Irelia Build Guide: LoL Strategy Items, Counters, Runes

Irelia is a champion in the popular online game League of Legends. Building Irelia requires careful consideration of her abilities and playstyle. The right build can greatly enhance Irelia's strengths and make her a formidable opponent. There are several different build paths for Irelia, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Irelia is a versatile champion that can be played in multiple roles such as top lane, mid lane, or even jungle. Her kit allows her to engage, disengage, and sustain herself during fights. In order to maximize Irelia's potential, it is important to choose the right items for your build.

One popular build for Irelia is the Trinity Force build. This build focuses on maximizing Irelia's damage output while also providing some utility through items like Sterak's Gage and Guardian Angel. Trinity Force provides a lot of burst damage through its Sheen proc, which synergizes well with Irelia's Q ability.

Another option for building Irelia is the Blade of the Ruined King (BotRK) build. This build focuses on attack speed and lifesteal, allowing Irelia to stick to targets and sustain herself during extended fights. BotRK also provides some much-needed utility through its active ability, which slows down enemies.

For those looking for a more tanky approach to building Irelia, the Black Cleaver build might be worth considering. This build focuses on stacking armor penetration through items like Black Cleaver and Last Whisper while also providing some survivability through items like Dead Man's Plate and Spirit Visage.

It is important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to building Irelia. Each game presents different challenges that may require different itemization choices. It is up to the player to analyze their team composition as well as the enemy team composition in order to make informed decisions about their build.

Understanding the Basics of Irelia Build

Trinity Force: Irelia's Core Item

Trinity Force is a must-have item for Irelia due to its synergy with her kit and ability to provide a mix of offensive and defensive stats. The item provides attack damage, attack speed, ability power, health, mana, and critical strike chance. It also has a unique passive called Spellblade that deals bonus physical damage on the next basic attack after using an ability.

Irelia's kit revolves around using her abilities to stack up her passive Ionian Fervor, which grants bonus attack speed and reduces the duration of crowd control effects on her. Trinity Force helps with this by providing cooldown reduction, allowing Irelia to use her abilities more frequently.

In addition to the offensive benefits, Trinity Force also provides defensive stats such as health and movement speed. This makes it easier for Irelia to survive in team fights and stick to her targets.

Blade of the Ruined King: Sustain and Tank Shredding

Blade of the Ruined King is another popular item choice for Irelia due to its sustain and tank shredding capabilities. The item provides attack damage, attack speed, life steal, and on-hit damage based on the target's current health.

Irelia can make great use of Blade of the Ruined King's active ability that deals additional physical damage equal to 10% of the target's maximum health while also slowing them down by 25%. This allows Irelia to chase down enemies or escape from danger.

The life steal provided by Blade of the Ruined King helps Irelia sustain through extended fights or when taking objectives such as Baron or Dragon. The on-hit damage based on target's current health makes it easier for Irelia to shred through tankier targets.

Situational Items: Sterak's Gage, Guardian Angel, Wit's End

While Trinity Force and Blade of the Ruined King are core items for Irelia, there are also situational items that can be built depending on the enemy team's composition.

Sterak's Gage is a great defensive item for Irelia against burst damage. The item provides health and base attack damage and has a unique passive called Lifeline that grants a shield equal to 30% of maximum health when taking damage that would reduce health below 30%.

Guardian Angel is another defensive item that can be built on Irelia. The item provides both armor and magic resist as well as a unique passive called Resurrect that revives the champion upon death with 50% of maximum health and mana after a brief delay.

Wit's End is an offensive item choice against teams with heavy magic damage. The item provides attack speed, magic resistance, and on-hit magic damage based on the target's current health. It also has a unique passive called Guinsoo's Rage that increases attack speed by 5% for every basic attack up to a maximum of 5 stacks.

Example Irelia Builds

Irelia Immortal Shieldbow Build

Irelia Trinity Force Build

Basic Mechanics: Understanding Irelia's Abilities and Playstyle

At its core, playing Irelia requires a deep understanding of her abilities and how they interact with each other.

Her Q ability, Bladesurge, allows her to dash towards an enemy target and deal damage based on her attack damage (AD). This ability also resets when she kills an enemy unit with it, allowing for quick mobility around the battlefield.

Her W ability, Defiant Dance, is a defensive tool that allows her to block incoming physical damage while charging up a powerful strike. This strike deals bonus magic damage based on the amount of physical damage blocked during the charge-up period.

Her E ability, Flawless Duet, sends out two blades that converge on a target location. Enemies hit by both blades are stunned for a short duration, giving Irelia time to follow up with additional attacks.

