Cho'Gath vs Yone Matchup Guide

Cho'Gath

Top Lane Tank/Mage

The Terror of the Void - tanky control mage with AoE CC and true damage execute

Yone

Mid/Top Skirmisher

Hybrid-damage skirmisher who stacks crit through passive, engages with Soul Unbound trades, and scales into a late-game teamfight carry through Fate Sealed knockups

VerdictSkill matchup EarlyCho'Gath Favored MidSkill Matchup LateSkill Matchup Updated Jul 10, 2026 · Patch 26.13

Champ Select Cheat Sheet — Cho'Gath vs Yone

Runes

Hail of Blades (Domination) with Cheap Shot, Grisly Mementos, and Relentless Hunter for roam speed

Secondary: Sorcery secondary: Nimbus Cloak and Waterwalking

Summoners

Flash + Ghost

Start

Doran's Ring + 2x Health Potion

Core Build

Plated Steelcaps

Rod of Ages

Frozen Heart

Zhonya's Hourglass

Trade Pattern

Q > W > AA > E > disengage

End the trade after 2-3 E autos; Yone E will snap him back anyway, so maximize damage during the silence window.

Danger Levels

Respect Yone at level 11

First Back

Plated Steelcaps

Ideal Back (1100g+)

Matchup Dynamics

How This Matchup Works

Cho'Gath dictates early lane pace against a Yone who needs items to function. The AP path (HoB, Q priority) punishes weak levels with burst during E downtime; the Tank path grinds through short trades but struggles once Yone hits two items. Predict Q3 with Rupture - drop Q where Yone will land, not where he stands. W the instant he E's forward to silence his combo and force a wasted snap-back. Soul Unbound starts at 22 seconds rank 1; every missed trade costs Yone an entire wave cycle. The matchup turns at the two-item spike when passive doubles crit to 100% - before that window, Cho'Gath sets the terms.

Early Game (1-5)

Cho'Gath Favored - Yone is weak pre-items; take short trades with Q > W, punish every E with silence, and deny Q3 setups with Rupture placement.

Mid Game (6-11)

Skill Matchup - Yone's two-item 100% crit spike is the strongest in the game at this timing; Cho'Gath CC disrupts the pattern but item parity decides fights.

Late Game (12+)

Skill Matchup - Cho'Gath CC and Feast objective control versus Yone's teamfight carry potential through Fate Sealed flanks; team composition tilts the outcome.

Key Interactions

Q – Rupture to deny Yone Q3: Drop Q where Yone's Q3 dash will land, not where he currently stands; the knockup denies his engage before the sweep connects and wastes his stacked cooldown.
W – Feral Scream on Soul Unbound entry: Silence Yone the instant he E's forward; without abilities he cannot Q3, cannot W for shield, and snaps back having dealt minimal damage on a 22-second cooldown.
Punish the 22-second E window: Soul Unbound rank 1 has a 22-second cooldown; after a failed E trade, walk forward for free Q > W > E autos with zero risk of retaliation for the next 15+ seconds.
R – Feast on snap-back position: Yone's E return point is visible and fixed; if he snaps back low, Flash > R on the marked origin for a confirmed execute he cannot dodge.

Cho'Gath

Strengths

Q range outreaches all of Yone's non-E engage tools; safe poke without commitment
W silence shuts down the entire E trade pattern and forces an empty snap-back
Feast grants permanent HP scaling that eventually absorbs Yone's burst rotation
Superior objective control; R plus Smite secures neutral objectives through any contest
Teamfight CC through AoE knock-up and silence disrupts Yone's linear engage paths

Weaknesses

Loses extended fights once Yone reaches BotRK plus Infinity Edge (100% crit)
No mobility; Yone E > Q3 > R chain covers distance Cho'Gath cannot escape without Flash
Q wind-up is predictable without W silence to lock the target in the zone
Mana-gated early if using Q and W for trading instead of farming
Tank path rated Medium-Hard; Grasp short trades fall off hard against Yone's scaling

Yone

Strengths

100% crit at two items through passive; strongest two-item power spike in the game
Soul Unbound trades offer safe damage with a guaranteed escape via snap-back
Hybrid physical and magic damage prevents Cho'Gath from stacking a single resist
Fate Sealed engage creates teamfight wins from flanks regardless of laning result
Scales into a sidelane duelist who can match most champions in long lanes after BotRK

