I'm sure you have played against an irelia a few times. Probably you coulda be owned by her. And for sure that you have saw the chat window in some games asking for a nerf to her.
I don't deny the fact that Irelia is quite op. She has a great mid game and a lethal later game. I follow this guide according the way of tf + atmog's ( Trinity Force + Warmog's Armor and Atma's Impaler) And it's great, just that simple. Don't wana bore you with a long explanation about what she can do. So.... next chapter XD

BTW: The + + combination is a gifth that i've recieved from these guide:
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/the-way-of-the-trinity-force-atmogs-114755 all creeds go to the author.
After saw this guide my way to play Irelia has completly change for better.
So this guide is an in depth from there. You will see that he explain the basics of this lady and i totally agree with. However i've maked this one to explain my experience and the best way to take the juice form that.

So... Irelia it's a very fun character to play. She can be adapted to many builds and sinergizes with a great amount of items. She also can carry teams to victory without being a carry althougt she can be builded as one.
In my opinion is more usefull as off-tank because she can get many kills without the danger of being 1/2/3 shoted down.
For all that we gonna need:

- Irelia
-The Solo Top Lane
-A Jungler
-Common sense
-The ability to get at least 70% of the last hits.
-Not to be Greddy
-Enough patience
-Map Awarnes
-Be able to get fun.

Ok i just include this chapter for those summoners in low level account. If you are one of them you gonna see this words often in your chat.

AD: atack damage
AP: ability power
CD: cooldown
CDR: Cooldown reduction
DPS: Damage per second
LS: Life steal
MR: Magic resistance
MP: Magic penetration
ArPe: Armor Penetration
OOM: out of mana
MIA: Missing in Action. This means that some enemy in other lanes are not there and they probably go for a gank
CV: clairvoyance
TP: teleport
TW: turret hugging (when someone don't leave his turret range, wich makes him a target pretty dangerous to take in low levels)
KS: kill steal (some ppl likes to say kill secure LMAO)
CC: crowd control wich are spells or abilities that affect your champion not only with damage against him. These things can make your hero useless for a short (but essential) period of time (stuns, taunt, fears, slows, snares, blinds, knockbacks)
Dive: This is not an anachronism. Anyways Diving is when you try to get a kill under the enemy turret. It's insane on early levels, very dangerous on mid game and still complicated on late.

You are playing against Irelia, DAM!! she´s a great ***** that can ruin your game and carry his team, even not rushing an high offensive build. For all that the good Irelia players take in count the next


GOOD things


-She's one of the best duelist's of the entire game
-A great chaser due Bladesurge and Equilibrium Strike
-Contrary of some opinions, she has a fantastic passive Ionian Fervor that made's her a very hard champ to be CCed.
- Equilibrium Strike is one of the best abilities to turn a complicated 1vs1 duel to your side.
-She literaly eats the AP casters: in a same level of skill Malzahar, Karthus, Morgana or anothers had no chance to win if they are laning against her.
-She has a great mobility
- Hiten Style make's her sustainable and by activaiting gives TRUE DAMAGE
-If Hiten Style is not enough, Transcendent Blades is there. His ulti has a ridiculous CD and gives her a awsome farming potential.
-Feeded Irelia = end of story and GG.

Bad things

Irelia is like one of my ex-girlfreinds: Awsome, a complete sexy girl with everything you have dreamed someday but not all is perfect... this ***** demands specific things to do her job and lead you to victory.
-She NEED'S to farm and A LOT, really, not only a good amount of cs i mean A LOT. She´s item dependant. If you don't know how to last hit propely you gonna be useless at least that you can have some early kills and still will not gonna be enough. For real, if you don't have mastered your last hit technique try another champion until you be ready. Not kidding.
-The ***** also tend's to have mana issues. If you are planing to farm with Bladesurge it's ok, do it. Just watch your blue bar dissapearing.
You need to save the most you can. Otherwise this lady will consume his blue thing like if whoulda be your wallet.
-The importance of farm means that she ask solo top. Jungle and mid are viable choices but the right place of her is in TOP, alone. Bottom lane is a BAD choice.
- Equilibrium Strike works properly only if your hp percentage is lower than your objective wich means that you need some cold brain. Don't rush in panic if you are at 50% hp!!!!
-She's a deadly ***********er assasin yea, but also vulnerable against ranged champions and fighters with early burst damage.
-Your natural scape mechanism is Equilibrium Strike and works only in one target. If you have no flash and you get caught in a gank of two or more enemies you are in troubles.
-The skilled summoners know about what she can do. They will try to deny farm and XP all that they can. The ranged champions will try to harras her, fighters to kill her at early levels and the casters will swicht the lane 90% of the times.
-With this build Madred's Bloodrazor are your nemesis. If that Kog'Maw have it HE NEEDS TO DIE

Ionian Fervor
Your passive is great: it reduces the Crowd Control effects based on the number of enemy champions near you. Remember that the fights on this game resolves in matter of seconds and 1 of them stuned can represent your ruin.

