Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- +Exceptional sustained damage with Blood of the Dragon passive applying to nearby enemies on every auto and skill hit
- +High mobility toolkit with two teleports (W and R) enabling aggressive repositioning and chase potential
- +Strong scaling with AD and ability to output damage in teamfights without needing direct hits
Weaknesses
- −Vulnerable to crowd control due to reliance on positioning and mobility for survival
- −Weak against tanky frontlines that can absorb Shuriken and Kunai damage while closing gaps
- −Dependent on attack speed itemization to maximize passive proc frequency, making early game relatively weak
Abilities
PBlood of the Dragon
Hayate's auto attacks splash onto nearby enemies, dealing 35% AD physical damage (reduced by 50% against monsters, but scales with hero level). When Hayate deals damage with auto attacks or abilities to the same target 6 times, he recovers 40 energy. His next attack on that target within 4s deals bonus true damage of 74(+25% AD).
1Shuriken Toss
Hayate gains 10% movement speed and throws shuriken in a specified direction. Each hit deals 125(+30% AD) physical damage (affected by passive and certain items). Shuriken pierce non-hero enemies and reduce damage by 20% for each pierce (max 40%). Each hit restores 10 energy to Hayate. Hayate throws 5/7/9 times based on attack speed 0%/75%/150%.
2Shadowstep
Hayate instantly teleports to a specified location. Passive: Hayate deals 10% increased damage and gains 10% movement speed when nearby enemy heroes are present.
RKunai Blitz
Hayate teleports to a specified location and throws kunai in all directions. Each hit deals 115(+27% AD) physical damage (affected by passive and certain items). Hayate throws 10/13/16 kunai based on attack speed 0%/75%/150%.
Skill Order
Priority: R > Q > W| Skill | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Shuriken Toss | 1 | · | 3 | · | 5 | · | 7 | · | 9 | · | · | · | 13 | · | · |
2Shadowstep | · | 2 | · | 4 | · | · | · | 8 | · | 10 | · | 12 | · | 14 | · |
RKunai Blitz | · | · | · | · | · | 6 | · | · | · | · | 11 | · | · | · | 15 |
Loadout
Awake
Spirit
Dragon's ClawStandard Build
1
2
3
4
5
6Core Combos
Poke and Kite
11Use during laning phase to harass enemies while maintaining distance. The movement speed from Q allows continuous kiting
All-In Burst
2REngage with W for the 10% damage buff when enemies are nearby, teleport into R range, then chain autos to proc passive multiple times
Chase Execution
R1Use R to initiate chase, Flicker to reposition, auto for passive procs, then Q to maintain movement speed while dealing area damage
Gameplan
Early Game
Levels 1–6- →Farm safely with Q from distance; avoid all-ins until you have attack speed items to maximize passive damage
- →Use W defensively when enemies cluster nearby to gain damage buff and kite potential rather than aggressive engagement
Mid Game
Post Broken Spear- →Position in teamfights to hit multiple enemies with Shuriken pierces and Kunai radius, triggering passive on as many targets as possible
- →Use R to reposition into optimal passive proc angles or to chase fleeing targets; R damage amplifies significantly with AD scaling
Late Game
Teamfight phase- →Stay in backline initially, using Q and passive splash to pressure grouped enemies before committing R teleports
- →Save W and R for repositioning away from threats or to chase isolated targets; abuse mobility advantage over immobile carries
Matchups
Hayate gets countered by
MalochTanky melee who closes gaps faster than Hayate can kite, negating mobility advantage while sustaining through passive splash damage
GrakkHook CC is unavoidable even with two teleports available, and his tankiness survives Hayate's burst damage
ArumStun trap and crowd control completely shut down Hayate's repositioning reliance, enabling easy ganks
Hayate synergizes with
RazProvides aggressive engage and crowd control setup for Hayate to freely position and maximize passive procs on grouped enemies- Supports with CC (Supports like Toro)Immobilize enemies while Hayate repositions with R/W and applies passive damage in safe positions
Pro Tips
- →Blood of the Dragon splash damage applies to non-hero units at 50% effectiveness—prioritize hitting enemy heroes to maximize damage output in skirmishes
- →W's 10% damage bonus only triggers with nearby enemies; intentionally position to have enemies within range before committing to burst combos for the multiplicative benefit
- →Time R usage after enemies use mobility spells; your two teleports (W and R) allow counterplay positioning that locks down chase attempts or escapes
Pick Hayate into teamfight-heavy compositions where sustained area damage and high pick potential create value. His S-tier status stems from exceptional passive scaling with AD and unmatched sustained damage in grouped fights, but struggle against burst CC and sustained tank pressure limits flexibility in draft.