First off let me introduce my self. I've been playing LoL for about 5 years on and off, this is my first guide so please have mercy =[. I've messed with and tweaked many builds on Irelia, and in my opinion this is one of the most efficient builds I've used on her. Once I found the sweet spot with Irelia I soon reached an 80% win-rate out of 30 games.

If you're looking for a glass-cannon Irelia build, look elsewhere.

For runes I go Flat AD Marks, Flat MR Glyphs, Flat armor Seals, 2x Attack speed Quints and 1 Armor pen Quint. This is because I consider and believe Irelia was meant for on-hit damage. But the attack damage and armor pen is crucial for early-game survival.

Pros

-Heavy damage dealer
-Great tank
-Pretty good mobility
-Easy to focus enemy team carries
-Good engage
-Easy to farm with

Cons

-Falls off late game if you're not ahead
-Hard to come back from a deficit
-Relatively mana dependant

21/9/0 is what I go with if I'm not versing a tank who can't deal much damage.

9/21/0 against very heavy damage.

Occasionally build 21/0/9 if I'm planning to use Bladesurge frequently.

If you've played Irelia before, you know as well as I do she's an absolute farming machine. Take advantage of her Q. But be aware your mana will drain quickly if you over do it. Try and stay accurate with her Q, if you miss it will go on cooldown and you'll be a sitting duck for 10 or so seconds.

Her R is a great utility for farming and pushing lanes if you'd like to go back or roam for a bit. The CD on it is very low so use it frivolously.

For a tough AD top lane I suggest Cloth armor 5 pots, eventually turning it into Tabi's. This will allow you to stay in lane longer without you having to back too early. I suggest getting 2 core damage items and begin tanking as hard as you can.

For my self, I build as follows.

Start: Long Sword 3 pots.

First back: Ruby Crystal, Boots, Health pots. (Grab mana potions if you can afford it)

Second back: Phage, Sheen if you can afford it, if not, start with mana crystal, finish your boots. (if you're on the hunt, use your sheen to your full advantage. Use your ult once, AA, use it again, AA, use BladeSurge followed by Hiten Style then an AA for great on-hit burst.

Third: At this point you should be able to afford your Triforce. Based on the enemy team, if they're AP heavy wits end is an absolute god-send. If they have very, very heavy tanks I suggest skipping the wits end and starting your BORK.

Triforce is a MUST on every irelia. As mentioned earlier, the proc from the sheen will dish out substantially more damage if used correctly.

Now that you have your 2 damage items it's time to get that nice butt perky and firm, cause you're about to tank it up.

Spirit Visage is great, it offers CD, Life steal, and MR. Absolutely get that first if they have a ton of AP. The healing effects with your W and R is incredible. You'll regain HP quicker than me on her butt. (tfw irelias butt will never be real).

Randuins Omen is just as great. Chasing the enemy down with the active Randuins offers is perfect, since you're gonna be in the front-line this is a must. Get this first if they have a ton of AD. If you're far ahead, get a Sunfire to put the cherry on top. The extra damage while you're getting gang-banged from it will be pretty sweet, considering you're gonna be right in the center of the fight.

Either way, based on the enemy I suggest getting both, base the order of which one you buy first on their AD/AP.

Now you want a Guardians Angel for your final item. There's something magical about this on Irelia. Sure, it's a standard 6th item. But on her big beautiful voluptuous eye grabbing jiggling perky as- you get the picture. You typically will revive with less HP than the enemy who just killed you. But when you're back up you can spam your E guaranteeing a stun and most likely, followed by an escape. The enemy will drool as they observe dat butt jiggling. They'll chase because your butt is incredible, kite with your ult to gain hp and guarantee an escape. The bonus MR and Armor is good too. (did I mention I like her butt?).

In a 5v5 if you're at a point where you're very tanky, I recommend you Q directly to their damage-dealer. Don't immediately follow up with her E. Save it until your hp is lower than theirs. Follow the stun up with her R. Don't just spam her ultimate mindlessly. This is where the magic happens. Ult-Triforce proc-AA and do that until it's done. If you feel you're dying too quickly Q-W-R. Try to use the Proc Ult maneuver. It's efficient. If you can't, drop your ult in the mix of the Q-W-R. Use your E when appropriate. (you'll know when the time comes)

I always play Flash-TP on Irelia.

TP is especially good on her because of her Bladesurge and incredible gap closing capabilities. (let's be honest, we hope Irelia never, ever closes dat gap). Teleport normally isn't wasted on her in a nutshell. I've seen many people TP to a fight only to have no impact because they can't get involved quick enough. With Bladesurge, she's in the mix immediately.

You can run ignite if you're going a full glass-cannon build Irelia. If you're looking for a glass-cannon build, look elsewhere.

Use her Q to last hit creeps, be careful not to miss one. If you miss your Q it will be on cooldown for about 10 seconds, and that essentially makes you a sitting duck. W for farming is great if you need to heal and want to farm. Two birds with one stone is always a good thing. You can take advantage of her Q to escape as well, in the jungle if you have a ward you can use one to gain vision of a jungle camp and Q to it over a wall. In lane a trick I like to call the Big Booty Bounce-away. When running away if you're on the enemy side, ult the creeps you're coming up on low enough to Q to. This will create some distance and you may use it again when needed. Her ultimate to wave-clear is also quite efficient. Use it frivolously as the CD is very low.

If my Guide helped you, let me know! If I didn't, I fully understand. Don't be afraid of constructive criticism. I'd be happy to hear what you like/didn't like.

Irelia is one of my absolute favorite champions and will always have a place in my heart (hopefully I'll have a place in her butt in my next life). She's a great engage and a giant threat when she gets her self an early lead. Play your hearts out.

Godspeed butt lovers!