UPDATE · Honor of Kings: World — Alpha recap
Guan Yu

Guan Yu

关羽

C 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.

Current patch decision guide

When to pick Guan Yu, when to avoid them, and how to adapt your build.

Updated 2026-06-04

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, Axe of Torment, Dragon's Rage, 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, Axe of Torment, Dragon's Rage, Overlord's Might, Glacial Buckler, and Master Sword. Use this as the baseline fighter plan before adapting to the enemy draft.

Adaptation rules

Beyond the default path, swap toward defensive items when the enemy carry comes online, and toward penetration when the enemy stacks resistances. Track item timings so Guan Yu stays one tier ahead of the relevant matchup item.

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

Three Kingdoms
“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

Current patch rates

Source: Camp API

Clash Lane

Win rate
48.7%
Pick rate
0.4%
Ban rate
0.1%

Rates are role-specific snapshots from the current Honor of Kings Camp data refresh.

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.

Jungle AD penetration

Safe default

Start here if the draft looks standard and you want the safest all-around setup.

Position 1

Xingling

Jungle Full AD lethality

Burst damage

Best when you can reach squishier targets and convert quick kills.

Position 1

build

Jungle AD penetration

Anti-tank

Best when the enemy team has multiple frontliners or early defense items.

Position 1

Tank support

Tanky teamfight

Best when your team needs a sturdier front line for repeated engages.

Position 5

Jungle AD penetration

Anti-tank

Best when the enemy team has multiple frontliners or early defense items.

Position 1

Jungle Full tank (AD option)

Tanky teamfight

Best when your team needs a sturdier front line for repeated engages.

Position 1

Tank support

Tanky teamfight

Best when your team needs a sturdier front line for repeated engages.

Position 5

Xp

Full tank

Tanky teamfight

Best when your team needs a sturdier front line for repeated engages.

Position 1

Jungle AD penetration

Anti-tank

Best when the enemy team has multiple frontliners or early defense items.

Position 1

Recommended Build

Spells

Sprint

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
Guan Yu skin: Horse of Tamed Seas

Horse of Tamed Seas

Guan Yu skin: Frozen Warlord

Frozen Warlord

Guan Yu skin: Mask Spirits

Mask Spirits

Guan Yu skin: Crimson Rider

Crimson Rider

Guan Yu skin: Doomsday Knight

Doomsday Knight

Playstyle

Bait the enemy crowd-control cooldowns before committing the engage.

Patch History

S13 Jan 2026 Stat Buffs

Adjusted Skill Damage

S12 Oct 2025 Stat Buffs

Increased Skill Damage

S11 Aug 2025 Mechanics Upgrade

Energy Mechanic Improvements

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