Ylva: Builds, Playstyle, and Discussion

“I’ve hunted bunnies stronger than you.”

Welcome to the forum-built introduction to Ylva, part of our #guides series! If you’re new to Ylva and would like an overview, you’re in the right place! You’ll find builds, playstyle tips, and other resources by clicking the links below.

BUILDS
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DISCUSSION: 3.10 | 4.2 | 4.4

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This thread is also for discussion, so feel free to reply with comments and questions about Ylva and the builds and tips posted here.

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Ylva Builds


WP Ylva

CORE:

:vgitem_journeyboots: :vgitem_sorrowblade: :vgitem_tensionbow: :vgitem_breakingpoint:

Detailed description

I’ve been playing quite a bit of Ylva and what I’ve found out to work the best is :vgitem_sorrowblade: :vgitem_tensionbow: :vgitem_breakingpoint:

I always rush T3 boots first. Her Ganks are so awkward without boots. You charge the shot and if they don’t happen to come to you you’re like “mind coming closer so I can shoot you in the face please”. Anyway that’s not a bad thing because your rotations speed is really good and she can 1 shot a 70% HP mid laner without any damage items.

I tried :vgitem_spellsword: and used it for a while but I think it’s just not a good replacement. It’s not bad on her. She’s very abilities reliant. But her CDs are not bad anyway and the burst is just a bit worse that way. I’d say you wouldn’t be wrong to go with either, just sorrowblade is a bit better.

I know many are playing CP but I tried her once and probably not gonna play her much. The damage is good and everything but the damn clear speed tilts me. If some dude doesn’t wanna push his lane or I am the only one alive with lanes pushing I’d rather be Churnwalker or something.

added by @Bobmax, update 3.10

Weapon Assassin Ylva

CORE:
:vgitem_journeyboots: :vgitem_sorrowblade: :vgitem_tensionbow: :vgitem_tyrantsmonocle:

Hit and Run Assassin playstyle

Because Ylva is a squishy Nuke jungler with a short range, she should be played as a hit and run assasin. So I Use these items :vgitem_sorrowblade: :vgitem_tensionbow: :vgitem_tyrantsmonocle: and usually an extra :vgitem_tyrantsmonocle: because it’s currently a Burst meta with all carries only buying an Aegis, with no Armor :wink:

Always rush Journey Boots :vgitem_journeyboots: . Her Ganks are hard to pull off without the extra movespeed. Even without any damage items, she can chip the laners prety heavily because of her combo.

Some of my friends play her with CP items, but It has inconsistent damage without her skill, rendering her useless after her combo. because there isn’t much people playing her, you can get an advantage by playing a hero they aren’t used to face. I made a complete guide on her, just google Ylva with my username and you’ll find it!

added by @Lintang88 , update 4.2

Crystal Carry

:vgitem_shatterglass: :vgitem_spellfire: :vgitem_brokenmyth: :vgitem_journeyboots: :vgitem_aegis: :vgitem_slumberinghusk:

Comments

Ylva’s abilities scale well with raw crystal power. She isn’t a poke hero, so she needs all the damage she can get from her abilities. Shatterglass helps immensely with that feat, providing Ylva with a bulk of raw crystal power to increase the damage output of her abilities.

Ylva is an assassin, so preventing heal with the mortal wounds from Spellfire can help her secure kills. Although Shatterglass deals more damage than Spellfire, consider purchasing Spellfire first if the enemy team has a significant amount of healing. Otherwise, Shatterglass first is preferable.

To finish your core items, Broken Myth fairs well as your third item. The difference in damage between Shatterglass/Spellfire vs. Shatterglass/Broken Myth turns out to favor Shatterglass/Spellfire, only because of Spellfire’s burn. That, along with the value of mortal wounds itself, makes it so that Shatterglass/Spellfire is always safe as the two starting items.

The passive from Journey Boots allows Ylva to constantly be able to re-engage. A 15-second cooldown on the sprint active provides her with a strong presence on the map, and it lines up with her Charge Shot (A) and Crimson Fang (B) cooldowns. Use each tier of boots as a form of ganking. The combo would be to use Charge Shot (A) along with your boots active so that the speed-up helps you catch up to enemy heroes.

