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 Magic Carpet, Disarming Hex and Decay. Magic Carpet adds control or fight utility that makes clean engages harder for Yamato. Disarming Hex is a major problem because it can shut down a key play right when Yamato wants to start or finish a fight. Decay adds pressure over time, so longer fights become harder for Yamato to stabilize. 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 | 45.0% | 11,548 |
 Seven Mystic | 45.8% | 20,090 |
 Graves Marksman | 46.4% | 15,790 |
 Victor Brawler | 47.0% | 19,793 |
 Kelvin Brawler | 48.5% | 11,709 |
 Ivy Marksman | 49.2% | 13,968 |
Slightly difficult
| Hero | Yamato win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Dynamo Mystic | 49.3% | 13,855 |
 Lady Geist Mystic | 50.6% | 12,668 |
 Mo & Krill Brawler | 50.6% | 14,905 |
 Vyper Assassin | 50.8% | 9,232 |
 Warden Brawler | 50.9% | 15,979 |
 The Doorman Mystic | 50.9% | 12,267 |
Even matchups
| Hero | Yamato win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Abrams Brawler | 51.1% | 17,359 |
 Calico Assassin | 51.1% | 13,091 |
 Haze Assassin | 51.5% | 25,406 |
 Mina Marksman | 51.6% | 22,581 |
 Billy Brawler | 51.7% | 15,146 |
 Drifter Assassin | 51.8% | 24,155 |
Favorable targets
| Hero | Yamato win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Venator Marksman | 56.4% | 18,276 |
 Rem Operative | 55.2% | 13,129 |
 Sinclair Mystic | 55.0% | 9,217 |
 Bebop Brawler | 54.8% | 27,663 |
 Viscous Mystic | 54.4% | 10,222 |
 Shiv Brawler | 54.3% | 28,093 |
Yamato has the hardest time into McGinnis, Seven and Graves 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Magic Carpet 109 total matches | 60.0% | 55.6% | 54.3% | 52.7% | 40.4% | 53.1% | 43.5% | 50.0% | 35.0% | 34.7% | 10.0% |
 Disarming Hex 745 total matches | 39.0% | 39.3% | 35.0% | 39.4% | 33.5% | 35.5% | 34.9% | 34.3% | 35.5% | 34.6% | 38.2% |
 Decay 169 total matches | 43.3% | 42.1% | 46.3% | 46.9% | 39.5% | 40.0% | 38.8% | 41.7% | 35.0% | 38.2% | 28.6% |
 Knockdown 523 total matches | 43.9% | 43.7% | 41.7% | 38.8% | 40.1% | 39.8% | 38.9% | 39.4% | 42.5% | 41.3% | 26.4% |
 Rusted Barrel 856 total matches | 39.3% | 39.7% | 43.5% | 45.6% | 39.7% | 40.8% | 39.6% | 40.8% | 42.6% | 38.2% | 45.5% |
 Bullet Resist Shredder 123 total matches | 52.5% | 37.5% | 47.2% | 44.4% | 56.4% | 43.5% | 44.4% | 47.5% | 39.5% | 46.9% | 38.1% |
 Toxic Bullets 196 total matches | 43.8% | 46.7% | 37.2% | 37.1% | 47.6% | 47.4% | 38.7% | 44.3% | 44.9% | 43.9% | 45.0% |
 Slowing Hex 1,635 total matches | 42.8% | 44.7% | 43.1% | 44.0% | 43.2% | 44.4% | 43.8% | 44.5% | 42.9% | 45.9% | 44.8% |
 Arcane Surge 487 total matches | 48.2% | 46.9% | 48.2% | 45.7% | 48.4% | 50.1% | 47.6% | 49.1% | 47.3% | 44.1% | 42.9% |
 Cursed Relic 333 total matches | 37.3% | 41.7% | 40.2% | 40.5% | 42.6% | 42.4% | 33.6% | 36.6% | 47.8% | 42.3% | 52.2% |