Weaknesses

Weaker than most champions early; easily punished by Cho'Gath's trading pattern
Missing Q3 during Soul Unbound wastes the trade and exposes a 22-second vulnerability
E approach is linear and predictable; Cho'Gath Q placed on the dash path punishes every entry
Silence from W denies the entire combo chain and leaves Yone in melee range with no abilities
Feast or famine; falling behind early against Cho'Gath's CC delays the two-item spike significantly

Power Curve Comparison EXPERIMENTAL

Power Curve Visualization

Win Conditions

Cho'Gath's Win Condition

Punish Yone's weak early game; take short trades with Q > W and zone him off CS before his first item
Predict Q3 with Rupture placement; denying the knockup wastes Yone's primary engage tool
Silence with W the instant Yone presses E; an empty Soul Unbound trade costs him 22 seconds of lane pressure
Hold R for neutral objectives or confirmed kills; Yone's snap-back makes optimistic Feast attempts whiff
Group for teamfights where AoE CC disrupts Yone's linear engage; silence his R follow-up to deny the combo chain

Yone's Win Condition

Stack Q3 before pressing E; entering Soul Unbound without the knockup ready wastes the entire trade window
Rush Berserker's Greaves on first back for 1100g; attack speed accelerates Q stacking and improves every trade
Respect Cho'Gath Q placement during E dashes; getting knocked up mid-dash wastes the snap-back timer on CC
Hit the BotRK plus IE two-item spike to unlock 100% crit; this is the point where Yone can force extended fights
Sidelane with items complete; duel most champions in long lanes where E range and sustained DPS dominate

Laning Phase Guide

Level/Phase	Cho'Gath	Yone
Level 1	Start Q – Rupture; Yone level 1 is among the weakest in the game. Q poke at range forces him off CS with no real answer. Ward pixel brush at 2:30.	Start Q – Mortal Steel; farm passively and begin stacking toward Q3. Do not trade into Cho'Gath's Q range; level 1 has no tools to answer poke.
Level 2	Take W – Feral Scream; Q at range when Yone walks up for CS, follow with W if he steps forward. Yone has no trade pattern without E yet.	Take W – Spirit Cleave; the shield helps absorb Q poke. Still no E for real trades; farm and sustain through Doran's Blade lifesteal.
Level 3	Take E – Vorpal Spikes; Yone's E is now online but starts at 22s cooldown. If he E's in, W immediately to silence, Q his landing point, and auto with E. Punish the 22-second window after every failed trade.	Full kit online; E > Q3 knockup is the core trade pattern. Missing Q3 during E wastes the entire window and exposes 22 seconds of vulnerability. Only commit with Q3 stacked.
Level 4-5	AP: 3 points in Q by level 5 gives strong poke damage. Continue denying Q3 setups by placing Rupture on the dash path. Zone Yone off CS during E cooldown windows.	Farm toward 1100g for Berserker's Greaves; avoid forced trades until E cooldown drops with rank. Each Q stack cycle is a window Cho'Gath can read and counter.
Level 6	R – Feast unlocks execute and objective control; confirm kills only after landing Q > W. Yone R is dangerous with jungle ganks but weak without setup items.	R – Fate Sealed adds AoE knockup engage; the combo with jungle is strong. Still weaker than most in pure 1v1 without BotRK components. Use R defensively if ganked.
Level 7-8	AP: start W max for longer silence duration after 3 points in Q. The extended silence window shuts down more of Yone's combo during E trades. Tank: E max provides DPS in short trades.	Building toward BotRK components; each piece of attack speed and lifesteal improves the 1v1. Vampiric Scepter sustain helps survive Q poke through the mid levels.
Level 9	AP: W max completes; silence duration increase denies longer combo windows during every E trade. Rotate for objectives with R available. Tank: E max improves short trade output.	BotRK complete or close; the first item spike changes the 1v1 dynamic. Lifesteal plus percentage HP damage lets Yone sustain through Cho'Gath poke and fight extended.

