Lissandra vs Irelia
Skill matchup
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Irelia
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Lissandra: Malignance, Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, Sorcerer's Shoes, Blackfire Torch, Oblivion Orb, Imperial Mandate, Dark Seal.
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 Lissandra
Tips to maximize your impact
- Poke through a minion
Cast Ice Shard (Q) through a minion: the spear shatters on it, and its shards damage and slow the champion behind.
- Flank with your claw
Engage from the flank with Glacial Path (E): recast it to blink to the claw, then root nearby enemies with Ring of Frost (W).
- Ult yourself if you get focused
If you're getting focused, cast Frozen Tomb (R) on yourself: you become untargetable for a moment, heal based on your missing health, and the ice slows enemies around you.
- Fight where they fall
Stay in the heart of teamfights: Iceborn Subjugation (passive) turns an enemy champion who dies near you into a Frozen Thrall, which slows, then explodes.
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 Lissandra matchups
Patch 16.21.1