Irelia vs Kennen
Skill matchup
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Kennen
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Irelia: Blade of The Ruined King, Hullbreaker, Wit's End, Mercury's Treads, Death's Dance, Kraken Slayer, Guardian Angel, Maw of Malmortius.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Kennen's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Kennen stuns enemies he hits 3 times with his abilities.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7s | 13s | 10s | – |
| 6 | 5.5s | 13s | 10s | 2m |
| 9 | 4s | 11.25s | 10s | 2m |
| 11 | 4s | 9.5s | 10s | 2m |
| 16 | 4s | 6s | 8s | 2m |
| 18 | 4s | 6s | 6s | 2m |
Playing as Irelia
Tips to maximize your impact
- Mark your target before you dash
Mark your targets with Flawless Duet (E) or Vanguard's Edge (R) before Bladesurge (Q): if the target is Unsteady or dies to it, its cooldown resets.
- Stack your passive before trading
Before a trade, hit minions with Bladesurge (Q) to stack Ionian Fervor (passive): each stack gives attack speed, and at max stacks your autos hit harder.
- Catch your target between blades
Place the two blades of Flawless Duet (E) on either side of your target: only enemies caught between them are stunned.
- Tank burst with Defiant Dance
Use Defiant Dance (W) to absorb a burst: you take less damage while charging, and the longer you hold it, the harder the release hits.
Playing against Kennen
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Dodge his shurikens
Dodge Thundering Shuriken (Q): each spell that hits you applies Mark of the Storm (passive), and on the third, you're stunned.
- Back off when he rushes in
Back off as soon as he rushes at you with Lightning Rush (E): it's his engage, often followed by Slicing Maelstrom (R).
- Spread out from your allies
When he has Slicing Maelstrom (R), spread out from your allies: the storm hits every enemy around him, and its repeated hits end up stunning.
- Fight back after his storm
Wait for Slicing Maelstrom (R) to end before you fight back: during the storm, he gains armor and magic resist, then the spell has a 120-second cooldown.
Other Irelia matchups
Patch 16.21.1