S13 Jan 2026 Stat Buffs
Adjusted Skill Damage
Guan Yu
(关羽) D Clash Lane Difficulty
Fighter
Charger Gap-Close/Initiate Balanced Hard
Guan Yu
关羽
D Clash Lane
Difficulty Fighter
Charger Gap-Close/Initiate Balanced Hard
Also known as
Guan Yu's Chinese name is 关羽.
关羽
Guan Yu lore
Looking for Guan Yu's official story, War Saint background, Red Hare, and Shu connections? Read the dedicated Guan Yu Lore Honor of Kings page.
Quick summary
Guan Yu is a struggling Clash Lane Fighter who wants to close distance and snowball off picks. Public guides recommend a build starting with Boots of Fortitude and Sprint.
Current patch decision guide
When to pick Guan Yu, when to avoid them, and how to adapt your build.
Guan Yu is a struggling Clash Lane Fighter who wants to pick off isolated heroes once mobility is online. Public guide data shows a build centered on Boots of Fortitude, Blazing Cape, Frigid Charge, paired with Sprint, used to soak pressure in lane and threaten side objectives. Pick him when the draft lets Guan Yu reach the targets his kit is designed to threaten; avoid when the enemy chains crowd control that stops the engage before damage lands.
Pick Guan Yu when
- The enemy team has carries with limited self-peel that Guan Yu can reach before the team can react
- Your team has the structure to use his ability to soak pressure in lane and threaten side objectives, since Guan Yu delivers a durable front-line presence with steady wave control.
- The enemy draft includes Daji, Mi Yue, and Yixing, who appear in counter data as matchups Guan Yu can pressure.
Avoid Guan Yu when
- The enemy stacks crowd control that interrupts the engage before damage goes out
- Your team needs a mid pick more than Guan Yu's specialty, leaving the role unfilled if you commit here.
- A stronger pick in the same role is open and the matchup does not specifically reward Guan Yu's Gap-Close.
Power spikes
Early game: focus on safe lane phase and tracking jungle pressure before Guan Yu's mid-game tools come online.
Ultimate unlocked: Razor Cavalry converts mobility into burst, the moment Guan Yu starts threatening picks across the map
Late game: cooldowns become short enough that Soaring Green Dragon influences every team fight rather than being a one-shot tool.
Build decisions
Default clash lane path
Public build references for Guan Yu recommend Boots of Fortitude, Blazing Cape, Frigid Charge, Cuirass of Savagery, Longnight Guardian, and Succubus Cloak, with Mutation, Stealth, and Eagle Eye arcana. Run Sprint as the battle spell. Use this as the baseline fighter plan before adapting to the enemy draft.
Situational item pivots
Spare options listed in build data include Sage's Sanctuary, Blood Rage, Frostscar's Embrace, and Eye of the Phoenix. Treat these as situational swaps when the default path is not enough — for example, swapping in defensive items against burst comps or penetration items against stacked armor.
Matchup logic
Versus crowd control
Reliable hard control stops Guan Yu's engage before the combo lands. Bait the most threatening control skill before committing Razor Cavalry, and wait for ally engage to absorb peel.
Role positioning
Guan Yu is a Clash Lane pick whose value depends on a durable front-line presence with steady wave control. Stick to the role plan rather than forcing fights his kit is not designed to win.
Synergies
Public synergy data lists Ming, Sun Bin, and Yaria as strong partners for Guan Yu. Plan engages around Ming's setup window, then second-engage with Razor Cavalry.
Common mistakes
- Engaging without follow-up — gap-close gets you to the target, but a solo dive without ally damage trades 1-for-1.
- Engaging without checking enemy summoner-spell cooldowns, which often decide whether Guan Yu's commit reaches the target alive.
- Forcing solo engages instead of waiting for ally commit — Guan Yu's value compounds when the team follows up on engages.
Background
War Saint
“Once you have chosen your path, you cannot waver.”
Guan Yu possesses a strength of character that fortifies the hearts of his comrades, and a ferocity that shakes the resolve of his enemies. Boasting a sterling record from the start, he never wavers from his resolve to accomplish whatever goals he sets for himself. He values trust and abhorrs betrayal. After getting to know Liu Bei, his philosophy was further strengthened, driving him on in his pursuit of a faithful brother-in-arms. Astride his horse, Red Hare, he'll charge into the battlefield, swiftly beheading enemies right and left.
- Race:
- Human
- Height:
- 191 cm
- Style:
- Martial Arts
- Nation:
- Shu
- Title:
- General of Shu
Source: Official Honor of Kings — canonical lore for Guan Yu.
Base Stats
Source: in-game capture (HoK Global v11.x, 2026-04-20)Survivability
3547
Max HP
150
Phys DEF
75
Mag DEF
53
HP/5s
Offense
176
Phys ATK
200%
Crit DMG
Utility
380
Move Speed
100
Max Mana
Melee
Range
Build
How to choose a build
Start with the safe default badge if the draft looks normal, then swap to burst, anti-tank, sustain, or utility builds when the matchup clearly calls for it.
Full tank
Tanky teamfightBest when your team needs a sturdier front line for repeated engages.
Jungle AD penetration
Anti-tankBest when the enemy team has multiple frontliners or early defense items.
Jungle AD penetration
Anti-tankBest when the enemy team has multiple frontliners or early defense items.
Full AD lethality
Anti-tankBest when the enemy team has multiple frontliners or early defense items.
Presets
Skills
passive Rider of Triumph
'''Normal Stance:''' Moving constantly accumulates a Movement Speed bonus, and reaching a certain distance activates the Charge Stance. '''Charge Stance:''' Enhances the next skill and Basic Attack.
skill1 Heroic Charge
'''Normal Stance:''' Deals damage to enemies within range. '''Charge Stance:''' Charges forward, knocking back enemies in his path while dealing damage.
skill2 Soaring Green Dragon
'''Normal Stance:''' Removes crowd control effects and gains Movement Speed. '''Charge Stance:''' Removes crowd control effects and leaps forward, knocking back enemies within the landing area and dealing damage.
ultimate Razor Cavalry
'''Normal Stance:''' Enhances himself, reducing the movement distance required to enter Charge stance. '''Charge Stance:''' Summons heavy cavalry that dash forward, dealing damage and knocking back enemies in their path.
Skins
5 skins
Horse of Tamed Seas
Frozen Warlord
Mask Spirits
Crimson Rider
Doomsday Knight
Playstyle
Guan Yu leans on Razor Cavalry ('''Normal Stance:''' Enhances himself, reducing the movement distance required to enter Charge stance). Trade in short bursts and disengage before the enemy can collapse on you.
Patch History
S12 Oct 2025 Stat Buffs
Increased Skill Damage
S11 Aug 2025 Mechanics Upgrade
Energy Mechanic Improvements