit damage
  • Offers a healing reward when an affected target is finished

Read the full Healbane item guide →

Spirit Burn

Late game · 20+ min

Spirit-damage buildup triggers an explosion, burn, and healing reduction.

  • Combines spirit-damage pressure with anti-heal
  • Fits spirit builds that can reliably trigger and maintain the burn

Read the full Spirit Burn item guide →

Silencer

Late game · 20+ min

Weapon hits weaken spirit damage and build toward silence.

  • Weapon-based pressure against ability-reliant targets
  • Helps deny a defensive or escape cast once the silence builds up

Read the full Silencer item guide →