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By GamGem ResearchLast updated 18 Oct 2026

Shyvana Counters, Build and Runes — Jungle Matchups · Patch 26.20

the Half-Dragon

Patch 26.20 · Stats from the 26.18 Master+ sample (2,170 games).

Shyvana, the Half-Dragon, turns into a dragon with Dragon's Descent, and Scalemail stacks from takedowns harden her defenses. Press the Attack was the clear choice among counted Master+ Shyvanas, and their commonest build stacked Trinity Force, Spear of Shojin, Death's Dance. Talon, Kha'Zix and Sylas were her toughest jungle matchups. She did better against Rengar. Wukong was level with her.

FighterTank

Patch 26.18 · Jungle · Ranked Solo/Duo · Master+ · EUW · KR · NA · 2,170 games · Preview sample

League of LegendsPatch 26.18JungleRanked Solo/DuoMaster+EUW · KR · NA2,170 gamesPreview sample

Role snapshot (Jungle)

CTier

Win Rate: 45.3%
Pick Rate: 3.3%
Ban Rate: 1.7%

2,170

Games

High

Confidence

Most common path

473 games

53.5%Win Rate

Start

Flash

Smite

Other first item

277 games

49.5%Win Rate

Start

Flash

Ignite

Runes

Patch 26.18

This exact page: taken in 19.2% of games·47.1% win rate over 416 games.

Primary

Precision

Press the Attack

Hitting an enemy champion 3 consecutive times deals bonus damage and amplifies your damage until you leave combat with champions.

Triumph

Takedowns restore 5% of your missing health and grant an additional 20 gold.

Legend: Haste

Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Basic Ability Haste.

Last Stand

Deal more damage to champions while you are low on health.

Secondary

Inspiration

Cosmic Insight

+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste

Magical Footwear

You get free boots at 12 min but you cannot buy boots before then. Each takedown you get makes your boots come 45s sooner.

Shards

Attack Speed
Adaptive Force
Health Scaling

Other keystones taken

Conqueror9.5% taken · 44.7% win206 games
Grasp of the Undying4.2% taken · 40.2% win92 games
Stormraider's Surge1.1% taken · 54.2% win24 games

Tree pairs

Precision + Inspiration83.5% taken · 44.9% win1,812 games
Precision + Resolve6.2% taken · 48.5% win134 games
Precision + Domination3.0% taken · 47.0% win66 games

Skill Order

Which ability to max first, and the level each point goes in — Shyvana's most common path.

Emberstrike

Shyvana's next attack strikes both the target and the surrounding area.

Cooldown 10/9/8/7/6s · No cost

Inferno Aegis

Shyvana gains a shield, movement speed, and after a short delay, the area around her detonates.

Cooldown 13/12.25/11.5/10.75/10s · No cost

Molten Burst

Shyvana launches a fireball that explodes upon striking a large target and slows them.

Cooldown 12/11/10/9/8s · No cost

Dragon's Descent

Shyvana transforms into a Dragon and leaps forward causing enemies along her path to flee.

Cooldown 0s · No cost

Max Order

QWE

Max Q first, then W, then E. Take R whenever available (6 / 11 / 16).

Level-up Order

QEmberstrike
WInferno Aegis
EMolten Burst
RDragon's Descent

Ability	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
QEmberstrike	Q			Q	Q		Q		Q
WInferno Aegis			W					W		W		W	W
EMolten Burst		E												E	E		E	E
RDragon's Descent						R					R					R

Matchup map (Jungle)

How Shyvana performs against enemy jungle laners

Levels 1 – 18 · Master+40%60%Shyvana's win rate

≥ 60%Very favorable

55 – 60%Favorable

50 – 55%Even

45 – 50%Unfavorable

40 – 45%Hard

< 40%Very hard

Conditional build matrix

Recommended items by enemy team composition

Master+ · Patch 26.18

Mythic / CoreFirst major item

Core 2Second item

Core 3Third item

BootsBoot slot

SituationalPick as needed

Scaling — minute 10–30

ShyvanaJungle average

Gold

102030

Damage to champions

102030

Counter plan — how to beat Shyvana

Avoid extended fights — its sustain grows with every trade it survives
Build percentage damage — flat penetration falls off against the stats it stacks
Punish the cooldown — Shyvana is exposed while its rotation is down
Ward the flank — vision is what turns its best opening into a worse one
Respect the spike — Riot rates the kit 4/10, so a practised player gets more out of it than the average