Finally, her ultimate ability - Vanguard's Edge - sends out a wave of blades that deal damage and mark enemies hit by them. If Irelia hits marked enemies with basic attacks or abilities while they are marked, she gains bonus movement speed and reduces their armor for a short period.

Irelia's Runes

Conqueror is a popular choice among players who prefer a more aggressive playstyle. This rune grants bonus adaptive force after dealing damage to an enemy champion several times in quick succession. This works well with Irelia's kit because she's able to stick onto enemies easily with her Q and E abilities.

Triumph is also commonly chosen by players who want extra survivability in team fights. This rune restores some health and grants additional gold upon scoring a takedown on an enemy champion. This can be especially useful for Irelia, who often finds herself in the thick of things during team fights.

Legend: Alacrity is a great choice for players who want to focus on Irelia's auto attacks. This rune grants bonus attack speed with each takedown, allowing her to stack her passive faster and deal more damage overall.

Coup de Grace is another rune that focuses on dealing damage. It grants bonus damage against enemies below a certain health threshold, making it easier for Irelia to secure kills.

Finally, some players opt for a "minirelia" build with Fleet Footwork. This keystone rune grants bonus movement speed and healing after attacking an enemy champion. While this build sacrifices some damage potential, it allows Irelia to be more mobile and sustain herself better in lane.

Key Points to Keep in Mind When Building Irelia

Ionian Fervor: Irelia's Unique Passive

Irelia is a champion that requires careful planning when building her items. Her passive, Ionian Fervor, grants her bonus attack speed and reduces the cooldown of her abilities with every enemy champion hit by her abilities or basic attacks. This unique passive is what makes Irelia a force to be reckoned with in team fights. Building Irelia as a bruiser allows her to survive longer in team fights while still dealing significant physical and magic damage with her abilities and blades.

Trinity Force: A Core Item for Irelia

One of the most important items to prioritize when building Irelia is Trinity Force. This item increases her damage output and provides her with much-needed mana and health. The Sheen proc from Trinity Force synergizes well with Irelia's Q ability, allowing her to deal massive amounts of burst damage if timed correctly. The Phage component of Trinity Force helps Irelia stick to targets, making it easier for her to land more hits and trigger Ionian Fervor.

Timing Is Key: Mastering Irelia's Q Ability

Timing Irelia's Q ability correctly is crucial as it allows her to dash to a target and reset the cooldown if the target is marked with her E ability or if the target dies within a few seconds of being hit by her Q. This mechanic can be used both offensively and defensively, allowing Irelia to engage on enemies or escape from danger. It takes practice to master this ability, but once you do, it can make all the difference in winning team fights.

Situational Items: Building Against Magic Damage-Heavy Enemies

Building Wit's End as a situational item against magic damage-heavy enemies can increase Irelia's attack speed and provide her with bonus magic damage on-hit. This item also synergizes well with Ionian Fervor, allowing Irelia to stack up the passive quickly and deal more damage. However, it's important to note that building Wit's End should only be done when facing magic damage-heavy enemies. Building it against physical damage-heavy enemies would not be as effective.

Adaptability: Maximizing Irelia's Potential in Any Match

As Irelia is a versatile champion, adapting her build to match the situation of each match is key to maximizing her potential in any given game. For example, if the enemy team has a lot of crowd control abilities, building Mercury's Treads can help reduce their effectiveness on Irelia. If the enemy team has a lot of tanks, building Blade of the Ruined King can help shred through their armor and health. It's important to keep an open mind and adjust your build accordingly.

The Importance of Itemization in Irelia Build

Trinity Force: The Core Item for Irelia Build

Trinity Force is a must-have item for Irelia as it provides her with a significant boost to her damage, attack speed, and mobility. This item is composed of several smaller items that synergize well with Irelia's kit. For example, Sheen's passive ability allows Irelia to deal bonus damage after using an ability. This works well with Irelia's Q ability, Bladesurge, which resets its cooldown when she kills a unit. By using Bladesurge multiple times in quick succession, she can deal massive amounts of damage to enemy champions.

In addition to Sheen, Trinity Force also provides Irelia with increased movement speed and attack speed. The Phage component of the item grants her additional health and allows her to slow enemies on hit. This makes it easier for Irelia to stick to enemy champions during team fights and chase down fleeing opponents.

Blade of the Ruined King: A Popular Choice for Additional Lifesteal

Blade of the Ruined King is another popular item for Irelia as it grants her additional lifesteal, attack speed, and on-hit damage. This item is particularly useful against tanky opponents who have high health pools but low resistances.

