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.
By guaranteeing her survival during the strike, this setup ensures her level-up condition is met, triggering the Rally from Crownguard Inheritance for a game-ending second attack.
Lissandra Burst
- Power: Allies that cost 1 or less have Overwhelm, Quick Attack, and Fury.
Scout Round End: Shuffle me into your deck.- When I level up, Rally.
Strategy
This build is specifically recommended for clearing the Lissandra adventure and other high-health bosses. Galeforce provides Scout, allowing Illaoi to initiate multiple attack phases in a single turn.
Combined with the Rally from Crownguard Inheritance and the massive stat scaling provided by Spirit of the Buhru, this setup maximizes burst damage to achieve One-Turn Kills before the enemy can stabilize.
Budget OTK
- When I level up, Rally.
Support: Grant my supported ally Elusive.
SpellShield
Strategy
A highly effective build using only Common and Rare relics. Greenglade Shadeleaf grants the massive Tentacle Elusive when supported by Illaoi, allowing it to bypass enemy blockers entirely.
Crownguard Inheritance provides the essential Rally for a second attack, while Banshee's Veil ensures Illaoi has a layer of protection against early disruption or removal spells.
Other Relic Options
Power: When you summon an ally, grant it SpellShield.
Support: Kill my supported ally and grant me its keywords and stats.
I cost 1 less for each ally in play. Play: Deal 3 to all other allies.
When you play a spell, if you have 6+ mana gems, copy it with the same targets.
Black Shield is highly recommended for adventures with heavy control, protecting Illaoi from early stuns and obliterates. Corrupted Star Fragment allows Illaoi to consume her Tentacle for massive stats, though it sacrifices a separate attacker. Disciple of Shadows is excellent for early deployment, especially when combined with Nagakabouros. Chemtech Duplicator provides immense value in longer encounters by doubling 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.
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.