Ability details

P
Scalemail
Takedowns on enemy champions, large minions, and large monsters grant Shyvana Scalemail stacks, improving her defenses.
Passive — never cast
Q
Emberstrike
Shyvana's next attack strikes both the target and the surrounding area. This Ability can be recast. While in Dragon Form, it gains an additional recast, dealing massive damage to a single target.
No costCooldown 10/9/8/7/6sRange 25000
W
Inferno Aegis
Shyvana gains a shield, movement speed, and after a short delay, the area around her detonates. While in Dragon Form, the explosion will heal her if it strikes an enemy champion.
No costCooldown 13/12.25/11.5/10.75/10sRange 350
E
Molten Burst
Shyvana launches a fireball that explodes upon striking a large target and slows them. In Dragon Form, it passes through and explodes upon striking large enemies, leaving behind a trail of fire.
No costCooldown 12/11/10/9/8sRange 800
R
Dragon's Descent
Shyvana transforms into a Dragon and leaps forward causing enemies along her path to flee. While in Dragon form she becomes larger and her basic abilities are empowered.
No costCooldown 0sRange 1050

Shyvana balance history

Riot's notes from patch 25.S1.1 to 26.20 change Shyvana in 2 patches. The latest is patch 26.10, published 2026-05-12.

Patch 26.102026-05-12
Base Stats
- Health per level 100to95
WInferno Aegis
- Cooldown13 / 12 / 11 / 10 / 9to13 / 12.25 / 11.5 / 10.75 / 10
- Shield75 / 95 / 115 / 135 / 155 (+12% bonus health)to60 / 80 / 100 / 120 / 140 (+12% bonus health)
Why, in Riot's words
With the introduction of the most recent Shyvana changes, players have been finding success building more health and ability haste. As such, we’re looking to bring a bit of her innate defensive capabilities down to make taking down this dragon a bit more reasonable.
Patch 26.92026-04-28
Base Stats
- Attack Speed0.625to0.638
- Attack Speed Ratio0.69to0.638
- Attack Damage Growth3to4
QEmberstrike
- Passive1% (+ 1.1% per 100 bonus AD) (+ 1.1% per 100 AP) of target's maximum healthto1% (+ 1.1% per 100 bonus AD)
- Hit Reduction1 secondto0.5 seconds
- Area Physical Damage10 / 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 (+ 110% AD) (+ 25% AP)to10 / 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 (+ 110% AD) (+ 30% AP)
- Cooldown ticks in the background if you do not finish the sequence. Cooldown starts ticking at the last activated input in that sequence.
WInferno Aegis
- Cooldown14 / 13.5 / 13 / 12.5 / 12to13 / 12 / 11 / 10 / 9
- Shield60 / 80 / 100 / 120 / 140 (+ 5% max health)to75 / 95 / 115 / 135 / 155 (+12% bonus health)
- Damage80 / 100 / 120 / 140 / 160 (+ 40% bonus AD) (+ 20% AP)to80 / 100 / 120 / 140 / 160 (+ 65% AP)
- Dragon Form Heal75 – 214.71 (based on level) (+ 10% bonus AD) (+ 5% AP), increased by 0% – 100% (based on her missing health) for a maximum heal of 150 – 429.41 (based on level) (+ 20% bonus AD) (+ 10% AP)to60 - 100 + 4-8% missing health (based on level)
- W move speed separate from shield
EMolten Burst
- Cooldown12 / 11.5 / 11 / 10.5 / 10to12 / 11 / 10 / 9 / 8
- Magic Damage80 / 110 / 140 / 170 / 200 (+ 35% bonus AD) (+ 70% AP)to50 / 65 / 80 / 95 / 110 (+ 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80% AP) + 5% Target Max Health
- Subsequent Explosion Damage Against Same Target50%to40%
- Slow20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40%to30%
Why, in Riot's words
With Shyvana having been out for a few patches, we've taken stock of where she's landed and identified two areas to address: broadening bruiser item viability and sharpening the distinction between AD and AP builds.On the bruiser side, we've reduced the emphasis on pure dps items like Kraken Slayer. Adjustments to her base stats, Q and W create more room for Sheen, ability haste, and health to meaningfully contribute to her kit.For build differentiation, AD Shyvana looks to engage in more sustained combat through auto attacks followed by big Q hits, using her W for sustain and sticking power and E for supplementary chase power. AP Shyvana, by contrast, centers damage around R and E, with W existing as a way to weave in and out of combat.

