Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- +Exceptional sustained damage with passive Naginatajutsu procs every 5 seconds, enabling consistent lane pressure
- +High mobility and repositioning with Reverse Slash cooldown reset on hero hits, allowing aggressive engages and clean escapes
- +Built-in sustain through Wrath of Izanagi healing on each hit, enabling extended fights and reduced reliance on supports
Weaknesses
- −Requires close-range combat to maximize damage, making him vulnerable to kiting and ranged burst damage
- −Passive proc dependency means damage output significantly drops if unable to land consistent auto attacks
- −No crowd control in kit except Piercing Slash's short 0.75s stun, limiting team fight initiation and shutdown potential
Abilities
PNaginatajutsu
Every 5 seconds, Ryoma's next auto attack deals bonus physical damage to the target in a line and slows them for 2 seconds. Enemies at the end of the attack take 50% increased damage.
1Reverse Slash
Ryoma leaps backward while slashing forward, dealing physical damage to enemies. If Reverse Slash hits an enemy hero, reduce this ability's cooldown by 3 seconds.
2Piercing Slash
Ryoma unleashes a sword wave in a straight line forward, dealing physical damage to the first target. Subsequent targets take 50% reduced damage. The enemy at the end of the wave is stunned for 0.75 seconds.
RWrath of Izanagi
Ryoma slashes forward 4 times, dealing physical damage with each hit. Each hit that strikes an enemy hero restores health to Ryoma.
Skill Order
Priority: R > Q > W| Skill | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Reverse Slash | 1 | · | 3 | · | 5 | · | 7 | · | 9 | · | · | · | · | · | · |
2Piercing Slash | · | 2 | · | 4 | · | · | · | 8 | · | 10 | · | 12 | · | · | · |
RWrath of Izanagi | · | · | · | · | · | 6 | · | · | · | · | 11 | · | · | · | 15 |
Loadout
Onslaught
Assassinate
Dragon's ClawStandard Build
1
2
3
4
5
6Core Combos
Poke & Reset
1Lead with Reverse Slash into auto attacks. If it hits a hero, the 3s cooldown reset allows immediate re-engagement or repositioning. Use for trading advantages in lane.
Full Combo Execute
2R1Initiate with Piercing Slash to stun the backline target, immediately follow with Wrath of Izanagi for sustained damage and healing, weave auto attacks for passive procs, and use Reverse Slash reset for cleanup or escape.
Kite & Sustain
1RUse Reverse Slash to gap close, Flicker away from danger, auto attack to trigger passive, then use ultimate for sustained healing during extended skirmishes against tanky enemies.
Gameplan
Early Game
Levels 1–6- →Farm consistently while trading with Reverse Slash resets to build early advantage without overcommitting
- →Prioritize hitting enemy heroes with Skill 1 to maintain cooldown resets and control lane spacing
- →Avoid extended fights before first item completion; rely on short trades and passive procs to whittle opponents
Mid Game
Post Broken Spear- →Transition to roaming with your passive damage spike—target backline squishy heroes who can't kite your combo
- →Use Piercing Slash to catch fleeing targets or zone enemies from objectives; the stun duration is crucial for setup
- →Group for team fights but position on the side to maximize Wrath of Izanagi healing against grouped enemies
Late Game
Teamfight phase- →Avoid frontline initiation; wait for enemies to commit before diving their backline with Reverse Slash resets
- →Focus on sustained damage rather than burst—let passive procs and ultimate healing carry fights against durable enemies
- →Use mobility to split push and duel isolated targets; only group for objective fights where your healing adds value
Matchups
Ryoma gets countered by
VioletExtreme range and mobility kite Ryoma's close-range combo while her burst output exceeds his healing in skirmishes
VolkathSuperior sustained damage, crowd control immunity, and health scaling make him a stat check that negates Ryoma's pressure
GrakkChain control and armor scaling make him unkitable for Ryoma while his crowd control disrupts all of Ryoma's combos
Ryoma synergizes with
BrightEnables Ryoma's diving playstyle with crowd control setup while his healing stacks with Ryoma's sustain for unkillable duos
ThaneFrontline initiation frees Ryoma to focus pure damage; Thane's taunt creates guaranteed passive reset windows
AllainEarly game pressure and crowd control setup synergizes with Ryoma's reset mechanics to create dominant mid-game roaming kills
Pro Tips
- →Track your passive timer (5 second cycle); time engages immediately after a proc for guaranteed extended trade windows before next proc availability
- →Reverse Slash reset applies on ANY hero hit—use this to maintain pressure on multiple targets in team fights and reset positioning every 3 seconds with proper spacing
- →Piercing Slash's 50% reduced damage on secondary targets and stun only affects the last target—position to hit priority backline carries directly, not frontline tanks
Ryoma is a high-skill S-tier pick for experienced players seeking aggressive, mobile dueling power with self-sustain. His kit excels against melee-heavy and immobile compositions but struggles into kiting-based teams. Pick when enemies lack ranged pressure and your team enables side-lane dominance.