The last two items can be situational defense, but consider Aegis and Slumbering Husk. Both items allow you to go in for a combo and escape safely so that you can re-engage at a later time.

written by pepetapia for BrokenMyth: Comprehensive Ylva Guide, update 3.10

Roam Ylva

CORE:

:vgitem_fountainofrenewal: :vgitem_crucible: :vgitem_wartreads: :vgitem_stormcrown: :vgitem_clockwork:

SITUATIONAL:

:vgitem_nullwavegauntlet: :vgitem_rooksdecree: :vgitem_shatterglass: :vgitem_spellfire:

Detailed description

For Support Ylva I tried out this build for her in 3v3 (NOT 5v5 yet)

Starting items: iron guard contract and boots. You probably won’t be unlocking Crimson Fang first as a support. You want boots instead of oak heart or other defence item since you need to be able to run away from a sticky situation or chase down an early kill. Plus helps with positioning

Item build:

:vgitem_fountainofrenewal: should be built first for team wide healing.

Buy a :vgitem_crucible: if enemies have team wide CC you need to block or to give your team a temporary barrier to survive engagments. (I generally buy it second as a habit)

:vgitem_wartreads: is gonna be the second or third item you want to help allies get away from a bad situation or catch up to enemies.

:vgitem_stormcrown: is a good fourth item to pick up later as the true damage helps greatly speed up your damage to objectives as well as decent CDR. I pick stormcrown because Ylva has very low damage against objectives.

:vgitem_clockwork: is IN MY OPINION an excellent fourth or fifth item to get since it helps your abilities come off cooldown much faster.

:vgitem_nullwavegauntlet: is a great optional pick as it allows you silence an enemy hero with active items (generally the enemy captain) and force them to back off or waste a crucible to block the nullwave projectile. Plus it provides CDR.

:vgitem_rooksdecree: can also be an optional item if your team needs that extra barrier to stay alive. Keep in mind if you do buy this you want to avoid poking enemies with your basic attack to maximize this items effectiveness,

If your team is snowballing heavily than you can consider picking up a :vgitem_shatterglass: or :vgitem_spellfire: to make your abilities that much more scary with the surprising amount of burst on all your skill set has.

added by @EdAWACSdenyY, update 3.10

CP Burst Assassin Ylva

I realized I never added my build in regard to my tips for Ylv’as CP playstyle.

FULL BUILD:

:vgitem_spellfire::vgitem_halcyonchargers::vgitem_shatterglass::vgitem_aegis::vgitem_shatterglass::vgitem_brokenmyth:

EARLY GAME: start with a :vgitem_t2_stormguardbanner: to help you clear jungle quicker. If in lane, :vgitem_t1_crystalbit::vgitem_t1_sprintboots: is a good way to go. I like to complete :vgitem_halcyonchargers: ASAP, so I’ll often have a :vgitem_t2_heavyprism::vgitem_t2_eclipseprism::vgitem_halcyonchargers::vgitem_t2_stormguardbanner: after a visit to the shop or two. :vgitem_spellfire: is what you’re looking to complete soon to negate any healing/sustain effects through the use of your mortal wounds

MID GAME: sell your :vgitem_t2_stormguardbanner:. You should now have :vgitem_spellfire::vgitem_halcyonchargers::vgitem_shatterglass: complete by the mid game (12-15 minute mark) or close to it! You’ve got a little boost in CD reduction from HC, and while others will likely argue for :vgitem_journeyboots: for Ylva, and that’s a must for a WP path for sure - but I like being able to cycle through her abilities just a little bit faster.

LATE GAME: Complete the build. :vgitem_aegis: is a priority as you’re engaging in team fights and need to have some survivability. Depending on the opponents, go for :vgitem_brokenmyth: if they’ve got decent shield, or increase your burst even more with :vgitem_shatterglass: if they’re playing a bit squishy.

Thank you for reading, and remember, she’s hunted bunnies tougher than you!

added by @Lebatron , update 4.3

add more builds here

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Ylva Playstyle Tips


Ylva is not a substitute for real dedicated support heroes, but her utility does help her team immensely enough that I feel (based on first impressions) that she can flex support and actually make it work and not have it be a troll pick.

  • Your HEROIC PERK is a captains wet dream.
  • Ylva’s CHARGED SHOT is basically a different variation of Catherine’s stun but with slightly less risk.
  • Ylva’s CRIMSON FANG can be considered another variation of Ardan’s punch.
  • Ylva’s BINDING MINE is great zone control or a way to peel for allies.

