Irelia vs Volibear
Hard matchup
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Volibear
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, Executioner's Calling, Guardian Angel.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Volibear's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Volibear's Attacks and abilities grant Attack Speed, and eventually cause his Attacks to deal bonus magic damage to nearby enemies.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12s | 5s | 16s | – |
| 6 | 11s | 5s | 16s | 2m40 |
| 9 | 10s | 5s | 16s | 2m40 |
| 11 | 10s | 5s | 16s | 2m15 |
| 16 | 10s | 5s | 16s | 1m50 |
| 18 | 10s | 5s | 16s | 1m50 |
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 Volibear
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Short trades
Take short trades: his second Frenzied Maul (W) on the same target hits harder and heals him based on his missing health.
- Cut his charge short with CC
If you have CC, use it while he charges with Thundering Smash (Q): his stunning hit is canceled, but the spell comes back right away.
- Back off after his Thundering Smash
After his Thundering Smash (Q), keep your distance: until its 12 to 10 second cooldown is over, only Stormbringer (R) can bring him back onto you in one go.
- Don't count on your tower
Once he hits level 6, don't count on your tower when he dives: Stormbringer (R) disables it for a few seconds on landing.
Other Irelia matchups
Patch 16.21.1