Irelia Counters
The best Irelia counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Nasus, Malphite, Tryndamere, Teemo, Chogath. The best Irelia counter is Nasus, with Irelia having only a 32.76% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Irelia counter choices are Sett, Garen, Riven, Gwen, Darius. Below are the top Irelia counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Ionian Fervor
When Irelia strikes enemies with spells she gains stacking bonus Attack Speed. At maximum stacks she also gains bonus damage on hit.
Bladesurge
Irelia dashes forward to strike her target, healing herself. If the target is Marked or dies to Bladesurge, its cooldown refreshes.
Cost:- 15
Cooldown:- 10/
- 9/
- 8/
- 7/
- 6
Range:- 600
Defiant Dance
Irelia charges a strike that deals more damage as she charges. She takes reduced physical damage during the charge.
Cost:- 70/
- 75/
- 80/
- 85/
- 90
Cooldown:- 20/
- 18/
- 16/
- 14/
- 12
Range:- 825
Flawless Duet
Irelia sends out two blades which converge on each other. Enemies caught in between are damaged, stunned and Marked.
Cost:- 50
Cooldown:- 16/
- 15/
- 13/
- 12/
- 10
Range:- 850
Vanguard's Edge
Irelia fires a massive number of blades that explode outward upon hitting an enemy champion. Enemies hit by the blades are damaged and Marked. Afterwards the blades form a wall that will damage and slow enemies that walk through it.
Cost:- 100
Cooldown:- 125/
- 105/
- 85
Range:- 950
- Fighter,
- Assassin
These champions are Irelia's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Nasus is Irelia's biggest counter with only a 32.76% win rate for Irelia. When facing these Irelia counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Irelia matchups.
Nasus
Malphite
Tryndamere
Teemo
Cho'Gath
Sett
Garen
Riven
Gwen
Darius
When facing Irelia in League of Legends, understanding Irelia's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Irelia deals primarily physical damage, which means prioritizing armor in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Irelia's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Irelia include Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide substantial armor stats that directly mitigate Irelia's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Irelia counters are Nasus, Malphite, Tryndamere, and Teemo. These champions either out-trade Irelia in lane, have abilities that negate Irelia's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Nasus in particular exploits Irelia's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Irelia involves understanding Irelia's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Irelia when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Irelia in team fights before Irelia can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Irelia to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Irelia's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Irelia's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Irelia is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Irelia may look for extended trades. Avoid long fights and kite with slows. Short trades favor you against sustained damage.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Irelia becomes increasingly tanky mid game. Focus on kiting and percent health damage. Avoid fighting in choke points.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Irelia is very durable late game. Use armor penetration or anti-tank items. Focus squishier targets first if Irelia is too tanky.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Irelia in lane or team fights.
- Pick Nasus or similar champions with kits that exploit Irelia's weaknesses
- Build Plated Steelcaps or Seeker's Armguard early to reduce Irelia's damage in lane
- Track Irelia's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Irelia's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Irelia during vulnerable windows
- Group with teammates to deny Irelia solo picks
- Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Irelia's engages
Irelia performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Vladimir is Irelia's best matchup with a 64.29% win rate. When playing Irelia into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Irelia can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Vladimir
Yone
Aatrox
Gangplank
Sion
Swain
Zed
Renekton
Malzahar
Naafiri
Irelia Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Irelia?
The best Irelia counters are Nasus, Malphite, and Tryndamere. These champions have favorable matchups against Irelia and can exploit Irelia's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Irelia's hardest counter?
Nasus is Irelia's hardest counter with Irelia having only a 32.76% win rate in this matchup. Malphite (34.41% WR) and Tryndamere (34.62% WR) are also strong Irelia counters.
Who does Irelia counter?
Irelia performs well against Vladimir, Yone, and Aatrox. These are Irelia's best matchups where Irelia has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Irelia in lane?
To beat Irelia in lane, pick a counter champion like Nasus or Malphite. Focus on trading when Irelia's key abilities are on cooldown, and build armor items to reduce Irelia's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Irelia gains an advantage.
What items counter Irelia?
The best items to counter Irelia are Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide armor which directly reduces Irelia's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Irelia in lane.
When is Irelia weakest?
Irelia is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Irelia's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Irelia before Irelia can set up fights on Irelia's own terms.
How do I play Irelia into counter matchups?
When playing Irelia into counters like Nasus, focus on safe farming, waiting for jungle assistance, and playing around power spikes. Avoid extended trades in unfavorable matchups and look for opportunities to scale into mid and late game.
What champions are similar to Irelia's counters?
If Nasus, Malphite, or Tryndamere are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Irelia's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Irelia's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.