Full discussion on Support Yvla here: Support Ylva is a thing……kinda I guess? I dunno

added by @EdAWACSdenyY, update 3.10

Some fun with mines…

Since you can recast a mine once one is out, and the cooldown is fairly short, and in normal use enemies don’t trip a mine until it’s beenout for a while…

You can chain two mines to root a whole team for up to 4 seconds. My mind was blown.

For extra giggles you can throw a mine while charging your A, so you can stun whatever survives being rooted for that long. Even better is when your teammates figure out what you’re doing and help you set it up; I know a certain Krul who will probably never, ever again chase Celeste into a bush after what the two of us kept doing to him (he knew better than to chase Ylva, but that Celeste could bait him into any trap I left near her).

added by @Inktomi, update 3.10

CP Playstile as Ylva:
Ylva’s role as a CP jungler (or even a carry) is as a burst, dive and dash assassin. In large team fights, without vision secured, she requires great patience for the most opportune time to dive in and unleash her burst.

Due to utilizing a CP path, your B’s passive attack speed boost is not useful for you. If you have played her as a WP jungler/carry, you will have to resist the urge to continue to engage in a fight after using B unless you have the clear A) numbers advantage or B) health advantage/facing another cp hero, preferably a mage.

Use your :vgitem_journeyboots: to help secure a hit with your A. Immediately hit them with your B, and then get back to a safe distance. If in a team fight, be sure your teammates are with you as you do this, and have a clear understanding of A) where enemy opponents are and B) what they’re capable of doing. Has Celeste not used her B recently? Is there a Glaive lurking who hasn’t used his A? Hold off and be patient. This is also why having an :vgitem_aegis: is important as CP Ylva. The only way you’re dealing damage (significantly) is with your A + B combo. When you dive in, if you’re afriad of opposing cc, then pop your RB.

CP Ylva is a TON of fun. It requires patience and timing. Her A+B combo is the way to go. Be careful not to leave yourself to vulnerable holding the A charge. If there isn’t a play, or they’re backing off, tap A again to cancel it. No sense in being an immobile target.

Pro tip: Drop a mine (Ult/C) right where you are after using B in a team fight. Amongst the chaos and clutter, I notice enemies rarely realize you’re dropping the mine. This adds an extra cc to your team fight, significant damage, and also allows you the ability to peel away safely if your engage didn’t result in a kill or your need to regroup after.

added by @Lebatron, update 4.2

add more playstyle tips here

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Other Ylva Resources


Wallpapers
Voice Lines
Concept Art

Official Hero Spotlight:

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I actually think she has a lot of potential as a WP sniper, though it’s not clear yet how strong it will prove to be.

Right now I think the most successful build is Sorrowblade, Tension Bow, Tornado Trigger, Tryants Monocle which focuses on bursting someone at the absolute maximum speed possible.

Another potential builds is Sorrowblade, Poisoned Shiv, Breaking Point. Finished with 2 defense. I don’t think this suits her playstle nearly as well but I think she can work in different styles of play for sure.

Some fun with mines…

Since you can recast a mine once one is out, and the cooldown is fairly short, and in normal use enemies don’t trip a mine until it’s beenout for a while…

You can chain two mines to root a whole team for up to 4 seconds. My mind was blown.

For extra giggles you can throw a mine while charging your A, so you can stun whatever survives being rooted for that long. Even better is when your teammates figure out what you’re doing and help you set it up; I know a certain Krul who will probably never, ever again chase Celeste into a bush after what the two of us kept doing to him (he knew better than to chase Ylva, but that Celeste could bait him into any trap I left near her).

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[quote=“coltonJW, post:5, topic:6096, full:true”]
I actually think she has a lot of potential as a WP sniper, though it’s not clear yet how strong it will prove to be.[/quote]
I think you’re overestimating Ylva’s range — she’s definitely not a sniper. She has the shortest range of any ranged hero, and melee hero’s like Reim, Reza, Blackfeather, and even Lance outranges her with abilities. She has potential, but she has no capability to work the edges of a fight or to poke at range the way snipers do.

It’s probably more useful to think of her as a melee hero with an especially long range rather than a ranged hero, since the only ability she has to reach past 5.5 is her dash, and she doesn’t have any reliable way to disengage. She’d need some type of ability to hit things at 7+ to really work as a sniper.

Not to say she’s bad — she’s a great assassin. She just needs to fight in ranges where most of the enemy team can hit her.