Power Spikes

Level Spikes

Cho'Gath		Yone
Level	Description	Level	Description
2	Minor W – Feral Scream unlocks Q > W punish; silence denies Yone's ability usage before E is even available	3	Minor Full kit online; E > Q3 trade pattern activates but 22-second E cooldown limits frequency
6	Major R – Feast adds execute threat, objective control, and HP scaling that absorbs Yone's pre-item damage	6	Minor Fate Sealed adds engage and gank setup; still needs items to threaten solo kills
9	Major AP: W max extends silence duration to shut down longer combos; Tank: E max improves short trade DPS	11	Major R2 plus reduced E cooldown from ranks; trading windows open more frequently as the game progresses
11	Major R2 lowers Feast cooldown; more HP stacks and more objective control windows before Yone's scaling takes over

Item Spikes

Cho'Gath		Yone
Item	Description	Item	Description
Plated Steelcaps	Auto-attack damage reduction directly counters Yone's basic-attack-heavy kit; strong first or second back	Blade of the Ruined King	Always first item; lifesteal, attack speed, and percentage HP damage counter Feast HP stacking
Frozen Heart	Attack speed reduction guts Yone's Q stacking speed and auto DPS; armor plus ability haste in one slot	Infinity Edge	Second item grants 100% crit through passive; the strongest two-item spike in the game
Zhonya's Hourglass	AP path: stasis denies Fate Sealed follow-up and buys time for cooldowns during Yone's burst window	Berserker's Greaves (1100g)	First-back rush; attack speed accelerates Q stacking and improves every trade pattern
Rod of Ages	AP Tank core; stacking HP, AP, and mana provide the scaling to match Yone's item progression	Immortal Shieldbow	Third item survivability; the shield absorbs burst that would otherwise let Cho'Gath confirm Feast
Randuin's Omen	Crit damage reduction directly answers Yone's 100% crit at two items; stacks with Frozen Heart

Best Build for Cho'Gath

Starting Items

Doran's Ring + 2x Health Potion

Core Items

Plated Steelcaps → Rod of Ages → Frozen Heart → Zhonya's Hourglass

Runes

Primary: Hail of Blades (Domination) with Cheap Shot, Grisly Mementos, and Relentless Hunter for roam speed

Secondary: Sorcery secondary: Nimbus Cloak and Waterwalking

Summoner Spells

Flash + Ghost

Priority Build Path

Plated Steelcaps

Auto-attack damage reduction directly counters Yone's basic-attack kit; buy on first or second recall

Rod of Ages

AP Tank core; stacking HP, AP, and mana match Yone's gradual item scaling curve

Frozen Heart

Attack speed reduction guts Yone's Q stacking and auto DPS; the single best defensive item in this matchup

Zhonya's Hourglass

Stasis denies Fate Sealed burst and prevents Yone from confirming kills during his E window

Situational Adjustments

Randuin's Omen: Yone reaches 100% crit at two items; crit damage reduction stacks with Frozen Heart's attack speed slow
Hextech Rocketbelt: Roam'Gath full AP vs squishy enemy team; only when snowballing the early lead, not from behind
Kaenic Rookern: Heavy AP elsewhere on the enemy team; MR shield blocks burst from Yone's magic damage portion and allies
Hollow Radiance: Tank path vs mixed damage; AoE burn helps wave clear and adds passive DPS in extended fights

Key Patterns

Lethal Combos

Cho'Gath Full Combo (Level 6+):

Q > W > AA > E > R

Land Q first to lock Yone in place; W immediately to silence and prevent E escape. Only R when the execute indicator confirms the kill.

Yone Escape/Counter Combo:

E > Q3 > AA > W > R

Stack Q3 before pressing E; knockup into autos and

Spirit Cleave shield, finish with

Fate Sealed if needed. Snap-back covers the exit.

Trading Combos

Cho'Gath Short Trade:

Q > W > AA > E > disengage

End the trade after 2-3 E autos; Yone E will snap him back anyway, so maximize damage during the silence window.

Yone Quick Trade:

E > Q3 > W > snap back

E forward with Q3 ready, knockup into

Spirit Cleave shield, snap back before Cho'Gath retaliates. Missing Q3 during E wastes the entire trade.

Lethal Thresholds

Cho'Gath Kill Range: Feast execute confirms below 25-30% HP after Q > W > E rotation; do not R without the indicator against a champion who can E away.
Yone Kill Range: BotRK plus IE kills from roughly 40-50% HP through the E > Q3 > autos > R sequence; 100% crit at two items makes every auto count.
Critical Levels: Yone two-item spike (BotRK + IE) grants 100% crit through passive; Cho'Gath needs Frozen Heart completed by this point or loses every extended fight.

