i got stuck playing top lane, and i decided to play irelia for the first time in a ranked game. i couldn't figure out how to stun with her E, or what other useful purposes she has. according to the unofficial tier lists, she's one of the best top laners in the game, but i dont see how.
i maxed out W first, then E, then R, and last Q.
this was my final build.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScXcff4DqjY
the gbay will tell all
From Trinity, you want CDR and tank stats. Frozen Heart + Visage is good for your CDR needs.
Get early sheen preferably, and max W.
When opponent is near a low HP minion, dash to it, reseting your Q on kill, attacking him. Your stun only goes off if you have a lower %HP then the target. Meaning that if they retaliate, normally you can get the stun off, and hit them with your true damage W. Thats the short version.
She's a pretty straightfoward fighter. Irelia has a weak early few levels, where she mostly looks to defend herself with her stun and guzzle flask/pots. However she power spikes hard with a leveled w and a sheen -> triforce. After you get that you can outduel the large majority of tops if you don't die too much early.
As the game progresses her spike wears off and people team up, and she is a carry diving assassin. Her tenacity makes her difficult to peel, and she can deliver a lot of damage in a couple of seconds.
