Ambessa vs Irelia
Skill matchup
Build vs Irelia
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Ambessa: Eclipse, Spear of Shojin, Death's Dance, Plated Steelcaps, Voltaic Cyclosword, Black Cleaver, Executioner's Calling, Endless Hunger.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Irelia's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
When Irelia strikes enemies with spells she gains stacking bonus Attack Speed. At maximum stacks she also gains bonus damage on hit.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10s | 20s | 16s | – |
| 6 | 8s | 20s | 16s | 2m05 |
| 9 | 6s | 18s | 16s | 2m05 |
| 11 | 6s | 16s | 16s | 1m45 |
| 16 | 6s | 12s | 13s | 1m25 |
| 18 | 6s | 12s | 10s | 1m25 |
Playing as Ambessa
Tips to maximize your impact
- Weave an auto between spells
Weave an auto between spells: Drakehound's Step (passive) empowers it and refunds energy, while your three basic spells cost 70 each.
- Hit with the edge of your sweep
Hit with the edge of Cunning Sweep (Q): enemies caught by the edge take much more damage, and landing it readies Sundering Slam (Q).
- Short trades with your dash
Take a short trade: Cunning Sweep (Q), an auto, then Lacerate (E) with a dash backward, which adds a strike at the end of the dash.
- Jump on their carry
Cast Public Execution (R) toward the enemy carry: you blink to the farthest enemy champion in the line you choose, nothing can stop you, and you suppress them.
Playing against Irelia
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Stay away from low-health minions
Don't stand near your low-health minions: Bladesurge (Q) resets when it kills, so she chains dashes from minion to minion until she reaches you.
- Dodge the line of her blades
As soon as the first blade of Flawless Duet (E) lands, change direction: the stun only hits enemies caught between the two blades.
- Trade before her passive stacks
Take your trades when Ionian Fervor (passive) isn't stacked: she builds stacks with her abilities, and at max stacks her autos deal more damage.
- Wait out her Defiant Dance
Save your burst for after Defiant Dance (W): while charging, she takes much less damage, but she can't do anything else.
- Dodge her blade ult
Dodge Vanguard's Edge (R): its blades make you Unsteady, which resets Bladesurge (Q) on you, and the cage they form damages and slows anyone who crosses it.
Other Ambessa matchups
Patch 16.21.1