Level by Level Game Plan

Level	Primary Goal	Lane Position	Trading Opportunities	Kill Windows	Setup Opportunities
1	free Q poke on weak Yone	hold outside Yone Q range; he has no gap closer	Q poke at range every time Yone commits to a last-hit	none without jungle	ward pixel brush 2:30
2	unlock silence punish	keep wave between tower and river	Q > W if Yone steps up; he cannot trade back without E	only with jungle gank	thin wave to 6-8 minions
3	deny E trades with silence	stay near tower; watch for Q3 stacking animation	W the instant Yone presses E; Q his landing point during silence	possible if Yone E's into Q > W > E and is low	track Yone Q3 stacks visually; Q ready when third stack charges
4-5	3 points Q (AP); zone off CS during E CD	push advantage during 22-second E cooldown windows	Q poke freely when E is down; short trade with full rotation if he walks up	medium if Yone wastes E and eats a full Q > W > E rotation	prep crash for first recall
6	R for confirmed kills or objectives only	respect Fate Sealed range; do not clump with minions	Q > W > E short trade; hold R for execute confirmation	high if Q lands on a low-HP Yone after failed E trade	stack R on cannon if no objective or kill is available
7-8	AP: start W max; Tank: continue E max	match wave state; do not let Yone free-farm toward BotRK	extended silence from W max denies longer combo windows	medium with jungle rotations; Yone still pre-BotRK	rotate for Herald or Dragon when R is available
9+	deny or delay Yone two-item spike	contest CS and plates; every denied gold delays the 100% crit window	Q picks at choke points; W silence punishes any forward positioning	Q land into full rotation plus R on any target below 30%	group with team for objective fights; Feast secures neutrals
Mid Game (11-16)	CC Yone's engage; play for team	avoid isolated sidelane vs BotRK + IE Yone; group or rotate with numbers	front-to-back with AoE CC; silence Yone during E trades	R execute on carries or Yone caught without E	vision around objectives; force fights in chokes where Q covers the width
Late Game (16+)	objective control with R	Baron and Dragon pits where Feast secures neutrals	zone with Q; silence Yone mid-Fate Sealed to deny the follow-up chain	any Q into R confirm on a carry; Yone without E is a free target	deny vision near objectives; body-block with Feast HP

First Back Goals

Ideal Back (1100g+)

Plated Steelcaps
Control Ward (75g)

Crash cannon wave; Steelcaps reduce Yone's auto-attack damage and improve every trade from this point forward

Behind Back (600-900g)

Boots (300g)
Cloth Armor (300g) or Amplifying Tome (435g)

Base on bounce rather than risking an E > Q3 > R all-in; finish Steelcaps on second back

Teamfight Tips

Aspect	Cho'Gath	Yone
Primary Role	Frontline zone control with AoE CC; silence Yone during Fate Sealed follow-up to deny the combo chain	Flanking carry who opens with E > R for multi-target knockups; snaps back to safety after burst
Target Priority	ADC or fed carry Yone during E when his return point is predictable Jungler near contested objective	Backline carries with E > Q3 > R knockup chain Cho'Gath if isolated in sidelane without team Whoever is grouped for multi-hit Fate Sealed
Objective Control	R – Feast secures neutrals through any contest; arrive early and zone with Q Force fights in tight spaces where Q and W cover the entire passage width	Split opposite side of objective to pull Cho'Gath from the pit; Feast absence wins the Smite fight Flank with E > R into the pit to displace the entire team off the objective
Positioning	Fight in choke points and jungle entrances where Q hits reliably on grouped targets Body-block with Feast HP; size advantage absorbs Yone's E entry skillshots for carries	Flank from angles where Fate Sealed hits multiple targets before Cho'Gath can silence E from a safe position; snap back if silenced mid-trade to avoid being locked in melee range
Other Tips	Save W to silence Yone mid-Fate Sealed animation; denying the R follow-up chain prevents the team-wipe combo Place Q on Yone's visible E origin point; a low-HP snap-back into Rupture sets up a confirmed Feast	E from fog of war for maximum surprise; Cho'Gath cannot silence what he does not see coming Time all-ins for when Cho'Gath Q and W are both on cooldown; the silence window is the real threat, not the damage

Common Mistakes in the Matchup +

Cho'Gath Players

Chasing Yone during Soul Unbound

Yone's E snaps him back to the origin; chasing forward wastes cooldowns and positioning. Punish the snap-back point instead of following the shadow.

