HoK Yixing Build, Items, Arcanas, and Counters

As Honor of Kings’ newest mid lane mage, Yixing brings an interesting mix of control and damage to the battlefield. After spending time with this hero, I want to share my thoughts on how to build him effectively and when to pick him in the current meta. This guide includes everything from the best Yixing build in HoK to heroes that counter him.

HoK Yixing Build and Items

The current meta has been dominated by mobile assassins and sticky warriors, which makes building Yixing particularly tricky. From my games, I’ve found two main approaches that can work depending on your team composition and what you’re up against.

Build Path 1: Raw Damage Focus

Scepter of Reverberation	Savant’s Wrath	Mask of Agony	Void Staff	Insatiable Tome	Boots of Tranquility

This build path focuses on maximizing Yixing’s damage output. From my experience, it works best when your team already has good crowd control and you’re facing squishier enemies. I was surprised to find that this build performed better against squishy compositions than tank-heavy teams, which isn’t typically what you’d expect from a raw damage build.

You’ll want to choose this build when:

• Your team has reliable CC from other sources
• The enemy team lacks heavy dive potential
• You’re facing a composition with a healer instead of a tank
• You need to punish overextended enemies quickly

Build Path 2: Control and Sustainability

Frozen Breath	Scepter of Reverberation	Mask of Agony	Void Staff	Insatiable Tome	Boots of Tranquility

This second build trades some raw damage for better survival and control options. The higher CDR lets you cast abilities more frequently, which can be crucial when facing multiple tanks or needing to kite away from threats. While you won’t burst enemies as quickly, you’ll have more consistent damage output and better staying power in extended fights.

HoK Yixing Arcana Choices

For your arcana setup, I’ve tested two main configurations:

Arcana Path 1:

10x Nightmare	10x Hunt	10x Mind’s Eye

This setup maximizes your damage output and works well with the burst-focused build path.

Arcana Path 2:

10x Nightmare	10x Harmony	10x Mind’s Eye

The second configuration trades some damage for better sustainability, which pairs nicely with the control-focused build.

Honor of Kings Yixing Counters

Nezha	Dun	Lian Po	Xiao Qiao

• Lane Matchups: In the laning phase, Yixing’s decent attack range makes farming relatively safe. However, wave clear is where you might struggle compared to current meta picks. Heroes like Milady, Xiao Qiao, and Angela can clear waves significantly faster, which gives them more opportunities to roam and impact other lanes.
• Composition Counters: Yixing currently struggles most against heavy dive compositions, particularly against heroes who can stick to their targets. Some particularly challenging matchups include:
  • Ne Zha: Can easily close the gap and lock you down
  • Dun: Difficult to escape once he gets close
  • Lian Po: Tanky and persistent in chase
  • Biron: His sustain makes him hard to deal with

These matchups are challenging because once these heroes get close, Yixing’s lack of reliable escape mechanisms becomes apparent. Your positioning needs to be nearly perfect to succeed.

Yixing shines brightest in poke-oriented team compositions that allow him to play to his strengths. He excels when he can maintain a safe distance from threats while utilizing his superior range to harass enemies.

His ability to apply consistent crowd control from afar makes him particularly effective at controlling objectives and supporting team fights from the backline. This playstyle allows him to contribute meaningful damage and utility without putting himself at risk of being caught out of position.

While Yixing might not be at the top of the current meta, he can still be effective in the right situations. Success with him requires careful consideration of both team compositions and excellent positioning. His strength lies in controlling space and providing consistent damage rather than the burst potential that some other mid laners offer.

Keep in mind that it’s still early in Yixing’s release, and players are still discovering optimal ways to play him. As the meta evolves and players gain more experience, we might see new builds and strategies emerge that better utilize his unique kit.