Illaoi ARAM Build and Guide

Updated for patch 26.21. Ability details come from Riot’s official game data for this patch; ARAM balance numbers come from the League of Legends Wiki’s champion data.

An Illaoi ARAM build is a juggernaut build: Black Cleaver and Sterak’s Gage for damage and staying power, Spirit Visage to recover lost healing, and Death’s Dance for long brawls. She’s nerfed on the Howling Abyss (95% damage dealt, 105% damage taken, 80% healing), because the lane is lined with walls for her Tentacles.

Item picks follow her patch 26.21 ability text. Win rates had no say.

Why does Illaoi get ARAM nerfs?

Walls, mostly. Tentacles spawn on nearby impassable terrain, and the Howling Abyss is one long corridor with terrain on both sides, so she always has Tentacles within reach. Riot answers with three nerfs: 95% damage dealt, 105% damage taken and 80% healing. The healing cut stings most, since Tentacle hits on champions are her main sustain. Still, the map gives back more than the table takes away (honestly, she’s one of the few champions who’d be overpowered here without them).

How do Tentacles work on the Howling Abyss?

Her abilities, from Riot’s patch 26.21 data:

• Prophet of an Elder God (passive): Tentacles spawn on nearby impassable terrain and attack spirits, cursed targets and Harsh Lesson victims, healing her when they hit champions.
• Tentacle Smash (Q): raises Tentacle damage; the active slams a Tentacle down for physical damage. Cooldown 10/9/8/7/6.
• Harsh Lesson (W): a leap to her target that makes nearby Tentacles swing at it. Cooldown 4.
• Test of Spirit (E): pulls out an enemy’s spirit, which echoes damage back to its owner; killing it or leaving it behind curses the owner and spawns Tentacles near them. Cooldown 16/15/14/13/12.
• Leap of Faith (R): damages nearby enemies and spawns a Tentacle for each enemy champion hit. Cooldown 120/95/70.

Leap of Faith shines here. It spawns a Tentacle for every enemy champion it hits, and in a five-on-five brawl on a narrow lane, that can mean four or five extra Tentacles in one cast, all swinging and all healing her. Test of Spirit lands more often too, since enemies have fewer places to dodge. The minions are the problem: Test of Spirit can catch one by accident. Throw it from the side of the wave.

What does an Illaoi ARAM build look like?

Armor shred, a safety shield, healing back, and damage smoothing. Four items and boots.

Black Cleaver first. Tentacles deal physical damage, so each slam feeds Carve, which strips 6% Armor per stack (max 5) for 6 seconds. Fervor gives Move Speed after dealing physical damage, which helps a slow juggernaut chase. Plus 400 Health.

Sterak’s Gage second. Drop under 30% Health and a fading shield pops up; the rest of the time, the item quietly adds Attack Damage. With 400 Health and 20% Tenacity, it keeps her standing in the middle of the Tentacle storm.

Spirit Visage third. Boundless Vitality increases heals on her by 25%, which offsets much of the 80% healing nerf on every Tentacle hit. It also brings 50 Magic Resist for mage-heavy random teams.

Death’s Dance last. Part of every hit she takes gets stretched out over a few seconds, and a takedown on someone she damaged wipes that leftover damage and heals her. Leap of Faith fights produce a lot of those deaths. Mercury’s Treads give Tenacity for the crowd control that ARAM teams throw at juggernauts (sure, Plated Steelcaps work against AD-heavy comps).

How should Illaoi play Howling Abyss fights?

• Fight near the walls. Tentacles spawn on nearby terrain, and both sides of the lane have plenty.
• Leap of Faith into the most champions. It spawns one Tentacle per enemy champion hit.
• Throw Test of Spirit from the side of the wave. Minions in front can catch it.
• Harsh Lesson the closest target. The leap makes nearby Tentacles swing at that target.
• Stay in the brawl. Tentacle hits on champions are her main healing.

How do the fountain and Mark work for Illaoi?

There’s no recall. She buys at the fountain at the start of the game and after each death, so the first visit should finish Black Cleaver if the gold allows; Carve’s Armor shred needs the full item. Health relics help a juggernaut with a healing nerf (to be fair, Tentacles still heal plenty once Spirit Visage is in).

Lobby picks for summoner spells stay all game. A Mark hit lets her dash to the target, and on a slow juggernaut that’s a way to start a fight on her terms, with Leap of Faith ready for the landing. Thing is, Flash does the same job without needing a skillshot first. Which one? Mark if your team lacks engage, Flash otherwise.

Is Illaoi good in ARAM?

Yes. Three nerfs (95% damage dealt, 105% damage taken, 80% healing) are a lot, but a lane lined with terrain means Tentacles are always available, and Leap of Faith scales with the number of champions hit. Her weakness? Ranged champions who stay away from the walls and kite.

The kiters who give her trouble are listed in our Illaoi counters guide. Item details are in our items list, the League roles page explains juggernauts, and her skins are on the Illaoi skins page.

In practice, the Illaoi ARAM build is Black Cleaver, Sterak’s Gage, Spirit Visage and Death’s Dance with Mercury’s Treads: fight near the walls, land Test of Spirit from the side, and ult into as many champions as possible.

FAQ

Is Illaoi nerfed in ARAM?

Yes, on three lines: damage dealt 95%, damage taken 105%, healing 80% (patch 26.21 Wiki data).

What is the best Illaoi ARAM build?

Black Cleaver opens; Sterak’s Gage, Spirit Visage and Death’s Dance follow, on Mercury’s Treads.

Why is Illaoi strong on the Howling Abyss?

Tentacles spawn on nearby impassable terrain, and the narrow lane has walls on both sides, so she rarely runs out of places for them.

How many Tentacles does Leap of Faith spawn?

One for each enemy champion it hits.

How was this Illaoi build chosen?

From her patch 26.21 kit and item text: physical Tentacle damage, a healing nerf to offset, and long brawls point to Armor shred, healing amplification and damage smoothing. No win-rate data was used.