The active ability of Blade of the Ruined King deals damage based on the target's current health and steals movement speed from them. This can be used to quickly take down tanky champions or escape from dangerous situations.

Defensive Items: Guardian Angel and Randuin's Omen

While offensive items are important in Irelia build, defensive items are equally crucial in helping her survive burst damage and stay in fights longer. Guardian Angel is a popular choice among players as it revives them upon death with a portion of their health and mana restored.

Randuin's Omen is another defensive item that can be useful in Irelia build. This item provides her with additional health and armor, as well as a passive ability that reduces the attack speed of nearby enemies. The active ability of Randuin's Omen slows down enemy champions in a large area around Irelia, making it easier for her to engage or disengage from fights.

Irelia’s Counters

How to Maximize Your Skills with Irelia Build

Maximizing Your Damage Output with Irelia's Q Ability

One of the key ways to maximize your skills with Irelia is by mastering her Q ability. This ability allows you to dash forward and deal damage to a target, resetting your auto-attack timer in the process. To maximize your damage output with this ability, it's important to time it correctly.

For example, you can use your Q ability to quickly take down minions in lane while also harassing your opponent. You can also use it to close gaps between yourself and enemy champions during team fights. By using it effectively, you can deal significant damage and secure kills.

To further increase the effectiveness of your Q ability, consider building items that increase your attack speed or on-hit damage. Items like Trinity Force and Blade of the Ruined King are great choices for Irelia as they synergize well with her kit.

Maximizing Your Mobility and Survivability with Irelia's W Ability

Another way to maximize your skills with Irelia is by mastering her W ability. This ability allows you to block incoming damage and heal yourself based on the amount of damage blocked. To maximize its effectiveness, timing is key.

For example, you can use your W ability to block incoming abilities from enemy champions during team fights while also healing yourself in the process. You can also use it when taking down objectives like turrets or dragon/baron as it reduces incoming damage significantly.

To further increase the effectiveness of your W ability, consider building items that increase your health or resistances such as Sterak's Gage or Guardian Angel.

Maximizing Your Crowd Control Potential with Irelia's E Ability

Irelia's E ability is another powerful tool in her kit that allows her to stun multiple enemies in a line. To maximize its potential, timing and positioning are crucial.

For example, you can use your E ability to set up ganks or engage in team fights by stunning multiple enemy champions at once. You can also follow up with your ultimate to deal significant damage and secure kills.

To further increase the effectiveness of your E ability, consider building items that increase your ability power or cooldown reduction such as Hextech Protobelt or Zhonya's Hourglass.

Maximizing Your Teamfight Presence with Irelia's Ultimate

Irelia's ultimate is a powerful tool that allows her to reposition herself in fights while dealing damage to enemies in its path. To maximize its potential, positioning and timing are key.

For example, you can use your ultimate to cut off escape routes for enemy champions during team fights while also dealing significant damage. You can also use it to engage on enemy champions from unexpected angles, catching them off guard and securing kills.

To further increase the effectiveness of your ultimate, consider building items that increase your movement speed or ability power such as Luden's Echo or Rylai's Crystal Scepter.

Maximizing Your Split-Pushing Potential with Irelia's Passive Ability

Irelia's passive ability allows her to stack up Ionian Fervor by hitting enemy champions with basic attacks. This increases her attack speed and on-hit damage, allowing her to take down turrets quickly. To maximize its potential, timing and map awareness are crucial.

For example, you can split push a lane while keeping an eye on the minimap for incoming enemies. By stacking up Ionian Fervor, you can take down turrets quickly while also being able to fight off any incoming threats.

To further increase the effectiveness of your passive ability, consider building items that increase your attack speed or critical strike chance such as Phantom Dancer or Runaan's Hurricane.

Common Mistakes to Avoid when Using Irelia Build

Not prioritizing Trinity Force as the first item

Trinity Force is an essential item for Irelia, and it should be the first item to prioritize when building her. This item provides a lot of benefits that are crucial for Irelia's gameplay. Firstly, it gives her a significant boost in damage output, allowing her to deal more damage to enemies with each hit. Secondly, it offers a 20% cooldown reduction which can help Irelia use her abilities more frequently. Lastly, Trinity Force provides movement speed and attack speed bonuses which can greatly enhance Irelia's mobility and allow her to chase down enemies or escape from dangerous situations.

