Illaoi
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Good (7/10)
Low Investment
Rare Relics OK
Illaoi is a powerful, aggressive champion capable of consistent One-Turn Kills (OTKs) and punching above her weight class. However, her gameplay is highly binary and heavily reliant on a single Tentacle. She excels in standard adventures but struggles in Nightmare difficulties where high-stat enemies and disruption (stuns, frostbites, obliterates) can easily neutralize her win condition.
Tentacle Mastery
Power: When an ally gains stats from a spell, it gains twice that many instead.
When I level up, Rally.
Power: Allies that cost 1 or less have Overwhelm, Quick Attack, and Fury.
Strategy
This is considered the optimal setup for scaling Illaoi's board. Secret Technique doubles the stats gained from Spawn spells, rapidly creating massive tentacles. Spirit of the Buhru grants the 1-cost tentacles Quick Attack and Overwhelm, ensuring they survive combat and push damage. Crownguard Inheritance provides a Rally upon Illaoi's level-up, enabling a devastating One-Turn Kill.
Unstoppable Priestess
- Power: When an ally gains stats from a spell, it gains twice that many instead.
- When I level up, Rally.
+1|+0 While I'm attacking, I can't take damage or die.
Strategy
This build focuses on protecting Illaoi while she attacks, which is crucial in higher-difficulty adventures. Death's Foil ensures she can safely attack into high-stat or Deadly enemies without dying, guaranteeing her level-up and the subsequent Rally from Crownguard Inheritance.
Budget OTK
- When I level up, Rally.
Support: Grant my supported ally Elusive.
Allies have Overwhelm.
Strategy
A highly effective build using only Rare relics. Greenglade Shadeleaf grants the massive Tentacle Elusive when supported by Illaoi, bypassing enemy blockers. Crownguard Inheritance provides the essential Rally, and Troll King's Crown ensures any blocked damage still pushes through to the Nexus.
Other Relic Options
Power: When you summon an ally, grant it SpellShield.
Support: Kill my supported ally and grant me its keyword and stats.
Scout Round End: Shuffle me into your deck.
When you play a spell, if you have 6+ mana gems, copy it with the same targets.
I cost 1 less for each ally in play. Play: Deal 3 to all other allies.
Black Shield is highly recommended for adventures with heavy control, protecting Illaoi or her Tentacle from early stuns and obliterates. Corrupted Star Fragment allows Illaoi to consume her Tentacle for massive stats, though it sacrifices a separate attacker. Players disagree about Galeforce on Illaoi; some consider the Scout effect invaluable for extra attacks, while others find that returning Illaoi to the deck ruins her board presence. Chemtech Duplicator is excellent for longer encounters to double Spawn spells once at 6 mana.
Constellation
Illaoi experiences a massive power spike at her 3-star upgrade, which is generally considered the stopping point for most players. Her core mechanic of stacking power into a single Tentacle makes her incredibly strong in standard content but leaves her vulnerable to disruption in higher-tier challenges.
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
The transition from spawning 1 to 3 Tentacles is a significant boost, transforming her into a reliable choice capable of clearing most standard adventures with ease.
Gameplay Tips
- Protect the Tentacle
Illaoi's entire game plan revolves around her Tentacle. If it gets stunned, frostbitten, or obliterated, her win condition is severely compromised. Prioritize its survival above all else.
- Bait Out Removal
Consider passing the turn to let the AI spend its mana before deploying Illaoi or key Spawn spells. This minimizes the risk of cheap removal or Obliterate effects destroying your Tentacle before you can attack.
- Beware of Lulu
The Lulu encounter is a hard counter to Illaoi. Lulu's adventure power can transform your massive Tentacle into a 1/1, completely neutralizing your primary threat. Approach this matchup with extreme caution.
- Drafting Strategy
Prioritize powers and cards that generate units (Spawn) or provide mana acceleration. Spells like Answered Prayers and Tentacle Smash are critical for scaling your board state quickly.
- Leverage Innate Overwhelm
Illaoi naturally possesses Overwhelm. Focus on buffing her stats and ensuring she can attack safely to push massive damage directly to the enemy Nexus, especially when combined with Rally effects.