Hey Everyone I'm Nucbar and this is my first guide! :D This guide will cover my favorite champion to play top Irelia!!! (The Will of the Blades)This guide will cover runes general strats!

Pros :
Strong burst
Sustainability
Strong top
Great at initiating in team fights
Life Steal
Easy to creep with

Cons :
Ult isn't as strong as others (but does give life steal and range dmg)
Nothing really bad with this champion

So runes i have are basic armor pen, flat armor, and magic resist runes. This helps for damage to harass the other teams solo top as well as some sustainability. You can change up the Quins but i like the flat attack damage for your early burst!

Masteries i take with Irelia, are 21/9/0. This is if my jungle is tanky, because if you need to be the tank then go defensive masteries. Though i like other champs top if i'm tanking. These masteries help maximize burst damage as well as giving yourself some armor and life.

I start the game with boots and 3 pots. Some people like to go cloth armor, 5 pots to riggles. I personally never usually do this start. The reason behind the cloth armor, 5 pots is more sustain if your going against a high dps top. I like boots, 3 pots cause gives me sustain plus movement for chase :P and gets me through my build quicker cause i don't build riggles. I go Wits End first because it gives 40% Attack Speed plus great magic resist stacks on burst. Great first Item!!! Next i build Trinity Force because its a great item for Irelia. Gives you every stat you want. Damage output goes up a ton when you get it. You should have trinity force, wits end, and boots by 20-25 mins depending of feed or creeps. After these 3 core items you can varry the build a little bit. Depending on what the other team is going i go WarMogs or Bloodthirster. Mogs gives you health for when you initiate you can stay alive through the fight! Bloodthirster gives more damage plus great life steal if you have the War Mogs cause you will have over 3k health. Then i go either Infinity Edge or Black Cleaver. BC if they have armor, cause it gives dmg, armor pen for the whole team, and attack speed.

You want to max your Hiten Style First. This gives you true damage on your attacks as well as life steal. Next skill you wanna max is your bladesurge. The reason i go for BS over Equilibrium strike is because when you get into team fights the cool down is greatly reduced when you level it so you can hop around and catch running enemys. ES is important to stun or slow but BS does more dmg and is more offensive. Last Max Equilibrium strike. Obviously max your ult when you can.

Summoner Spells i take flash and Exhaust. You can also go ghost exhaust. I personally like flash exhaust so that i can flash away or offensive flash, as well as exhaust to slow for gank or dmg with reduced armor.

Use your Q to creep cause it gives mana back. Initiate fights. Great Dmg. Fun Champion to play!