Bladesurge

These ability is nice, but just nice. Got pros and cons. Is great for farm because it reset the CD if you kill the target with her and refounds mana. Scales 1:1 with your AD and it works pretty nice to chase. Also you can do some nice stuffs like this: Play Video /league-of-legends/ability/bladesurge-325 Hiten Style

This passive/active skill is just great. Is NOT A LS because you gain life even hitting structures. This is why Irelia is sustainable, why she can perform the solo top lane. Also make her viable to jungle. His active add's TRUE damage to your atacks over your objectives ignoring their armor and resistances. I usualy Maximize this ability with equlibrium strike.

Equilibrium Strike

This ability is your bread and butter, i will explain some chapters ahead the way to use Equilibrium Strike properly but meanwhile i took these chapter to remind you that this ability is what makes Irelia so deadly in duels and a suicide if some champion try to dive her. Also is the why people who use to run when they are not full hp are not ready for her. Requieres to lose the fear cause it works eficiently when Irelia has less hp percentage than his target. Otherwise apply a great slow but you cannot ignore the benefict of a 2 second stun.

Transcendent Blades

I'm not gonna lie: your ultimate may not be the greatest ability in the game. Is not a global stun, it's not Requiem, Death Lotus, Curse of the Sad Mummy or any of their kind. However is really usefull to catch runing enemies with low HP, great to farm significant creep waves and heal you. It also has a ridiculous CD of 40 seconds whitout any kind of CDR.
Also is pretty cheaper and will not affect to much your mana pool. It can work to hurt your enemies meanwhile you aproach to the heat of a teamfight.

I've included this chapter cause this is the most problematic time on the game for Irelia. At the begining she's pretty squishy and the most of your enemies will try to kill you or at least zone you.
You need to be patient. The most important rule is FARM, and a lot. If your lane is strugling take advantage of that.
Use your turret: One formula that can help you is:
Melee creeps: 2 turret shots and you
Mage creeps: 1 hit, 1 turret shot, 1 hit
Cannon creeps: they need a lot of shots, honestly i've never count it. Hit when is quite low or use Bladesurge, it's a nice farming tool if is used wisely. Don't waste it or you gonna run oom.
The most important thing that you must take in count is STAY ALIVE. I want to talk about those times when the enemy is low of hp, but near to his turret or directly tower huggin. My counsel is to take some things to consider:

1- he has flash??
2- he's jungler... where is it?? (Wards wards wards. They protect you from ganks, they gives you vision of KEY places, see the next chapter for more information)
3- can i survive after kill him??
4- he got CC?
5- can he reach is turret?
6- if he can: how many health i got to dive?

I will make more simple. Go for the kill when you know you gonna get it and you gonna live after kill your enemy. The kill exchanges are not quite good, specialy for Irelia, she needs to stay in the lane far as possible and she got the tools to do it. Your first recall shouda be to get your Mercury's Treads, sight wards or Vision Wards (if the enemy has a Twitch, Evelynn, Shaco or any stealth and Sheen if it's possible.
Between "posible" kills or keep farming: FARMING. And that rule must guide your lane phase.

TIP: if you got a Riven, Tryndamere or a Lee Sin as junglers you shoulda consider to take the blue buff ASAP. This can be very helpfull to give you even more sustain and harras potential. Of course take on count to give the blue to your mid lane. That shoulda be considered over who need's more this gift.

1vs2

Sometimes the enemy will not have jungler. These can be for two reasons:
1:They are dumb, because they don't know the beneficts that this means. Good junglers grants you map awarnes, more global experience (due that you have 3 players making a lane alone and the enemy team have just 1), an unpredictable guy who's running around the map, ganking, supporting the lanes on troubles and securing buffs to him or some member of your team (example: Lee Sin doesn't really need a blue buff and it goes to your caster on mid or you)
2: they know about what Irelia is capable and they will try to ruin you.

