Hello everyone !

Are you looking for a new AD midlaner to play ? Do you absolutely love to annoy the hell out of your opponent ? Well, look no further, as I introduce you to Illaoi mid, the best way to give no rest to your enemies !

(Please bear in mind that this is a WIP. I have yet to find an optimal build.)

Why ?

-Because she rocks at teamfights
-Because she does a lot of AD damage
-Because she can "chase" the enemy even if she's not remotely close
-Because she can prevent recalls easily
-Because people don't know how to play against Assassin Illaoi...

When ?

-If your opponent is a melee champ or has a close range
-If you have a lot of AP in your team
-If your team trusts you
-If you can land your skillshots right
-If you're not passive
-If you bet on your early or midgame

Passive : See Chapter 4

Q : When no tentacle is around, you'll need it badly. Don't hesitate to poke your opponent with it, because it also heals you.

W : (Dis)engage with it. Don't forget it makes your passive tentacles "focus" on the target, so don't waste it !

E : See Chapter 5

R : Use this ult only when you're teamfighting (minimum 2 or 3 enemies in it), because it can basically change the tide of the fight and even the game. You have no idea how deadly active tentacles are, so use it wisely.

The great thing about Illaoi mid is that your tentacles are not placed as randomly as in toplane.

See those two lines of bushes above and below midlane ? Well, place your tentacles at both side of each entrance. If the 4 tentacles are correcly placed, you'll notice they protect you not only from ganks, but also from the midlaner overextending. They create a "barrier" you can easily activate if your enemy approaches.

And one last thing : A tentacle won't spawn too close from another one, and you can use it at your advantage. As soon as your opponent destroys a tentacle, you can instantly make another one spawn at the same place !

And that's why Illaoi mid is strong.

This spell is awesome. If you manage to land it on the enemy midlane, he has two choices :

1) He "defends" their soul, exposing them to danger
2) He fails/decides not to do so, takes damage and become the Vessel.

On the second case, he will be introduced to "Tentacle Hell". He will have to move constantly to avoid being hit by the tentacles. That means he can't recall, and that's very, very important. It can give you a great advantage in early and midgame.

HOWEVER, the soul can block skillshots, such as Jinx's R, so careful about your timing or it can negate some damage

In lane : E-W(if a tentacle is close)-Q-Some AA

Landing your E is essential for your success. Make sure your enemy becomes the Vessel, especially if he/she is low HP. You do damage and also make them angry, even if they are running away.


Teamfights : R-W-Q-W-Q-E (on a escaping low-HP enemy)

Illaoi's ult is great for counter-engaging the enemy. In a few seconds, your oppenents will take a lot of damage without even thinking about dodging the tentacles. As long as your team doesn't make them run away from your ult zone, you will be very useful. Even if you lose the fight, trust me, the enemy won't be close to full HP.

Illaoi is like Heimerdinger : she needs her personal space. Because of that, her lategame is not at her advantage : she may still have a lot of damage, but tentacles are more random and safer to kill, so you can lose a lot of damage if you stop caring about your passive.

As a matter of fact, I'd prefer not to pick Illaoi mid if the rest of my team favors lategame.

Thanks for reading all of this guide ! I hope you'll enjoy that surprising pick as much as I do. Who knows ? Maybe you can use her in an incredible way ! Have fun on the Fields of Justice !