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Yorick vs Smolder
Top Lane MatchupYorick vs Smolder TOP matchup tips: who wins, how to trade, wave control and common mistakes.
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Who Wins
- Pre-6, you win most extended trades if you land Q on cooldown and stack Ghouls — Smolder has no reliable way to disengage once you're on top of him, and his early damage output is low before stacking his passive.
- Post-6, your R fundamentally changes the lane: you can split the wave, force a 1v2 scenario with your Maiden, and Smolder has no answer to the sustained pressure of your Maiden plus Ghouls in a prolonged fight.
How to Trade
- Force extended melee trades by walking up during Smolder's E cooldown — his E is his main repositioning and poke tool, and without it he cannot safely kite you.
- Use Q to sustain through his poke, then commit to a full trade when your Ghouls are up, as the combined damage and slow from Q makes it nearly impossible for him to escape cleanly.
Wave Control
- Push the wave hard and establish a freeze near your side of the lane when possible — Smolder wants a slow-pushed wave to safely farm and stack his passive from range, so denying him that comfort forces him into unfavorable positions.
- After R, split the wave with your Maiden to create a permanent pressure threat that forces Smolder to either fight a losing 1v2 or abandon CS.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not let Smolder freely stack his passive by standing at max range and poking — if you allow him to reach high passive stacks, his Q gains AoE splash and his overall damage profile scales dramatically, making later trades much harder for you.
- Avoid walking into his E blindly, as the slow can let him reposition and kite you around minions before your Ghouls can connect.
Created on 09/03/2026
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