Illaoi Master Guide: Complete Champion Strategy and Build Path

Illaoi Master Guide: Complete Champion Strategy and Build Path

By Marcus Chen

February 26, 2025 at 06:06 AM

Illaoi is a formidable toplaner known for her exceptional dueling power and split-pushing capabilities. She excels in situations where enemies engage directly, potentially winning 1v3 or even 1v4 scenarios under the right conditions.

Illaoi

Illaoi

Core Strengths:

  • Powerful lane bully
  • Strong split pusher
  • Excellent at punishing enemy engages
  • Dominant mid-game with small leads

Core Weaknesses:

  • Limited range
  • Struggles in team fights
  • Highly position-dependent
  • Vulnerable to kiting

Skill Order Priority The optimal skill order depends on matchup:

  • E max: Better for melee matchups where E is consistently landable
  • Q max: Preferred against ranged champions or highly mobile opponents (e.g., Gwen)

Item Build Path Starting Items:

  • Doran's Blade
  • Health Potion

Core Items:

  • Divine Sunderer/Trinity Force
  • Death's Dance
  • Black Cleaver

Situational Items:

  • Sterak's Gage
  • Spirit Visage
  • Maw of Malmortius
  • Guardian Angel

Build Strategy: Focus on items that provide both AD and survivability. Early damage items maximize healing potential through abilities, while later tank items help with teamfight survival.

Playstyle Guide

  1. Early Game:

    • Focus on wave control
    • Use tentacles for zone control
    • Harass with E when safe
  2. Mid Game:

    • Split push aggressively
    • Set up tentacle zones
    • Look for picks with E-R combo
  3. Late Game:

    • Continue split pushing
    • Join team for objective control
    • Zone enemies from objectives with tentacle setups

The key to mastering Illaoi is understanding positioning and tentacle management. Success comes from forcing enemies to fight in your pre-prepared zones while avoiding extended fights where you lack tentacle support.

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