Introduction

This guide isn’t about farming upvotes. I just want to show how patch 25.16 changed Illaoi’s playstyle and why three specific items, in this exact order, have insanely strong synergy. Now she endures until the late mid-game, then goes hunting for enemies instead of endlessly splitpushing like she used to.

A high-risk, high-reward build for experienced players who thrive under pressure. It pushes Illaoi to her limits, playing around dangerously low health to unlock massive damage spikes, sustain, and unstoppable teamfight presence. Precise positioning, mastery over tentacle placement, and flawless decision-making are key — one mistake can end your run, but perfect execution lets you dismantle entire teams, even when outnumbered.

This setup abuses Illaoi’s low-HP power spikes, especially after the 3rd core item, combining sustain, shields, and burst damage to dominate extended fights. Post-rework buffs to mobility and damage make this build extremely difficult to counter.

Runes

Primary — Resolve
Grasp of the Undying — best keystone when maxing E first.
Demolish — faster tower pushing (synergy with Hullbreaker / Sundered Sky).
Second Wind — lane sustain.
Overgrowth — scales very well into late game.

Secondary — Precision
Triumph — clutch healing and gold in teamfights.
Last Stand — insane damage boost in low HP situations.

Stat Shards
Adaptive Force
Adaptive Force
Scaling Health

Core Items & Optimal Order

1. Sundered Sky — early burst + sustain.
2. Sterak’s Gage — shield + midgame survivability.
3. Overlord’s Bloodmail — insane power in low HP fights.
4. Frozen Heart — vs auto-attackers and for tower tanking.
5. Death’s Dance — sustain in extended fights.
6. Thornmail — vs heavy healing.
7. Hullbreaker — splitpush pressure.

Boots

Plated Steelcaps — almost always, armor + auto-attack damage reduction.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity — for CDR when enemy autos are not a threat.

Mercury’s Treads — not worth buying; Tenacity is underwhelming for Illaoi, and MR investment is rarely optimal since she wins by tanking through damage, not avoiding CC.

Skill Order
1 — W
2 — E
3 — Q
4 — E
5 — E
6 — R
7 — E
8 — Q
9 — E (max)
10 — Q
11 — R
12 — Q (max)
13 — W
14 — W
15 — W (max)
16+ — R

Why Max E First
• Main lane pressure tool — hitting E summons a spirit, all nearby tentacles slam it for full champion damage.
• Harass without risk — poke through the spirit without stepping into enemy range.
• Sundered Sky synergy — burst and healing apply on spirit hits.
• Teamfight setup — E before R ensures instant tentacle hits on multiple targets.
• Best scaling — each rank boosts E and tentacle slam damage more than Q or W early.

Trap Items

Iceborn Gauntlet — weak slow, Illaoi doesn’t win via slows.
Mercury’s Treads — Tenacity + MR are low value.
Spirit Visage — doesn’t boost passive/Sundered Sky/Triumph healing.
Winter's Approach — poor synergy (Illaoi’s power comes from damage + lifesteal, not mana/shields), slow spike until Fimbulwinter, and no damage boost.
Maw of Malmortius — weak shield, no HP, poor synergy.
Spear of Shojin — useless AA CDR.
Force of Nature — pure MR items are inefficient for Illaoi.
Black Cleaver — fine early, but Sundered Sky is better for sustain and E synergy.

Game Plan

Early (1–9)
• Play around E poke + Q last-hit.
• Trade through spirit safely.

Midgame
• With Sundered Sky + Sterak’s, you can confidently take 1v2/1v3 fights.
• Always aim E → R for maximum impact.

Lategame
• Faster passive tentacle spawns enable roaming.
• Overlord’s Bloodmail + Sterak’s let you spam E without fear.
• Low HP = highest damage potential.
• After purchasing a 3-item Core (Sundered Sky+Sterak's Gage+Overlord's Bloodmail), damage is no longer needed, collect survivability according to the situation.