Yorick Skill Order

Normal Skill Order

R > Q > E > W

Start Q for immediate last-hit power and early Mist Walker generation. Max Q first for lower cooldowns and higher execute damage on minions. Take E at level 4 or earlier if you need the ranged harass, then max it second to increase the mark damage and the healing from your ghouls. Max W last because the wall duration rarely improves your kill pressure as much as the damage and sustain from Q and E. Put points in R whenever available.

Augment-Influenced Skill Order

R > E > Q > W (Heavy Poke or CDR Augments)

If your augments heavily reduce cooldowns or add percentage health damage to spells, shift to maxing E first. The mark becomes your primary damage source in Mayhem, where fights are constant and enemies often clump. You still take Q at level 1 for Mist Walkers, but you prioritize E to land more frequent marks and keep your ghouls attacking from safer range. Use Q mainly to spawn ghouls and execute low-health targets marked by E.

Main Max Reasoning

Q Max: Best when you need reliable sustain and consistent ghoul spawning. Each cast lowers the cooldown, letting you raise Mist Walkers faster and heal more often from minion deaths. In Mayhem, the wave is always there, so Q max keeps your health pool stable through extended fights.

E Max: Better when you have augments that amplify spell damage or apply on-hit effects. The mark does percent health damage and directs all active ghouls to the target. If you can land E repeatedly, you force enemies to play around your poke instead of engaging freely.

Second Max Reasoning

After your main max, the second skill depends on what you skipped. If you maxed Q first, put remaining points into E to increase ghoul damage and your own sustain from the mark. If you maxed E first, finish Q to lower its cooldown and keep your ghoul supply steady. W always comes last because the wall’s utility—trapping enemies or peeling for yourself—does not scale as well with points in this mode.

Adjustment Triggers

  • Heavy Poke Enemy Team: If you face champions like Ziggs, Xerath, or Lux, consider an early second point in W at level 4 instead of E. The extra wall duration can block key skillshots or trap overextended enemies. Do not continue maxing W; return to your normal order after this one-point detour.
  • All-In Melee Teams: Against multiple melee champions who want to dive you, max Q first and take E second for the heal. The ghouls and Maiden will do most of the work while you kite back inside your wall.
  • CDR or Spell Amp Augments: If you gain significant cooldown reduction or ability power scaling from augments, switch to E > Q > W. Faster E casts mean more marks, more ghoul attacks, and better teamfight contribution.
  • Summon Durability Augments: Some augments may increase ghoul or Maiden health or damage. In that case, Q max becomes even stronger because you want more ghouls on the board to benefit from those bonuses.

Cost of Choosing the Wrong Order

Maxing W too early wastes points. The wall duration increase is marginal in Mayhem, where enemies often have dashes or blinks to escape. You lose the damage and sustain from Q or E, making you a sitting duck in extended fights.

Skipping Q entirely hurts your ghoul economy. Without a low-cooldown Q, you struggle to raise Mist Walkers, which means less pressure, less healing, and a lonely Maiden. You become dependent on landing E without the army to back it up.

Ignoring E against poke comps leaves you with no ranged threat. Enemies can chip you down before you ever get close enough to Q a minion. One point in E is often not enough to turn a fight; you need the damage and healing scaling to stay relevant.

Delaying R points is never correct. The Maiden adds a massive amount of damage, tanking, and lane presence. Always upgrade R at 6, 11, and 16.

Summary

Default to R > Q > E > W for sustain and steady ghoul production. Shift to R > E > Q > W when augments or enemy team comps favor poke and spell spam. Adjust with a single early W point against heavy poke, but never commit to maxing it. The wrong order leaves you without ghouls, without sustain, or without the damage to punish enemies who walk into your wall.