Honor Of Kings Sima Yi Build: Items, Counters, And Arcana
Discover the best builds, arcana, and strategies for Sima Yi in Honor of Kings. Learn how to dominate mid and jungle with this powerful assassin.
Sima Yi is a high-burst assassin mage in Honor of Kings, capable of excelling in both mid-lane and jungle roles. His ability to quickly burst down enemy carries makes him a formidable threat on the battlefield.
This guide will cover Sima Yi’s abilities, optimal builds, arcana choices, and effective playstyles to help you master this shadowy assassin.
Sima Yi Abilities
| Ability Name | Description |
| Quiet Whispers (Passive) | Gains vision of heroes that just used a skill within a range of 2,000. |
| Shadow Stings | Gains immunity and controls an untargetable spirit, damaging enemies it touches. When the skill ends, using other skills or Basic Attacks will teleport self to the spirit’s location. |
| Barren Lands | Damages and silences enemies around him. After a short delay, if he is still in the area, he recovers Energy. |
| Death Descends | After a brief delay, charges towards the target location, dealing damage to enemies near the destination and lesser damage to enemies in his path. |
Fun Fact: Paine is Sima Yi’s AoV Counterpart.
Sima Yi Best Build in HoK
Best Items:
Mid Lane Build:
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Boots of Resistance | Insatiable Tome | Breakthrough Robe | Staves of Sorcery | Savant’s Wrath | Void Staff |
Jungle Build:
 | | | | | |
| Runeblade | Boots of Arcane/Resistance | Insatiable Tome | Breakthrough Robe | Staves of Sorcery | Savant’s Wrath |
Best Arcana:
 |  |  |
| Nightmare | Hunt | Mind’s Eye |
How to Play Sima Yi in HoK
- Early Game: In the early game, Sima Yi should focus on farming and reaching level 4 as quickly as possible. His passive ability, Quiet Whispers, provides valuable information about enemy skill usage, allowing him to play cautiously and avoid ganks. When playing mid, use Shadow Stings to harass enemies and clear minion waves efficiently. In the jungle, prioritize clearing camps and look for gank opportunities when Death Descends becomes available.
- Mid-Game: As Sima Yi enters the mid-game, his assassination potential skyrockets. Look for opportunities to roam and help teammates, gathering assists and defeats to increase your energy limit. When engaging in team fights, position yourself behind your teammates initially. Use Shadow Stings to enter the battle when your team has the advantage, followed by Barren Lands and basic attacks. If enemies try to escape, use Death Descends to catch up and secure kills.
- Late Game: In the late game, Sima Yi excels at picking off isolated targets and disrupting enemy formations. Before entering team fights, ensure all skills are ready to avoid being caught in a vulnerable position. Initiate with the 3-2-basic attack combo for high-risk, high-reward engagements, or use skill 1 to escape if faced with heavy crowd control. Remember that Death Descends can be interrupted by CC, so time its usage carefully.
Effective Combos:
- 3 – Basic Attack – 2 – Basic Attack – 1 – Basic Attack
- 1 – 2 – Basic Attack – 3
- 3 – 2 – Basic Attack – 1
Sima Yi Counters
Sima Yi can struggle against heroes with strong crowd-control abilities. Liang, Fuzi, and Donghuang are particularly effective counters. To mitigate their impact, focus on proper positioning and timing of your skills. Use Shadow Stings to escape CC-heavy situations rather than engaging directly.
Summary Table
 | Details |
| Roles | Mid, Jungle |
| Strengths | High burst damage, Backline access |
| Weaknesses | Vulnerable to CC, Skill-reliant |
| Core Items | Insatiable Tome, Breakthrough Robe, Staves of Sorcery |
| Best Targets | Immobile carries (e.g., Luban No. 7) |
| Counters | Liang, Fuzi, Donghuang |
