Countering Irelia requires a mix of understanding her strengths and weaknesses, as well as utilizing effective strategies both in lane and during team fights. Here’s a detailed guide on how to counter Irelia:

Understanding Irelia in-depth involves dissecting her kit, analyzing her strengths and weaknesses, and recognizing her playstyle patterns. Here’s an expanded breakdown:

1. Abilities:

1.1 Ionian Fervor (Passive):

• Irelia gains increased attack speed based on the number of enemies nearby. This allows her to duel effectively in skirmishes and team fights.
  
  
• It also encourages Irelia players to engage multiple targets to maximize her passive benefits.

1.2 Bladesurge (Q):

• Irelia dashes to a target, dealing physical damage. If the target is marked or dies to Bladesurge, its cooldown refreshes partially.
  
  
• This ability provides Irelia with significant mobility and can be used both for engaging onto enemies and escaping unfavorable situations.

1.3 Defiant Dance (W):

• Passively, this ability grants Irelia bonus magic damage on-hit based on her attack damage. When activated, Irelia reduces incoming physical damage and, upon full charge, deals magic damage in an area around her based on damage taken while channeling.
  
  
• This ability allows Irelia to mitigate damage and trade effectively in extended fights, especially against physical damage champions.

1.4 Flawless Duet (E):

• Irelia sends out two blades that converge, damaging and stunning enemies caught in between. Hitting an enemy with both blades grants additional damage and a longer stun duration.
  
  
• Flawless Duet is a crucial ability for Irelia’s trading and all-in potential, as it sets up her combo and allows her to stick to her target.

1.5 Vanguard’s Edge (R):

• Irelia throws her ultimate in a line, dealing magic damage and marking enemy champions hit. If the blades pass through terrain, they form a wall that slows enemies that pass through it.
  
  
• Upon completion of the cast or hitting an enemy champion, Irelia gains increased movement speed for a short duration.
  
  
• Vanguard’s Edge is Irelia’s primary team fighting tool, providing both damage and crowd control to control the battlefield.

2. Strengths:

2.1 Mobility and Stickiness: Irelia’s kit offers her high mobility with her Q resets and the ability to stick to targets with her E stun.

2.2 Mixed Damage: She deals a combination of physical and magic damage, making it difficult for opponents to itemize against her effectively.

2.3 Dueling Potential: With her passive and sustained damage from Q resets, Irelia excels in extended trades and duels, especially against champions with limited crowd control or burst damage.

3. Weaknesses:

3.1 Vulnerability to Crowd Control: Irelia is susceptible to crowd control effects, which can disrupt her combo and prevent her from sticking to targets.

3.2 High Skill Ceiling: Irelia’s kit requires precise timing and execution to maximize her effectiveness, making her more challenging to master compared to some other champions.

3.3 Reliance on Resets: Irelia heavily relies on landing her Q to reset its cooldown and maintain mobility in fights. Missing Qs can significantly impact her ability to stick to targets or escape.

4. Playstyle Patterns:

4.1 Trading Patterns: Irelia players often look to land E stun into Q for burst damage, utilizing her Q resets for extended trades.

4.2 All-In Potential: At level 6, Irelia gains a significant power spike with her ultimate, which can turn the tide of fights, especially when combined with her other abilities.

4.3 Roaming and Split Pushing: Irelia can be a potent split pusher due to her mobility and dueling potential. Understanding when she’s likely to roam or split push can help predict her movements and counteract them.

By thoroughly understanding Irelia’s abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and typical playstyle patterns, you can better anticipate her actions and formulate strategies to counter her effectively in lane and team fights.

5. Strategies to Counter Irelia:

5.1 Early Lane Dominance:

• Trade Wisely: Irelia’s power spikes at level 2 and level 6, but she can still be vulnerable before then. Look for opportunities to trade when her abilities are on cooldown or when she misuses them.
  
  
• Exploit Cooldowns: Punish her whenever she misses her E (Flawless Duet) or uses her Q (Bladesurge) to farm, as these are her primary trading tools.
  
  
• Freeze the Wave: By keeping the minion wave close to your tower, you limit Irelia’s ability to engage on you without risking overextension. This also exposes her to ganks from your jungler.

5.2 Itemization:

• Ninja Tabi: These boots reduce basic attack damage, which is significant against Irelia, who relies heavily on auto-attacks for damage.
  
  
• Seeker’s Armguard (AP champions): Provides armor and can be built into Zhonya’s Hourglass later, mitigating Irelia’s burst damage potential.
  
  
• Bramble Vest: Effective against Irelia’s sustain from her passive and itemization like Blade of the Ruined King, reducing her ability to trade effectively.

