Illaoi “The Kranen Priestess” is a fear-full laning champion due to her stationary power.
She has enormous damage potential that could be played around, but if you slip up she will smash you into the ground. Illaoi´s mobility is sacrificed for even more damage and sustain in fights.
Illaoi´s power is very telegraphed in short ranged abilities and there for her power is best utilized against melee champions. Illaoi is excellent against tanks and champions with linear play-styles. One of illaoi´s biggest weaknesses is that she is based around her tentacles and E.
Ranged champions that easily can dodge Illaoi´s E and safely kill her tentacles will make Illaoi´s life difficult.
Poking and having control over the minion wave will shut Illaoi down. With that being said, let’s find out how you can counter Illaoi.
Abilities
- P: Illaoi spawns tentacle every 20 seconds around her. These tentacles do only have 2 health pars, priorities killing them to defeat Illaoi. Never fight Illaoi if she has more than 1 tentacle around her.
- Q: Illaoi does a tentacle punch in front of her, damages enemies and heals Illaoi. This ability has a long cast time and is very predictable. Try to dodge it and punish Illaoi once she decides to use it.
- W: Illaoi´s next auto-attacks leeps a short distance and slams the target. All surrounding tentacles will perform a tentacle punch towards the target. Illaoi W is completely useless without her tentacles.
- E: Illaoi grabs your soul through a linear skillshot that hits the first target. Avoid this ability by staying behind minions, this ability is never dangerous aslong as she does not have tentacles. Try to kill of all tentacles and dodge this ability with any movement/dash ability. After you have dodges this ability Illaoi is easily punished. Do not try to fight Illaoi if she hits her E and has surrounding tentacles.
- R: Illaoi slams into the ground and spawns’ tentacles per enemy champion near her. This ability also increases the tentacle punch speed. If you successfully dodge Illaoi E and kill off her surrounding tentacles Illaoi R is should be nothing to worry about.
Learn more about Illaoi abilities here.
Our Top Illaoi Counter Tips
- Illaoi is centred around her tentacles, if shedoes not have time or the control the place them, she is incredibly weak. Illaoi needs about 30 seconds to spawn two tentacles near her. This is crucial to punish, be sure to take trades/engage before these tentacles spawn. Kill off tentacles in lane and kill pick Illaoi off without tentacles in mid-late game.
- Illaoi is increadibly immobile, if Illaoi is pushed up in lane she is almost always susceptible to ganks. Focus on communicating with your jungler and kill Illaoi once she pushed up. This will be successful if you avoid poke prior to the gank. Illaoi´s immobile state can also be abused by champions with high mobility. Bait out Illaoi´s E and then trade with her
- Illaoi is weak until she hits lvl 3, especially if you kept her from stacking her tentacles pre-minion spawn. Punish Illaoi as much as possible in these early levels. If she ends up overstepping, she is easily chunked out or even killed. Ganking Illaoi in these early levels is also very effective if she ends up pushing with her Q.
Champions That Counter Illaoi
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Heimerdinger
As Heimerdinger you can shove Illaoi into his turret. Hide behind a turret to avoid Illaoi E, when killing tentacles. Play out the lane slowly: Do not overextended, poke and deny Illaoi CS for the first 5 minutes. Keep your lane warded! After 5 minutes once turret plates are up, shove the lane and get ahead by getting those plates. You can only play for a kill if Illaoi ends up overextending and stepping up. Illaoi should be forced to last hit with her Q.
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Riven
Illaoi vs Riven is a very interesting match up. Riven can use her incredibly mobile kit to dodge Illaoi´s E. Try to bait out Illaoi E, after dodged, take a trade and chunk Illaoi out. If you team up with your jungler, it will be easy to catch Illaoi out. In levels 1-3 take trades agressivly to gain dominance. Try to freeze the wave towards your turret after you have forced Illaoi to only Cs with Q. Illaoi will easily be chased down at this point.
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Mordekaise
This rediculus stupid champion can isolate Illaoi from her tentacles with his R. Mordekaiser wins trades if E is hit upon Illaoi or if Illaoi E is dodged. Do not play too agressivly pre lvl 6. After level 6, as soon as Illaoi is shoved up, you can completely ignore his tentacles, by using your R.
Laning vs Illaoi
- In the early game, you should abuse Illaoi´s first 3 levels, after that. Try to dodge her E and kill the tentacles and you will be set up to win the game. As a ranged champion try to poke her out and get advantages through plates. Having priority in lane ends up being incredibly important.
- Healing reduction items are effective into Illaoi, try to pick up Executional calling or Bramble west. Ignite will be effective vs Illaoi for the same reasons.
Mid & Late Game vs Illaoi
- Splitpushing verus Illaoi will be similar to laning versus her, do not fight her if she has many surrounding tentacles. Be sure to bait out her E as the first play. Buy healing reuction items. Even if you and your jungler collapses on her it is important that you do not skip any steps!
- Bring crowd-control! Bring healing reduction! Do not group up around Illaoi! Poke her down and kite her! Ezreal, Youmi/Braum, Elise, Vel´Koz / Azir are all poke champions with disengage which do well versus Illaoi in grouped up scenarios
Read more: How To Counter Darius