Catalyst rush on Illaoi?

ABlueQuaker·Dec 14, 2016·2 votes·935 views

My generic Juggernaut build looks something like . The only thing that really changes is my offensive item ( ) and my situational item which is usually a or a or a . On certain junglers I even take Bond of Stone and if my ADC needs a little help.

Recently I've been playing a lot of Illaoi, and rushing a catalyst and finishing a Righteous Glory later in the game it's so damn good. You get a bigger mana pool, you get mana from any damage you take, you then head off ability casts. But the thing is, the heal is capped at 15/25 for Catalyst/RG respectively BUT there's no cooldown on the heal. Since you only get an average of ~12 HP from each of Illaoi's abilities it's not like the mana:HP restore ratio is bad either - it's pretty damn efficient.

Righteous Glory's active itself is great in the mid-game too. Sprint in, spawn a tentacle, W -> E a priority target and lay down your ult when they turn to focus you.

9 Comments

RevaliDec 14, 20162 votes

its really not worth, nor is frozen mallet to me either, you just don't auto if at all outside of w empowered ones.

I usually recommend something like item 3071 item 3053 item 3812 item 3033 and two defensive items.

ABlueQuakerDec 14, 20161 votes

I was talking more broadly with those items - the types of things I'd maybe get on Darius or Gnar.

As far as I'm concerned, item 3111 item 3143 item 3065 item 3071 are the only things you should really be prioritising. Everything else is situational or dependant on the champion/what role you're filling in that game. item 3800 sits in the part of my build that really doesn't matter - the part that lets me get a snowball item, or additional tankiness if my team requires it.

OglafDec 14, 20161 votes

I guess it is good if you want a passive farming lane - but why would you?

Illaoi's strength shines during the laning phase when she is allowed to play in a "base" of tentacles constantly (something she lacks mid-to-late game unless she ults).

You want to take advantage of that by building offensive items and trying to get kills.

ABlueQuakerDec 14, 20161 votes

But to a point you need some sort of sustain. You keep up HP pretty easy with tentacles, but you eventually run oom if you can't kill your opposing laner. 1100 gold into an item that pretty much solves this problem is fairly worthwhile. I mean, Illaoi is pretty infamous for scraping together item 3065 item 3071 and 1vXing. Her base damages are enough for the most part.

OglafDec 14, 20162 votes

{quoted}

But to a point you need some sort of sustain. You keep up HP pretty easy with tentacles, but you eventually run oom if you can't kill your opposing laner. 1100 gold into an item that pretty much solves this problem is fairly worthwhile. I mean, Illaoi is pretty infamous for scraping together and 1vXing. Her base damages are enough for the most part.

I kinda like rushing item 3812 .

Sure it leaves you a bit squishier than item 3071 but the sustain is amazing - hit a full minion wave with your Q and voilá.

ABlueQuakerDec 14, 20161 votes

You can 1-shot waves with Rank 5 Q and a Caulfields. Having no HP in the mid-game makes you pretty irrelevant. My best results have been with Catalyst into Cleaver or just a Cleaver rush into SV into warden's mail and death's dance.

OglafDec 14, 20161 votes

{quoted}

You can 1-shot waves with Rank 5 Q and a Caulfields. Having no HP in the mid-game makes you pretty irrelevant. My best results have been with Catalyst into Cleaver or just a Cleaver rush into SV into warden's mail and death's dance.

Dude, it is not about killing the minions with item 3812 , duh.

Khell DarkWolfDec 14, 20161 votes

where are you playing her? A Solo lane or somewhere else?

Illaoi really doesn't need catalyst to succeed and honestly Righteous glory might be great during midgame but the component items don't give you anything in terms of champion spikes, only HP buffers which is null without resistances.

The point being is, from early to mid game you're supposed to be getting damage to take advantage of those immediate item spikes you get to press on through the rest of the game.

Buying catalyst and a crystalline bracer rush to Righteous glory means you don't have the 1 or 2 AD items to compete against your lane opponent, which probably has a damage item or two and renders your HP to nothing and then what? You have to farm LONGER to get your next item.

Your first and second items are important, cause after that getting to your 3rd onward items becomes a tug of war depending on how you and your team is fairing against the enemy.

Do you have problems while playing Illaoi? Or just thinking of ideas to propagate.