This situation requires patience and a good jungler on your side. Remember the hit's of the turret that you need to get last hits, play safe and wait for the ganks. Usualy these enemy duos will be composed by a ranged chamion and his offtank or tank. Is pretty obvious that your target in the ganks is not the tank.
Try to keep your HP bar over the 50%. This makes you a possible dive but really dangerous to take. Of course the tank will hit you first. Make your combo on him and he shoulda be dead. If you got enough HP and Mana (50 % or more from each one) engage on the carry. If you can kill him without dying great, do it. If you cannot, go back to your creeps, keep farming or go to your base if your HP amount is too low.

I know that all this explanations seems stupid and obvious for the experienced players. However i'm trying to explain the champion and give some tips to the new players

sight ward

these two guys will give you one of the most important things in League of Legends: MAP AWARNES

This chapter is for those that never buy a single ward. Yes! i'm talking to you, the guy that see a support on his team and say "wtf i got CV form my support i don't need wards" or "i'm a beast, i'll kill them all, don't need wards" and of course you suck after, you feed and you blame your partners for not calling mia's or your jungler for being helping your bot lane or getting red meanwhile you push on the enemy turret w/o any precaution. I'm sorry, but i got to say to you that is YOUR FAULT.

It is proved that the teams with decent/good/great/excellent map awarnes win the 80% of the games over those teams with poor vision of the map or directly don't even buy one. So if you don't buy at least, AT LEAST 3 WARDS... well...you are a bad teamate, maybe not a bad player due your skill, but you are a bad teamate. If you are smart you will take this advice and you will buy these freinds on every recall.

I took the image from these guide: READ IT, it will help you, it's simply great!!!!!!
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/warding-helper-more-than-your-eyes-can-see-54337
1: first priority
2: second priority
3: third priority
4: fourth priority
5: Exceptional places (these are situationals but their importance increases as far the game advance)

Well the runes are pretty common and except the marks and quintessences you gain a nice amount of armor and magic resistance. SUSTAINABLE is the key word as you can see in all what the lane phase concern. I dunno if i got to explain much more about this.

Greater Glyph of Replenishment are here to give you a little bit of Mana regen but they are completly optionals.

Thinks this is pretty much talk about the runes and masteries. I've explained what you need to give the sustain that you will need to farm safe and get the money needed for your build.

+

This is very common in the top lane or in the junglers it is great to keep you in your lane until your first recall. You gonna use your pots for sure and your Item will be part of your Guardian Angel later.



These are the best boots for Irelia, will sinergize with your Ionian Fervor and the extra magic resistance is pretty good in my opinion.



This is the more expensive item in the whole game. It have everything that you need to kick your enemies ***es. Sheen it's an awsome complement to your Bladesurge and Equilibrium Strike also gives you extra AP and mana wich is great for a mana hungry champion like her. Phage it's simply awsome to keep your enemies on your range, give's you more HP and a bit of AD. Zeal: More movement speed, more critical chance, more Attack speed.... by completing Trinity Force all this beneficts will increase a little bit more. And wich is better, you gonna get this in just 1 slot. After getting it, Irelia becomes very deadly in mid game and will be your favorite partner in late game. Lane phase usualy ends before you get him or if you get him due that you gonna win the lane if your enemy has been pretty dumb by letting you farm barely for free.


Ok, this is a discussable item. I took GA because Irelia tends to becoming a primary target in teamfights. This will make you more scary due that "second chance" you have and your enemies will think it twice before go after you. The disadvantage of this item is that you will be the last man standing in a losted teamfight so... the enemy will surround you, nobody will save you...and you gonna die for sure.



Did i mention that you are an offtank??? Did i mention that you need to be in the heat of the battle?? did i mention that you will be the tanks, carries, offtanks and even the supports target??? Well, you will be. If you was planing to get Infinity Edge + Phantom Dancer + bloodthrister combo. I recomend you to think twice that option before expend around 10K gold in tree items that gonna be USELESS at the moment of a teamfight where you will last around 3-5 seconds. JUST DON'T BE STUPID, you are already a primary target, you provide a usefull stun of 2 seconds, you are the guy that will protect your carries by killing their attackers. They are the source of your kills and that little oom veigar who runs to his base with almost no chance to survive your Bladesurge.
For all that you need to have the most valuable source for a deadly champion like this girl: survavility. Whitout HP you are a completly easy target for the casters. They will stun you, skill combo and.....you are death.



This baby is great because increase your damage as hell and give's you a nice critical chance to shred your enemies. Sinegizes with your Warmog's Armor pretty well and increases the damage of your Bladesurge wich scales in a 1:1 relation with you AD.


The Atmog's build has the Madred's Bloodrazor like his main enemy due your high hp amount. This enemy it's pretty scary if it's putted in a Kog'Maw a Twitch or some others AD range carries cause it sinegizes pretty well with their on hit effects or their long range. The madred's also do magic damage wich means that stack armor has no point against them. Force of Nature prevent an important amount of that damage, also gives a crazy HP amount and the extra movement speed is always welcome.

