Kayle vs Irelia
Skill matchup
You are stronger late game. Farm safe and avoid early trades.
Build vs Irelia
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Kayle: Nashor's Tooth, Dusk and Dawn, Rabadon's Deathcap, Boots of Swiftness, Shadowflame, Guinsoo's Rageblade, Rylai's Crystal Scepter, Terminus.
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 Kayle
Tips to maximize your impact
- Play safe early
Play safe early on: Divine Ascent (passive) empowers your autos with each level, adding range, speed and waves of fire.
- Save your W for ganks
Save Celestial Blessing (W) to escape a gank or hold your lane: it heals you and an ally, and gives you both move speed.
- Push once you get fire waves
Push the wave as soon as you unlock your waves of fire: Divine Ascent (passive) adds them to your autos, and minions go down much faster.
- Ult the ally they're focusing
Cast Divine Judgment (R) on the ally being focused, at the last moment: they become invulnerable, then the area around them damages enemies.
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 Kayle matchups
Patch 16.21.1