Soko's Yamato V3

Generally L-R
Rush TP or VW if you stomped lane.

Boundless at ~18k OR Colossus/Phantom Strike

Mostly defensive items best suited for Yamato
All situational, check annotations for help.

Read the annotations
Basic Yamato guide further down.

Yamato thrives when ahead
Goal is to hold sidelane and scale
Clearing waves is always better than camps
Push a wave, walk through a veil for stealth/speed, then clear camps or take enemy farm on the way back
Look for 1v1s vs enemy carries in sidelanes to stop their scaling, but don’t overcommit if you can’t secure a kill after spending resources
If you can’t attend a fight, shove waves aggressively and invade for farm
Yamato isn’t a splitpusher, but invading jungle keeps you ahead
Golden Statue buffs carry you late game
Prioritize Sinner’s Sacrifices and secure statues while rotating.

Yamato functions as a disabler and anti-carry
In teamfights, use Flying Strike or Phantom Strike to dive the backline and pressure enemy gun carries
Avoid targeting heroes with high mobility since Yamato has limited CC in her kit
Your ultimate is extremely powerful and fight-turning
Aim it at their strongest player to swing engagements
If you get dove, retreat back to your team
Yamato is all-in, but don’t overextend too deep
Also, avoid being a “lane janitor” if your team is losing fights due to your absence.

Adapt build to game state
If enemies stack spirit resists, build shred
If you’re getting bursted, build flat HP
If you’re being heavily CC’d, pick up Reactive Barrier and Counterspell
Against Spellbreaker, break it first with Spirit Snatch or Mystic Shot before committing Powerslash
If your team is all spirit damage and you need to pivot into melee, follow Deathy’s Melee Express Shot Yamato 275178.