Nearly three months sinceLeague of LegendsSeason 2 debuted its Ionia chapter, it finally released its new champion, Yunara. Known as a self-exiled priestess inLeague of Legendslore, Yunara is a Marksman that deals both physical and magic damage in the bottom lane. She can also build a lot of Crit DMG all throughout matches, which could be impactful if she’s played well with the right builds.
AsLeague of Legendsfans learn to play Yunarain the Summoner’s Rift, it’s also interesting to highlight the fact that she is the first new bot laner in over a year, with the last being Smolder. In the last few updates, the MOBA title released two mid laners, Aurora and Mel, and top laner Ambessa, who all brought variety to gameplay. Considering thatLeague of Legendshas been slowing down its champion rollout, it’s a breath of fresh air to have a new Marksman like Yunara after a while.
League of Legends' Yunara Marks the End of the Marksman Drought
Yunara is the first Ionian champion as part ofLeague of Legends' Season 2 storythat takes place in the mystical region. She’s revered as a priestess connected to the Spirit Blossom myth and potentially the next Darkin weapon, which would make her an important figure in Ionia. As a playable Marksman, Yunara flings floating spherical projectiles to deal magic and physical damage to enemies, which also look similar to Syndra’s magical orbs.
As mentioned, Yunara isLeague of Legends' first new Marksman ever since Smolder was released back in January 2024. Because Riot Games changed the pace ofLeague of Legends' champion rollout, it meant that it might take a while before a certain role receives a new champion or two. Plus, considering thatLeague of Legendshas over 100 championsand counting, it would make sense for Riot Games to adjust the release schedule and focus on balancing out existing champions.
Both characters are classified as having level 2 difficulty, but they also have different attack approaches. While Yunara focuses a lot on building up Attack Speed and Critical Strike Chance while maintaining precision,League of Legends' Smolderfocuses on sending accurate shots and amplifying the burning effects of his fireballs.
Based on a number of gaming strategy sites likeMobalytics, Smolder is an A-tier champion with the right builds. Yunara’s rating is still quite unreliable as of writing, especially considering that she was just officially released on July 16, but she does show a lot of promise as a bot laner.
The Best Way to Play Yunara in League of Legends
Just like mostLeague of LegendsADCs, Yunara relies on attack speed, especially since she has skill effects that grant her bonus speed. So, equipping items, like Berserker’s Greaves and Guinsoo’s Rageblade, that help ramp up this stat would greatly benefit both her movement and projectiles.
It’s equally important to give Yunara more AD and Crit items to complement her abilities: Vow of the First Lands (passive), which deals 10% bonus magic damage for every critical strike; and Cultivation of Spirit (Q), which significantly buffs her basic attacks. Players should prioritize building items like Runaan’s Hurricane and Bloodthirster to make her a strong offensive unit. Of course, Yunara’s builds can still depend on the preferences of players and the needs of the match they’re in. They could also look atLeague of Legends' best bot lanersto see if they could replicate the same builds to strengthen Yunara.