Holding Q for reactive use only

Cho'Gath Q should be placed predictively where Yone's Q3 will land, not reactively after the knockup connects. Read the stacking animation and pre-place.

Fighting extended after Yone's two-item spike

100% crit at BotRK plus IE means every auto hits hard; short trade with Q > W > E then disengage. Extended fights favor Yone's sustained DPS.

Yone Players

Pressing E without Q3 ready

Soul Unbound without Q3 stacked has no knockup threat; Cho'Gath can freely trade back during a toothless E window. Stack Q3 first, then E.

Trading early before items

Yone is weaker than most champions pre-items and has no answer to Cho'Gath's Q > W poke pattern. Farm for BotRK components rather than forcing fights.

Predictable E angles into Rupture

E dashing on the same angle every trade lets Cho'Gath pre-place Q on the path. Vary approach angles or wait until Q is on cooldown before committing E.

Tips and Tricks +

For Cho'Gath

Drop Q where Yone's Q3 dash will land, not where he currently stands; the knockup denies his engage before it connects
W the instant Yone presses E; silence prevents Q3, W shield, and the entire combo, forcing a wasted 22-second cooldown
Track E cooldown (22s rank 1, dropping with ranks); every second it's down is a safe window for free Q > W > E trades
Hold R for objectives or confirmed kills; Yone's E snap-back makes premature Feast attempts whiff the execute threshold

For Yone

Stack Q3 before pressing E; entering Soul Unbound without the knockup ready wastes the entire trade window and 22 seconds of pressure
First back at 1100g for Berserker's Greaves; attack speed accelerates Q stacking and improves every trade from this point
Respect Cho'Gath Q during E dashes; getting knocked up mid-Soul Unbound wastes the snap-back timer on CC lockdown
Two-item spike (BotRK + IE) grants 100% crit through passive; this is the inflection point to force extended fights and take over the lane

Frequently Asked Questions +

Who wins Cho'Gath vs Yone?

Cho'Gath controls early trades while Yone needs items to function. Sakuritou rates it Easy-Medium on AP and Medium-Hard on Tank. The win condition is predicting Yone's Q3 knockup with Rupture and punishing his 22-second E cooldown. After two items Yone hits 100% crit through passive and the lane becomes a skill check on both sides.

What runes should Cho'Gath take against Yone?

Hail of Blades for AP (burst during E cooldown windows before Yone snaps back) or Grasp of the Undying for Tank (sustained short trades that whittle him down). Sakuritou runs HoB primary from Domination with Cheap Shot, Grisly Mementos, and Relentless Hunter, plus Sorcery secondary with Nimbus Cloak and Waterwalking.

What should Cho'Gath build against Yone?

AP: Rod of Ages into Frozen Heart and Zhonya's Hourglass. Tank: Plated Steelcaps into Frozen Heart and Randuin's Omen to gut Yone's auto-attack and crit scaling. Both paths benefit from Frozen Heart's attack speed reduction against a champion built entirely around basic attacks.

Cho'Gath vs Yone Matchup Guide

Cho'Gath

Yone

◆Champ Select Cheat Sheet — Cho'Gath vs Yone

Matchup Dynamics

How This Matchup Works

Early Game (1-5)

Mid Game (6-11)

Late Game (12+)

Key Interactions

Cho'Gath

Strengths

Weaknesses

Yone

Strengths

Weaknesses

Power Curve Comparison EXPERIMENTAL

Power Curve Visualization

Win Conditions

Cho'Gath's Win Condition

Yone's Win Condition

Laning Phase Guide

Power Spikes

Level Spikes

Item Spikes

Best Build for Cho'Gath

Starting Items

Core Items

Runes

Summoner Spells

Priority Build Path

Situational Adjustments

Key Patterns

Lethal Combos

Trading Combos

Lethal Thresholds

Level by Level Game Plan

First Back Goals

Ideal Back (1100g+)

Behind Back (600-900g)

Teamfight Tips

Common Mistakes in the Matchup +

Tips and Tricks +

Frequently Asked Questions +

Related Matchups

More Cho'Gath matchups

Other guides vs Yone

Champ Select Cheat Sheet — Cho'Gath vs Yone