A champion who has been incredibly problematic since her release, Irelia has come a long way from the early days of League of Legends and its initial iteration. Known for having an incredibly high learning curve to go along with some of the most devastating gaming potentials available, Irelia is as snowbally as it gets. But how can you guarantee that you will be able to achieve critical mass in almost every game? Read on for some tips on how to elevate your Irelia gameplay.
Keep your batteries in place
Irelia's passive - Ionian Fervor - grants her temporary attack speed after casting a spell on an enemy, and additional damage to hit after hitting full charges of that enemy. Theoretically, his Q-Blade Surge has no cooldown, as long as you use it to execute low health minions or attack marked enemies. As such, perform unanswered trades as early as level 1 by automatically attacking the wave of minions, running multiple with your Q to stack your passive, and then staying true to the enemy champion.
Purchases of staples like Phage, Tiamat, and ultimately Trinity Force will help Irelia stick to an opponent and stack her liabilities, and once her numbers are on both her passive and her Conqueror, it's incredibly difficult to to take off.
Abuse your reach
For a melee champion, Irelia rocks one of the greatest attack ranges for a non-ranged champion in any league. Partly due to the size of her weapon and partly due to her need to automatically attack to trade, experienced Irelia players will use her to dance effectively on the battlefield.
Picture this: You are 1v1 against a Riven, but since you have almost double its attack range, you can kite its shield without losing stacks or the risk of being traded. Yes, it's a small window of opportunity, but it's still a factor to consider.
Dealing with a champion from a distance? No big deal. The RQEQQ is the perfect combo - but relatively easy to perform from Irelia, and landing her on a slimy opponent will not only allow you to consistently close the gap with them, but also manage 80% (if not all) of their health.