Options

This boots are a common replacement when the enemy team has poor magic damage and CC's but a heavy AD output.

item to replace: merury's treads


It's a nice item to get instead of Force of Nature. Gives you protection against an anoying stun, MR and also increases your HP and Mana Pool. It only cost 105 more gold than FON and is more benefict. However, doesn't give the same MR.

Item to replace: Force of Nature


This item is only for those games wich you are almost a god. Do you feel unstopable? They suck? No problems against the enemy CC? you are unkillable? then THIS IS YOUR ITEM. Your Bladesurge will be barely a nuker and the crit's will be scary as hell.

Item to replace: Guardian Angel


It's not a common item but still effective. Specialy if your enemy is stacking armor. Nice AS, on hit effett, more MR. Sweet! I recomend to replace for Atma's because more pure ad will not be usefull against a Rammus for example

Item to replace: Atma's Impaler



Ok this a not so common item but it can be nice. His active is really nice, Increases your AP and AD, gives you LS, spell vamp to sinergize with your abilities. All this means a significant improve to your sustain capacity. However is an expensive item and your TF + ATMOG'S is already expensive...there are better options and more cheaper.

Replace: don't have an item to replace for. It depends a lot of the game progress and the enemy weakneses. I confess that i've never used on Irelia, just saw some ppl doing it and seems it works. Feel free to take it if you want.


Great item: an awsome Xin Zhao or Tryndamere counter. His passive is just great and his active even more. It is deceptive on teamfights. Also gives armor, HP and HP regen. It's a must on the tanks so... why not in an off-tank like this girl?

Item to replace: Guardian Angel or Force of Nature (only if the enemy have poor magic damage source)



It's a nice choice to low your CD and some extra HP, his active is great for your team to run or chase. I've saw this item a lot and i use it with nice results.

Item to replace: I usualy take it instead of Guardian Angel or Force of Nature.


philosopher's stone and
these two guys gives you a nice gold entrance. Also gives you HP pool, Hp regen and mana regen. Two great items i usualy grab them and sell later. However, you can keep them if you're planing to rush Randuin's Omen or Shurelya's Battlesong


I can't tell you how much great is this item. It simply screw the Heavy AD teams. Also gives a crazy CDR and a nice amount of mana. Tryndamere+ Xin Zhao+ Gangplank??? **** YOU 20% less attack speed. BTW, if you took Randuin's Omen with this baby they will be in great troubles. And i mean GREAT.


It's pretty decent and cheap. Gives HP, MR and CDR. Also usefull to gain more HP from health regeneration. A good chice for early and mid game. On late game should be replaced for something better.


I've saw Thornmail in some builds and that's why i putted here. Honestly i don't see how can be usefull. It's a great item for Rammus or Shen due their taunts but i can't see how can this item fit on Irelia. However if the range AD carry is hitting like a truck it can works but is a tank item and you are an off-tank wich consist on a big difference.

Trinity Force is the only item that i will never replace on Irelia.

Troubles

In my way to see: lane phase end's with the first turret down. If you are not well farmed you gonna need to stay in your lane for a while. If you have losted your top turret you got a trouble. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN. If you need to go to your base ask your jungler to cover your position. If you know that you are death try to make the most possible damage to your enemy. Your jungler will be able to take the kill, push and save the turret until you back.

Fighting 1vs1

Irelia excels on dueling. Usualy the enemies try to harras her. This put them on a dangerous situation because you got a dangerous stun: ladies and gentlemans i present your bread and butter

This baby has two tipes of CC and works awsome when you have less HP percentage than your rival. It's a nuker for the squishes, and a punisher for the divers.


Let the enemy hit you first, activate your Hiten Style and aplly Equilibrium Strike. If you are facing a ranged champion, let him hit you 2 or 3 times, reach him with Bladesurge and crush him with Equilibrium Strike, a few hits with your Hiten Style and Ignite will be enough to get a kill. Beffy champions takes more than that so let them push. In the 90% of the situations they will use Flash. This is great because they have no scape way now, he needs to go base and taking the risk to lose or stay in the lane without chances to farm out of the range of their turret.
Is more better if your enemy is dumb enough to try to dive you. When he comes to you, let him hit you if he can. Use Equilibrium Strike, some hits with Hiten Style, Ignite if it's necesary, end it with Bladesurge and yeap you got a kill XD.

