Remember that Irelia的Ionian Fervor can't detect stealth.
Use Bladesurge to cover great distances by targeting low life minions on your way to champion targets.
For the same reason, targeting enemy minions can help Irelia escape from ganks.
Activate Hiten Style before jumping on an enemy with Bladesurge, as the true damage is applied as well.
Hiten Style also heals you while attacking structures like turrets. This is because it heals you per hit, and is not actually lifesteal.
True damage cannot be negated so keep in mind that the Hiten Style active cannot be negated by ExhaustExhaust.
Reserving Equilibrium Strike for losing battles can often turn the tide.
Equilibrium Strike gives a very useful low-cost disable allowing you to heavily slow the enemy while doing a large amount of damage. Consider leveling it first to acquire your full ganking potential quickly.
To help your jungler gank your lane, purposefully letting your health drop below your target's can provide a much-needed disable.
When you are low on health, use Transcendent Blades on the enemy minion waves to recover lots of health.
In the lane, it can also be used as a harassment tool against champions due to its low cost and low cooldowns.
If coordinated well, it also makes an effective tool for escaping ganks or failed team fights at low health. By clicking the edge of your screen and firing off
a few blades, you can heal off of the enemy champions chasing you to buy time to escape.
Hiten Style is great for jungling and allowing Irelia to sustain herself in lane while also being able to deal true damage to neutral creeps allows her to use other runes rather than armor penetration.
When ganking as Irelia it is important to use your abilities when they will be most effective. If you can engage your target without using Bladesurge then consider saving it in case you need to chase them. Equilibrium Strike can also be of greater use if it is reserved until your target starts to flee, or your health is low enough to leverage the stun to your advantage, rather than for immediate burst damage.
IgniteIgnite combined with Transcendent Blades makes a rather strong combo to kill fleeing enemies.
Build usage[]
Trinity ForceTrinity Force is recommended for good reason, as shown by its components and subsequent easy build-up:
Zeal grants a small boost in mobility, and attack speed to use Hiten Style's active more effectively.
SheenSheen applies itself automatically on Bladesurge, boosting its damage. The manapool increase also allows Irelia to use more Bladesurge to farm and last-hit minions, especially in a lane she cannot control and is forced against the tower.
PhagePhage adds onto chasing potential with Equilibrium Strike's CC, and health is always essential on a melee champion.
Both the activation, and each individual blade, of Transcendent Blades, activates (but does not apply) the Trinity ForceTrinity Force Proc
Attack Speed should be a priority to DPS-focused Irelia players, if only because of the damage potential of Hiten Style.
Wit's EndWit's End is a great item on Irelia because of the AS, magic resistance and the bonus on-hit damage.
Tank items are also good on Irelia because of her ability to stick to an opponent with Bladesurge and Equilibrium Strike, forcing them to retreat. Good options include Randuin's OmenRanduin's Omen and Banshee's VeilBanshee's Veil.
Buying her Mercury's TreadsMercury's Treads is highly recommended, since the effect works well with her Ionian Fervor, as any tenacity item boosts her CC reduction by up to 41.5/51.25/61% depending on the respectice amount of enemy champions nearby.
Hiten Style and Transcendent Blades along with Spirit VisageSpirit Visage allows Irelia to gain a great amount of health back when in trouble.