Shyvana skins (9)

Riot's data lists 9 looks for Shyvana with their own art, the base skin included and 17 chroma variants.

ARAM performance

EstimateC

Win Rate: 48.6%; ▲ 0.5%
Pick Rate: 4.2%; ▲ 0.9%
Ban Rate: 7.0%; ▲ 0.5%

Damage dealt: 108.0%
Damage taken: 101.6%
Healing: 90.5%
Shielding: 103.3%
Ability Haste: +15

Best ARAM build

Patch timeline

Riot’s notes

This champion’s win rate on each patch the preview sample spans, over its own games there. What actually changed each patch is in Riot’s own notes.

26.1947.1% over 629 games · small sample+0.7
26.1844.4% over 1,161 games-0.2
26.1745.3% over 369 games · small sample—

Shyvana's base stats against all 173 champions

Stat	Shyvana	Rank	Median
Base health	625	=79th	620
Health per level	95	=151st	104
Base armor	35	=31st	30
Armor per level	4	=157th	4.6
Base magic resist	32	=32nd	32
Magic resist per level	2.05	=4th	1.55
Base attack damage	62	=50th	59
Base attack speed	0.638	=108th	0.656
Attack speed per level	2%	=119th	2.5%
Move speed	350	=2nd	335
Attack range	150	=115th	175

Shyvana at level 1 and level 18

Shyvana reaches 2240 health at level 18 — 625 at level 1 plus 17 × 95, the 22nd-lowest of 173 champions on patch 26.20, shared with 1.
Shyvana reaches 103 armor at level 18 — 35 at level 1 plus 17 × 4, the 62nd-lowest of 173 champions on patch 26.20.
Shyvana reaches 66.85 magic resist at level 18 — 32 at level 1 plus 17 × 2.05, the 5th-highest of 173 champions on patch 26.20, shared with 69.

Stat	Level 1	Per level	Level 18	Rank at 18
Health	625	+95	2240	=151st of 173
Armor	35	+4	103	112th of 173
Magic resist	32	+2.05	66.85	=5th of 173

Riot Data Dragon 16.20.1. Growth curve: League of Legends Wiki — Champion statistic.

Riot's tips for Shyvana

Playing Shyvana

Shyvana's abilities all benefit from attacking units. As a result, Attack Speed items are more valuable on her than most champions.
Flame Breath is great to level-up against difficult lane opponents.
Burnout is an ideal choice for jungling. Monsters will be hit by the full duration, and the speed boost improves her ganking potential.
It can be valuable to purchase one of the items that can slow enemies: Frozen Mallet, Dead Man's Plate, or Entropy.

Playing against Shyvana

A significant portion of Shyvana's power is generated through aggression, making her weak against opponents who are able to keep their distance.
All of Shyvana's basic abilities hit multiple enemies in dragon form. It's important for opposing champions to not cluster while fighting her.
Shyvana's Fury Bar indicate her ultimate can be activated. Harassing her when she's low on Fury can be very effective.