After the lane phase

MID GAME

Mid game start's with the first tower down this usualy happens at 20:00.
At this point your build should have at least. You will have no troubles to get it if you have farmed well and luck smiles on you with some early kills (2 or 3 are more than enough)

If it's your enemy top turret, keep going, keep farming, push until you need to go heal or if their jungler is far away from you. If your team calls MIA get out from there before they gank you. If someone request help in their turret because your enemy on top is now on mid you can choose between helping and keep pushing.
Help is your jungler job but if he has died you got two choices: try to get the second turret by pushing or go to help your caster. If you are almost hiting the enemy turret TAKE HER.
If you are pushing at the half of the way GO TO HELP because you gonna lose your mid turret, your caster will have troubles and you will not get your objective before them.
Also if you push to the second turret you are exposed to a gank. Don't try it whitout wards. Teamfights uses to start at Dragon, mid lane (not so common) or Blue/Red buffs

Late game

Late Game is where you shine. Irelia is now a deadly machine, a nightmare for the enemy AD carries and the secure death for the casters.
At this point your build is pretty deadly by consisting of:



However your job is to protect your carries with the help of your tank and your support. Usualy late game start at the first baron or the first inibitor down. As a parameter: it starts at 40:00 (i took this time because it happens mostly at this times). Of course you not gonna do burst damage but you gonna get kills, don't worry. This is possible because the enemy main targets are your carries, the enemy will try to take them down ASAP and your job is kill those bad guys. An example: If the enemy Malzahar is almost dead but Nocturne hit your poor Brand like a truck. Your mission is to SAVE YOUR CARRY, even if you die.

Almost every teamfights starts at baron or under the inibitor turrets. This place ALWAYS must be warded.

Baron Nashor gives a precious buff that can turn the tides of a match. It allows your team to dive turrets and take down inibitors in matter of seconds.

After Killing Baron Nashor, each member of the team will get:

300 gold
900 XP
40 ability power
40 attack damage
3% of your maximum health in health regeneration per 5 sec.
1% of your maximum mana in mana regeneration per 5 sec.

Basically represents a 6 v 5 situation for a period of 4:00 minutes. Also gives the oportunity for a comeback to a team that is losing the game or finish the game for those who are dominating.

After the first baron you shoulda get your Atma's Impaler and Negatron Cloak. If the game extends even more you will finish your build for sure. After that get oracles to detect wards (or stealth enemies like Twitch, Shaco, Teemo and his Noxious Trap, Evelynn, Akali, even Vayne after Tumble during her Final Hour. Elixirs are great to increase your potential due that you have nothing else to build.

Main Spells

I know that Flash has been nerfed on his range and cooldown but ... honestly... i don't give a ****. Still being the best summoner spellon the game. Still great for chasing, still great for scape, still great for engage, DAM even still great for KS (LoL).


Ignite is a great spell and i usualy take him because it represent a danger for your enemies. If you are tired to see bastards who runs from you with 10 HP, this is your spell. In company of Equilibrium Strike and Hiten Style will be your best freind on early game.

Good Choices

Ghost use to be a replace for for Flash, many players take it. It's not my case but feel free to get it. Basically have the same function than Flash.


This spell is just great, usualy a replacement for Ignite and good replacement. It allows you to instantly back to your turret after purchase. Is also a underestimated gank tool. You can Teleport not only to your turrets and minions: Noxious Traps, wards, demancian standard, Jack In The Box and more are viable targets to teleport and some great ganks can emerge from this sources.


If you go as jungler, there's no discussion TAKE IT.


I don't grab Cleanse often. Only if the enemy team has heavy (and i mean HEAVY) CC.


Great choice against dangerous AD champions like Xin Zhao, Tryndamere or Olaf. Great during teamfights in mid and late game. Another good choice instead of Ignite

NO

You got 2 different abilities to sustain yourself in the lane. Also you gonna start with 5 potions. Will be useless in late wich is your MAIN PHASE. NO


You gonna be support??? Really??


Just try to farm w/o spaming Bladesurge like if you where Katarina with Bouncing Blades and you will not have mana issues. Besides: same situation than Heal...useless on late game.


Are you planing to die 19 times???.... NOOOOOOO


You are not going for kills precisely, and i don't think that you need this "buff" to kill minions.


WTF??? NO!

I hope this can be usefull. I've designed this guide for those who are starting to play Irelia because i think that the most experienced players already have an idea of his potential. They know how adapt her to different situations and team comps, the exactly moments where they can/cannot go for a kill.

I also ask to not troll in the comment's. I know that this guide can have some mistakes and whoulda be great if you point them and help me to improve it. CYA