I’ve been playing quite a bit of Ylva and what I’ve found out to work the best is :vgitem_sorrowblade: :vgitem_tensionbow: :vgitem_breakingpoint:

I always rush T3 boots first. Her Ganks are so awkward without boots. You charge the shot and if they don’t happen to come to you you’re like “mind coming closer so I can shoot you in the face please”. Anyway that’s not a bad thing because your rotations speed is really good and she can 1 shot a 70% HP mid laner without any damage items.

I tried :vgitem_spellsword: and used it for a while but I think it’s just not a good replacement. It’s not bad on her. She’s very abilities reliant. But her CDs are not bad anyway and the burst is just a bit worse that way. I’d say you wouldn’t be wrong to go with either, just sorrowblade is a bit better.

I know many are playing CP but I tried her once and probably not gonna play her much. The damage is good and everything but the damn clear speed tilts me. If some dude doesn’t wanna push his lane or I am the only one alive with lanes pushing I’d rather be Churnwalker or something.

Spellsword is available a tiny bit earlier than Sorrowblade, so it might be better in some very narrow circumstances. If a player happens to be 200 gold short of Sorrowblade and they need to gank someone immediately then it might be a good choice. I ran into just that situation last night, where we had Anka against an enemy SAW, and I was passing by the store on the way to help, and I could afford Spellsword right then or I could wait for 200 more gold to buy Sorrowblade; I bought the Spellsword, and Anka and I quickly assainated all three enemy laners starting with SAW.

I was wondering just how narrow that gap is between when you can get the items out, so I just ran a bunch of bot matches to see just how quickly I can farm certain items. I followed the same path each time, teleported to buy the Heavy Blade and Prism (which did little to my total time, since it happened when I would be going to restart my circuit anyway), and avoided killing any bots. It’s not totally scientific, because I got some ambient as I passed through lanes, and in a real match I’d need to fight players a bit (which might give me much more or much less gold) but the broad strokes were pretty clear.

I bought Spellsword at level 6 at 6:40.

I bought Sorrowblade at level 6 at 7:02.

I bought Shatterglass at level 6 at 6:59.

I bought a Stormcrown at level 5 at 4:30. To be sure it wasn’t a fluke, I did it again, and it was in my inventory at the same time, give or take a second.

I started with a Stormguard Banner but built Sorrowblade at 7:17. I could have gotten it out sooner if I sold the banner, but I didn’t think that far ahead.

Observations:

I didn’t mean to make it part of the tests, but I used A+B to stun and run from bots in each one. I hit different bots each time, so I don’t know precise damage numbers, but getting hit with Stormguard Banner, Heavy Blade, or Heavy Prism while you’re level 4 would be a significant emotional event. If I had to pick, I’d say Stormguard was a bit more damage, but with any of them the victim could probably run to safety.

The Sorrowblade build felt like it cleared faster than the Shatterglass build, but the tests really didn’t show it. 2 Crystal Bits was slower than 2 Weapon Blades, but once I got a heavy item in each build, CP picked up speed. Mostly, the speed worked out the same because WP was not so much faster that it let me clear extra camps (like Stormguard Banner did), so I was more limited by my jungle rotation than by damage.

When I play the Stormcrown build to 7 minutes, I can buy a Heavy Blade or Heavy Prism, so the damage output is still more than with Sorrowblade or Shatterglass at that point.

I’m not sure about Stormcrown, but the Stormguard Banner is unquestionably the best item to start with for any build for two reasons. First, it’s revenue neutral — it helps your farming efficiency enough to pay for itself by the time you’re ready to buy a tier 3 item, so it doesn’t slow your progress towards your final build even if you sell it. Second, you can buy it at level 1, and the damage against players will stay better all the way until you finish a tier 3 item. At worst it puts you 30 seconds further from your optimal build, but in exchange it makes you cause extreme emotional trauma to anyone who meets you in the early game.

It actually annoys me a bit that the banner is just plain superior.

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Yeah man as I said spellsword doesn’t seem bad. Just sorrowblade kinda outperforms slightly. If you need it fast you could get it. Wouldn’t be a waste.

About build path, I don’t know. I do think CP is viable and it’s even played a lot by pros (I think more than WP) but I just don’t like it. It seems unreliable. CP Ylva either destroys and goes like 0/6. There’s no lane clear speed. Worse early game. And my personal favorite, that awkward moment when you do your burst and that Ringo you attacked still has 10 HP left and kills you as you literally have no damage outside of your B which you just used. I don’t know. CP might be better but it seems so unreliable.

