How to beat Illaoi

Common role: Top

A tanky bruiser who spawns tentacles and rips your soul out for massive AoE damage.

What makes Illaoi dangerous

Illaoi slams tentacles for heavy damage and self-healing, and her E rips a spirit out of a champion — if you don't run away, every tentacle hit also damages you and everyone nearby. In a confined space or a bad fight, she can wipe multiple champions at once with her ultimate's tentacle storm.

How to play against Illaoi

• 1Run from her E spirit. If she pulls your soul, walk away from her tentacles — standing near them lets her free-hit you and your allies.
• 2Don't fight her in the tentacle field or in tight jungle corridors. Dodge her Q slam (a telegraphed skillshot) and space away from her tentacles.
• 3Never group up when her ultimate is up — it spawns a storm of tentacles. Spread out and she can't hit multiple targets.
• 4She's immobile with no gap-closer. Kite her, poke her from range, and don't let her drag you into an extended melee brawl.

Weaknesses to exploit

• ✓No mobility — very kiteable.
• ✓Weak if you leave her E spirit's tentacle range.
• ✓Grievous Wounds cuts her heavy self-healing.
• ✓Struggles against ranged pokes and disengage.

Abilities & how to counter them

What each of Illaoi's abilities does — and how to play around it.

• P
  Prophétesse d'un dieu ancestral

  Illaoi et les réceptacles qu'elle crée font apparaître des tentacules sur les éléments de décor infranchissables à proximité. Les tentacules frappent les esprits, les réceptacles et les victimes de l'Âpre leçon d'Illaoi. Les tentacules infligent des dégâts physiques aux ennemis touchés, et ils soignent Illaoi s'ils blessent un champion.

• Q
  Coup de tentacule

  Augmente les dégâts infligés par les tentacules. À l'activation, Illaoi fait s'abattre un tentacule qui inflige des dégâts physiques.

  Strong: a heavy tentacle slam that heals her. Weak: a telegraphed skillshot — dodge it and space away from her tentacles.

• W
  Âpre leçon

  Illaoi bondit sur sa cible, infligeant des dégâts physiques et poussant tous les tentacules proches à frapper la cible.

• E
  Épreuve de l'esprit

  Illaoi arrache l'esprit d'un ennemi et l'attire jusqu'à elle. L'esprit transmet un pourcentage des dégâts qu'il subit à la cible originale. S'il est détruit ou si la cible s'éloigne trop de son esprit, la cible devient un réceptacle et commence à faire apparaître des tentacules.

  Strong: rips your spirit out — every tentacle hit then damages you and nearby allies. Weak: walk away from her tentacles once your soul is pulled to deny the free damage.

• R
  Acte de foi

  Illaoi écrase son idole au sol, infligeant des dégâts physiques aux ennemis proches. Un tentacule apparaît pour chaque champion ennemi touché.

  Strong: spawns a storm of tentacles that can wipe a grouped team. Weak: spread out and she can't hit multiple targets.

Itemization

Illaoi is AD with massive healing. Grievous Wounds (Bramble Vest, Executioner's) is mandatory, plus armor and movement to kite her tentacles. The best counter is simply not fighting inside her tentacle field.

This guide covers Illaoi's core kit and playstyle — advice that holds up across patches.