Quick answers about Shyvana

How does Shyvana do against Talon?: Shyvana won 40.9% of 93 counted Master+ games against Talon. Talon is one of the opponents that beat Shyvana. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Shyvana do against Kha'Zix?: Shyvana won 40.7% of 86 counted Master+ games against Kha'Zix. Kha'Zix is one of the opponents that beat Shyvana. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Shyvana do against Sylas?: Shyvana won 41.9% of 86 counted Master+ games against Sylas. Sylas is one of the opponents that beat Shyvana. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Shyvana do against Viego?: Shyvana won 41.5% of 65 counted Master+ games against Viego. Viego is one of the opponents that beat Shyvana. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Shyvana do against Master Yi?: Shyvana won 25.7% of 35 counted Master+ games against Master Yi. Master Yi is one of the opponents that beat Shyvana. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Shyvana do against Graves?: Shyvana won 46.1% of 76 counted Master+ games against Graves. Graves is one of the opponents that beat Shyvana. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Shyvana do against Rengar?: Shyvana won 55.8% of 43 counted Master+ games against Rengar. It is a matchup Shyvana wins more often than not. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Shyvana do against Wukong?: Shyvana won 51.0% of 51 counted Master+ games against Wukong. It is close to even. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
What class is Shyvana?: Riot classes Shyvana as Fighter and Tank. This site files the champion under Jungle.
How hard is Shyvana to play?: Riot rates Shyvana's difficulty 4 out of 10.
What resource does Shyvana use?: Shyvana's abilities cost nothing to cast. Riot's data names Shyvana's bar Fury, but no ability spends it.
What is Shyvana's attack range?: 150 units — the 46th-lowest of 173 champions on patch 26.20 (shared with 13 others).
What are Shyvana's abilities?: Passive — Scalemail, Q — Emberstrike, W — Inferno Aegis, E — Molten Burst and R — Dragon's Descent.
How many skins does Shyvana have?: Riot's data lists 9 skins with their own art, the base look included, plus 17 chroma variants.
How much health does Shyvana have at level 18?: 2240 — 625 at level 1 plus 17 × 95 per level, Riot's own values, before items and runes.
When did Riot last change Shyvana?: Patch 26.10, published 12 May 2026 — the latest of 2 patches that change Shyvana in Riot's notes from 25.S1.1 to 26.20.

Shyvana at a glance

Shyvana, the Half-Dragon, is a Fighter and Tank champion in League of Legends. Riot rates the kit 4/10 for difficulty, 8/10 for attack, 6/10 for defense and 3/10 for magic. Shyvana casts every ability without a cost and has 9 skins with their own art.

Attack8/10
Defense6/10
Magic3/10
Difficulty4/10

Shyvana's story

Shyvana is a fearsome half-dragon warrior. Though she often appears humanoid, she also rules the skies as a dragon, incinerating her foes with fiery breath. Having saved the life of the crown prince Jarvan IV, Shyvana now serves uneasily in his royal guard, struggling to find acceptance among the suspicious people of Demacia.

— Riot Games, Data Dragon 16.20.1. League of Legends Universe

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Methodology

Data window: Preview sample — a one-time snapshot of 65,406 ranked games (Master+, EUW/KR/NA, patch 26.18), counted by GamGem while our Riot production key is under review. Figures will update daily once it is approved. Counted 26–27 Sept 2026; patches 26.18 (35,477) · 26.19 (18,580) · 26.17 (11,048) · 26.16 (293) · 26.15 (8); by server EUW 22,382 · KR 21,922 · NA 21,065 · EUNE 20 · TR 17. 642 games without a result — remakes ended by vote in their first minutes, and games recorded with no winner — were not counted.
Rank aggregation: Master, Grandmaster and Challenger, pooled — the three ladders the count read its players from. Splitting further leaves samples too small to separate a real effect from noise.
Role assignment: A champion is filed under every lane that holds at least a tenth of its counted games — the position the match itself reports, not the champion’s class. Its headline win rate is across all of them; each lane’s own win rate and games are counted too, and a lane’s tier list ranks by them.
Counters: The two champions in the same position on opposite teams, over that pairing’s own counted games — ranked on the edge pulled toward zero by its sample size, printed raw.
Minimum sample: None — no figure is hidden for being thin. Every rate prints its games, and the confidence band is its 95% margin: Very High within ±1.5 points, High ±2.5, Moderate ±3.1 (1,000 games), Low wider.
Why a build is not a cause: An item is counted when the match ENDS with it, so late items show long games and an item bought when already ahead shows games that were being won. Correlation is what a rate can show; it is not evidence that buying the item caused the win.
Where the numbers come from: Names, classes, abilities, items and runes are Riot Data Dragon. Win, pick and ban rates, builds, keystones, spells and matchups are counted by GamGem from Riot's ranked match records. An estimate, not a count: this panel is not in the preview sample, and is labelled so.