Ignoring the importance of boots in Irelia's mobility

Boots are often overlooked by players when building their champions, but they are crucial for Irelia's mobility. The right pair of boots can make all the difference in how effective she is on the battlefield. For example, Mercury Treads provide tenacity which reduces crowd control effects such as stuns or slows. This can be especially useful against teams with heavy crowd control abilities such as Morgana or Lux. On the other hand, Ninja Tabi provides armor and reduces incoming damage from basic attacks which is great against teams with strong physical damage dealers like Yasuo or Zed.

Overlooking the value of defensive items in Irelia's survivability

While offensive items are important for dealing damage and securing kills, defensive items should not be neglected when building Irelia. Defensive items can increase her survivability and allow her to stay alive longer during team fights or skirmishes. Items like Guardian Angel or Sterak's Gage provide additional health and resistances which can help absorb incoming damage from enemy champions.

Neglecting to use Irelia's Q reset effectively

Irelia's Q ability has a reset mechanic that allows her to chain together multiple dashes if used correctly. Neglecting this mechanic can greatly reduce her effectiveness in fights. For example, if Irelia uses Q to dash onto an enemy champion and then follows up with an auto-attack, she can use Q again immediately after to dash onto another target or escape from danger. This can be especially useful for chasing down low health targets or avoiding incoming damage.

Failing to adjust build according to the enemy team composition

One of the biggest mistakes players make when building Irelia is failing to adjust their build according to the enemy team composition. Building purely offensive items may work against teams with little crowd control or burst damage, but it can leave Irelia vulnerable against teams with strong tanks or mages. It is important to consider what type of damage the enemy team is dealing and what kind of crowd control they have when building Irelia. For example, if the enemy team has a lot of magic damage dealers, building items like Wit's End or Maw of Malmortius can greatly increase her survivability and allow her to deal more damage in fights.

Final Thoughts on Irelia Build

Prioritizing Attack Speed and Damage Output

To maximize Irelia's potential, it is crucial to prioritize items that increase her attack speed and damage output. This means building items such as Trinity Force, Blade of the Ruined King, and Wit's End. Trinity Force is a core item for Irelia due to its synergy with her kit. It provides her with increased attack speed, damage, and mobility. Blade of the Ruined King is another popular choice for Irelia as it provides both attack speed and sustain.

In addition to these items, Wit's End can also be a strong choice for Irelia. It provides her with additional magic resist, which can be useful against AP-heavy teams. Its on-hit effect synergizes well with Irelia's kit.

Defensive Items in Team Fights

While prioritizing attack speed and damage output is important for Irelia's build, defensive items can also be crucial in team fights. Guardian Angel or Sterak's Gage are two examples of defensive items that can greatly benefit Irelia in team fights.

Guardian Angel provides a second chance at life if Irelia dies during a team fight. This can give her team enough time to regroup and potentially win the fight without their main damage dealer. Sterak's Gage is another strong defensive item as it increases Irelia's survivability by providing additional health and a shield when she takes significant damage.

Adapting to the Game Situation

It is important to remember that every game is different and requires different strategies. Experimenting with different builds and adapting to the game situation can greatly improve Irelia's effectiveness.

For example, if the enemy team has multiple tanks or bruisers, building Black Cleaver may be more beneficial than Trinity Force as it reduces armor on hit. If the enemy team has heavy crowd control abilities, building Mercury Treads may be more beneficial than Ninja Tabi.

Recommended Resources for Learning More About Irelia Build

If you're looking to learn more about Irelia build, there are a variety of resources available online that can help you improve your skills and master this powerful champion. Whether you're just starting out or you're an experienced player looking to take your game to the next level, these resources can provide valuable insights and tips to help you succeed.

One great resource for learning more about Irelia build is online forums and communities dedicated to League of Legends. These forums allow players from around the world to share their experiences, strategies, and insights on playing as Irelia in top lane. By participating in these communities, you can gain valuable knowledge and advice from other players who have already mastered the champion.

Another great resource is video tutorials on YouTube. There are many talented content creators who specialize in creating videos that showcase different aspects of Irelia build, from itemization strategies to advanced gameplay techniques. By watching these videos, you can learn new tricks and techniques that will help you dominate your opponents in top lane.

Finally, don't forget about practice! The best way to truly master Irelia build is by playing her yourself and experimenting with different strategies and techniques until you find what works best for your playstyle. So get out there on Summoner's Rift and start honing your skills!

For those looking to take their Irelia gameplay to the next level, we highly recommend utilizing our League of Legends coaching services at OdinBoost, links are down below.

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