Illaoi
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Good (7/10)
Rare Relics OK
Low Investment
Illaoi is a definitive 'win-more' champion: she dominates when her engine is uninterrupted but struggles significantly against disruption. While her 3-star power offers immense raw stats capable of clearing most content, her binary gameplay loop—relying entirely on a single unit—leaves her vulnerable in Nightmare encounters where silence, stun, or obliterate effects are common.
Buhru Technique
The Best-in-Slot choice. It doubles the stats gained from Spawn effects on spells (e.g., Tentacle Smash, Answered Prayers), accelerating the Tentacle's growth to massive proportions.
Grants Overwhelm, Quick Attack, and Challenger to 1-cost allies. Since Tentacles are 1-cost units, this transforms your primary win condition into a precision removal tool that pierces blockers.
Triggers a Rally upon leveling up. Illaoi typically levels up mid-attack when the Tentacle strikes; this relic allows for an immediate second attack, usually resulting in a One-Turn Kill (OTK).
Strategy
This build maximizes the Tentacle's utility and size. Secret Technique provides the raw stats, Spirit of the Buhru ensures those stats connect with the Nexus via Overwhelm and protects the Tentacle via Quick Attack, and Crownguard Inheritance closes the game instantly.
Immortal Idol
Grants invulnerability while attacking. Illaoi must attack to trigger her buffs, but her base stats often leave her vulnerable to dying in combat. This relic guarantees her survival during the attack phase.- Essential for the double-attack OTK combo upon leveling up.
- Accelerates Tentacle scaling to ensure the attacks are lethal.
Strategy
Prioritizes consistency and safety over raw keyword soup. This setup is superior in adventures with 'Deadly' mutators or high-stat blockers that would otherwise kill Illaoi before she can execute her game plan.
Elusive Rally (Rare Build)
- The core win condition. Rallies when Illaoi levels up for a devastating double turn.
Grants Elusive to the supported ally (the Tentacle). This ensures the massive damage bypasses blockers and hits the Nexus directly.
Provides Spellshield to protect Illaoi from removal, ensuring she stays on board to support the Tentacle.
Strategy
A highly effective budget strategy that relies on evasion rather than Overwhelm. By granting the Tentacle Elusive, you avoid chump blockers entirely.
Other Relic Options
A strong alternative to Spirit of the Buhru. It grants Overwhelm to the entire board (including the Tentacle) and provides a flat attack buff.
Allows Illaoi to be played earlier by reducing her cost, though it requires sacrificing board health.
Doubles spells at 6 mana, creating exponential Spawn triggers for late-game scaling.
Crucial for matchups with heavy control; prevents Illaoi from being silenced or obliterated.
Constellation
Illaoi is a powerhouse at 3 stars, capable of clearing the majority of the game's content with ease. Her reliance on a single unit makes her susceptible to specific hard counters (Lulu, Viego), but her raw damage output is top-tier. She does not require deep constellation investment to function effectively.
Prophet of an Elder God
When allies attack, Spawn 1.
Test of Spirit
+1 Starting Mana. Round Start: Grant the weakest enemy Vulnerable.
Prophet of an Elder God II
When allies attack, Spawn 3.Review
Significantly increases the consistency of her engine by spawning larger Tentacles automatically. This is the primary breakpoint for the champion.
Gameplay Tips
Protect the Engine
Illaoi's entire kit revolves around the Tentacle. If it is removed via Silence, Obliterate, or Recall, her effectiveness drops to near zero. Prioritize protecting it and avoid attacking into mana that represents hard removal.
The Win-More Dynamic
Illaoi excels when she is already ahead or has established a board. She struggles to recover from a wiped board against aggressive decks. Mulligan aggressively for early Spawn cards to establish presence before dropping Illaoi.
Baiting Mana
Against control-heavy encounters (e.g., Aurelion Sol, Lissandra), pass priority to force the AI to tap under the mana required for removal spells before committing Illaoi to the board.
Spawn Synergy
Remember that 'Spawn' counts as buffing an ally. This triggers synergies with relics like Secret Technique, effectively double-dipping on stats for every spawn spell cast.