About banner, I couldn’t agree more. While I appreciate the changes to jungle forcing this banner on literally every hero, even heroes like Reim that had beyond good clear is just dumb.

I’ve noticed is that Ylva + Anka is an exceptionally brutal pairing. If Ylva initiates, the victim will be low enough for Anka to execute as the stun wears off, and the two together seem to trail enough death and confusion that enemies have trouble pinning them down. They also cover one another’s deficiencies as laners, with Ylva having better basic attacks and Anka having longer-range skillshots.

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What would you say is an ideal comp for Ylva to be part of? If not specific heroes, then maybe by classes, at least.

(and feel free to add it to the wiki in the first post)

If you don’t mind my chiming in, from what I’ve noticed, she seems to pair really well with hypercarries like Celeste who otherwise are prone to dives - her kit is very good at shutting down dives with the stun on A and root from ult.

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You reminded me of the Celeste Lyra compos , nobody can touch Celeste or damage her , Celeste YLVA Lyra , can’t catch me comp hehehe .

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I’m really liking Ylva with Phinn or Yates. Yates, especially, is great for early game ganks and lots of lockdown. We think they’re brother and sister in the lore, right?

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Yeah I’ve been in good games with Celeste. One of the keys is that she works well with anyone who can help peel for her. Ylva is better at protecting teammates than protecting herself, but Celeste’s B can get Ylva out of a lot of jams.

At this stage, I’m more aware of heroes that Ylva pairs badly with. anyone with no CC is a bad partner, and heroes who disappear and drop targeting are bad partners (because the instant they vanish, Ylva tends to take all the hits meant for them). If my team has already picked Reza, Idris, Malene, and Lyra, Ylva is just not going to work well with them because the enemy will focus fire on her most of the time, and her team can’t do much to save her.

Lorelai and Arden are probably the best captains with Ylva, though in the early game Flicker is great too. Most captains work well with her, but Fortress, Lyra, and Adagio seem to be the worst due to their lack of CC.

For carries, Gwen is spectacular with Ylva since they both have a lot of utility that they can use to cover one another, and their combined damage deletes anyone. Gwen is particularly good for baiting enemies into traps, since she is fast enough that they tend to be a bit more obsessive sticking to her, and her B helps her to avoid getting stuck.

Vox is a particularly bad with Ylva. He can’t peel for her, and tends to zip out of the fight and leave her in a bad place. Skaarf and Kinetic are also not great with her, because what CC they have tends to be a bit difficult to use to help her.

I’ve had some surprisingly good games working with SAW. His immobility actually makes him very easy to protect, and she can use him like a turret to hide behind. Voice com or good player synergy really help; Ylva can work the jungle next to Saw and spot enemies coming for him, and since he’s so slow she can easily predict where to set ambushes. If she stuns or roots an enemy next to Saw, it’s all over. Only a coordinated rush from a whole team beats them, which still helps take pressure off the other two lanes. I’m not sure how well they’d work in the highest tiers (I’ve mostly been playing Ylva on a tier 5 account).

Ylva is bad into teams with lots of CC, or those who are good at diving. Mobile heroes can often eat a trap and still stick on top of her. Inara seems to particularly wreck Ylva, since she has speed, CC, and often had equal or better vision. I’ve been on both sides of that 1v1, and unless Inara really screws up then at worst it’s a draw; Inara has so much speed that she can often go the long way around Ylva’s traps. (At this point I probably play Inara more than any other hero, so maybe I’m biased.)

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That all makes sense, thanks for writing it out. :cheers_minioncandy_t2: I’m eager to try a SAW Ylva comp now!

I’m working on the theory that when Yates says his sister was bit by a moose, he meant Ylva, and really, that means anything with hooves is particularly troubling for her. It’s canon, don’t @ me.

ALSO…

… does everyone know they can edit the first post, since it’s a wiki? Feel free to add your builds and tips there directly so people can find them without having to go through the whole discussion! (if you’re worried about formatting, I can clean it up later)

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I am but a caveman. Your wiki frightens and confuses me :stuck_out_tongue:

More seriously, I’m a tier 7-8 player running Ylva on a tier 4 account, so I feel like anything I say should be tested for truth.

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Lmao … good thing I wasn’t drinking coffee when I read this

The fact that she specifically names Yates in one of her voicelines really helps support this as well. I’m with you, I refuse to believe that they aren’t siblings until SEMC directly deconfirms it

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