Katarina vs Irelia

Katarina
vs
53.1%

over 742 games

Irelia

Skill matchup

Heavy AD damageSustained DPSSplit pushHigh burst

You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.

Build vs Irelia

Build adapted to this matchup

Recommended items for Katarina: Kraken Slayer, Blade of The Ruined King, Terminus, Sorcerer's Shoes, Shadowflame, Lich Bane, Dark Seal, Zhonya's Hourglass.

Starting items

Doran's Blade
Health Potion

Core build

Kraken Slayer
1
Blade of The Ruined King
2
Terminus
3

Standard

Sorcerer's Shoes
4Magic pen
Shadowflame
5

Summoner spells

FlashDot94%
FlashTeleport2%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Shadowflame
Lich Bane
Dark Seal
Zhonya's Hourglass
Rabadon's Deathcap
Hextech Gunblade
Nashor's Tooth
Death's Dance
Void Staff
Mejai's Soulstealer
Seeker's Armguard
Stormsurge
Tiamat
Titanic Hydra
Jak'Sho, The Protean
Experimental Hexplate
Banshee's Veil
Oblivion Orb
Stridebreaker
Wit's End
Liandry's Torment
Riftmaker
Heartsteel
Endless Hunger
Randuin's Omen
Bloodletter's Curse
Dusk and Dawn
62.6% WR91 games
DominationDomination
ElectrocuteElectrocute
Sudden ImpactSudden Impact
Grisly MementosGrisly Mementos
Relentless HunterRelentless Hunter
PrecisionPrecision
Coup de GraceCoup de Grace
TriumphTriumph
Adaptive ForceAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Irelia's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Ionian Fervor (P)

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

LevelQWER
310s20s16s–
68s20s16s2m05
96s18s16s2m05
116s16s16s1m45
166s12s13s1m25
186s12s10s1m25

Playing as Katarina

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Pick up your daggers

    Pick up your daggers in trades and teamfights: Voracity (passive) then hits every nearby enemy, and each dagger picked up lowers the cooldown of Shunpo (E).

  2. Shunpo to your Q dagger

    After Bouncing Blade (Q), blink to its dagger with Shunpo (E): it lands behind your target, and picking it up triggers Voracity (passive).

  3. Hit everyone before the kills

    In teamfights, hit as many champions as you can before they go down: when one of them dies, Voracity (passive) sharply lowers all your cooldowns.

  4. Death Lotus after their CC

    Cast Death Lotus (R) once the enemy CC is used: it's a channel, and a single CC is enough to cancel it.

Playing against Irelia

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

Patch 16.21.1