Across the diverse hero roster of Honor of Kings, 12BSports players can find several characters capable of performing effectively in more than one position. Most heroes have a clearly defined primary role, but certain team compositions and tactical situations allow them to operate in secondary positions as well. Lian Po, for example, can function as a support, tank, or jungler, while Lanling King has occasionally been used as a support instead of his traditional jungle role. These positional adjustments may not always be the ideal choice, but they can become useful strategic tools when a team needs to counter a particular enemy composition.
Yao is a different case. Although he is commonly played either in the jungle or in a side lane, treating him as a flexible swing pick is generally not recommended. Jungle heroes can broadly be divided into carry, semi-carry, and utility-oriented categories depending on how they function within a team. Yao belongs much closer to the carry-jungle group, where heroes are expected to deal enough damage to break through the enemy back line. Lan, Jing, and other high-output assassins fit this category, while heroes such as Zhao Yun, Pangu, and Cao Cao provide a more balanced combination of damage and stability. Utility junglers, meanwhile, sacrifice part of their own economy to teammates in exchange for stronger crowd control, durability, and team support.
Yao’s passive ability allows him to accumulate up to three stacks of energy whenever he uses skills. Once the maximum number of stacks is reached, his basic attack becomes enhanced, restores health, and refreshes his skill availability. His empowered abilities can deal significantly more damage than their standard versions while also gaining unique additional effects. His first skill delivers area damage, while his second skill provides a smooth dash that can pass through allied units. When empowered, the second skill can pull enemies positioned near the end of its movement path. His third skill introduces the Star Dust mechanic, which delays a portion of the damage he receives rather than applying it immediately.
From the perspective of experienced 12BSports players, Yao loses very little when compared with many of the strongest assassin-style junglers. His multiple movement tools and Star Dust mechanic help him reduce the impact of area damage while improving survivability, giving him greater room to recover from positioning mistakes. Although the game officially categorizes him as a fighter, his practical damage potential can reach assassin-like levels when he receives enough resources and executes his enhanced skill combinations correctly.
The current game environment also makes the jungle particularly favorable for Yao. Junglers can rotate rapidly toward the middle lane and confrontation lane, giving them greater access to early resources and opportunities to influence multiple areas of the map. Playing Yao in a side lane may prevent him from interfering with the development of the mid laner and jungler, but it can also leave him struggling to secure enough resources for himself.
Cooldown reduction is especially important because Yao depends heavily on frequent skill usage. To keep his rotations smooth and maintain pressure in extended fights, he needs a reasonable amount of gold and experience. That requirement becomes harder to satisfy when he is placed in a side lane because the current meta often gives priority resources to the mid laner, marksman, and jungler. With three major carry roles already competing for growth, a side-lane Yao can easily find himself short of the resources needed to reach his full potential.
A 12BSports tactical assessment suggests that side-lane Yao can still work when the team uses a utility-focused jungler such as Zhu Bajie. In that kind of lineup, more resources can be redirected toward Yao without disrupting the overall economy. Even then, however, moving Zhu Bajie into a more supportive jungle role while allowing Yao to take the main jungle position may produce better results. Yao is highly capable of reaching the enemy back line, cutting minion waves, and using mobility to create unexpected angles of attack.
His combination of Flash and empowered abilities can make him especially dangerous when targeting fragile back-line opponents. Once he finds the correct opening, he can close distance quickly, deliver a burst of damage, and reposition before the enemy team can respond effectively. The catch is that his performance depends heavily on understanding exactly when to trigger empowered skills. Players who manage energy stacks poorly can lose a large portion of his damage and mobility, creating a noticeable gap between experienced Yao users and beginners.
Side-lane matchups can also expose his weaknesses, particularly during the early stages of a game. Before Yao gains enough levels and equipment, stronger laning heroes can pressure him heavily and force him away from favorable positions. As a melee character, he can struggle to control the lane against powerful duelists such as Lu Bu, who can take control of trades and deny Yao the freedom to build momentum.
The jungle reduces many of those early-game problems. If the middle lane maintains basic vision and control, Yao can avoid early invasions, clear his camps efficiently, and reach Level 4 before looking for opportunities elsewhere on the map. Once his ultimate becomes available, his mobility and burst potential increase significantly, allowing him to dictate the pace of skirmishes rather than simply reacting to lane pressure.
For players studying Yao through 12BSports gameplay discussions, the jungle remains the position where his hybrid fighter-assassin strengths can be used most effectively. He can pressure the back line, cut waves, move rapidly between objectives, and survive situations that would punish more fragile assassins. His side-lane potential should not be ignored, but the need for resources and his weaker early matchups make that role less reliable. When given jungle priority, however, Yao can grow quickly, control the tempo of the map, and make full use of the mobility and empowered skills that define his playstyle.