5.3 Wave Management:

• Control the Wave: Avoid pushing the wave too hard early on, as this exposes you to ganks and makes it easier for Irelia to engage on you. Instead, try to freeze the wave near your tower.
  
  
• Call for Jungler Assistance: If you’re struggling in lane, ask your jungler for help. Irelia can be susceptible to ganks, especially if she’s pushed up without vision.

5.4 Positioning in Team Fights:

• Spread Out: Irelia excels in fights with multiple targets due to her passive. By staying spread out, you reduce the effectiveness of her passive and ultimate (Vanguard’s Edge).
  
  
• Focus on CC: Crowd control effects can disrupt Irelia’s mobility and make it easier to burst her down. Coordinate with your team to chain CC and focus her in team fights.

5.4 Vision Control:

• Warding: Place wards in key locations to track Irelia’s movements and prevent her from roaming or flanking. Deep wards in the enemy jungle can also provide valuable information about her whereabouts.
  
  
• Clear Vision: Deny vision around objectives like Dragon and Baron to limit Irelia’s opportunities to flank or engage in team fights.

5.5 Team Composition:

• CC and Peel: Draft champions with strong crowd control and peel to neutralize Irelia in team fights. Champions like Nautilus, Leona, or Lulu can help lock her down or keep her away from priority targets.
  
  
• Kiting and Disengage: Champions with abilities to kite effectively or disengage from fights can make it difficult for Irelia to engage and stick to targets. Champions like Janna, Ezreal, or Ashe can excel in this regard.

5.6 Adaptation and Communication:

• Adapt to Irelia’s Build: Keep track of Irelia’s itemization and adjust your build accordingly. If she’s building defensively, consider focusing on objectives or looking for plays elsewhere on the map.
  
  
• Communicate with Your Team: Effective communication is key to countering Irelia. Coordinate with your team to capitalize on opportunities, respond to Irelia’s movements, and secure objectives.

By implementing these strategies and adapting your gameplay accordingly, you can effectively counter Irelia and minimize her impact on the game. Understanding her strengths and weaknesses is crucial, but it’s equally important to execute these strategies effectively as a team.

6. Counter Picks:

6.1 Tanks and Bruisers:

• Malphite: Malphite’s high armor and his Ground Slam (E) ability, which reduces the attack speed of nearby enemies, make him a solid pick against Irelia. His ultimate, Unstoppable Force, provides a powerful engage tool to lock down Irelia in team fights.
  
  
• Maokai: Maokai’s sustain, crowd control, and innate tankiness make him a strong pick against Irelia. His Twisted Advance (W) can be used to root Irelia in place, disrupting her engages, while his ultimate, Nature’s Grasp, provides additional crowd control and zoning potential in team fights.
  
  
• Garen: Garen’s tankiness and sustain from his passive, Perseverance, allow him to withstand Irelia’s damage in lane. His silence from Decisive Strike (Q) can interrupt Irelia’s combo, while his ultimate, Demacian Justice, provides a finishing blow against low-health targets.

6.2 Range and Poke Champions:

• Jayce: Jayce’s ranged poke and ability to switch between melee and ranged forms make him a strong pick against Irelia. He can harass Irelia from a distance with Shock Blast (Q) and Acceleration Gate (E), while his Hammer Stance (E) provides disengage tools to keep Irelia at bay.
  
  
• Gnar: Gnar’s ranged poke and kiting abilities make him a formidable opponent for Irelia. He can harass Irelia with Boomerang Throw (Q) and Boulder Toss (Mega Gnar Q) while using his mobility and crowd control in Mini Gnar form to kite Irelia and avoid extended trades.
  
  
• Vladimir: Vladimir’s sustain, ranged poke, and ability to pool to avoid Irelia’s engages make him a strong pick in this matchup. He can harass Irelia with Transfusion (Q) while sustaining through her damage with his passive, Crimson Rush, and Tides of Blood (E).

6.3 Control Mages:

• Orianna: Orianna’s range, poke, and crowd control make her a strong pick against Irelia. She can harass Irelia with Command: Attack (Q) and Command: Dissonance (W) while using Command: Shockwave (R) to disrupt her engages and turn team fights in her team’s favor.
  
  
• Syndra: Syndra’s long-range poke and burst damage make her a potent threat to Irelia. She can harass Irelia with Dark Sphere (Q) and Scatter the Weak (E) while using Unleashed Power (R) to burst her down in team fights.
  
  
• Anivia: Anivia’s wave clear, crowd control, and zoning potential make her a strong pick against Irelia. She can harass Irelia with Flash Frost (Q) and Frostbite (E) while using Crystallize (W) and Glacial Storm (R) to control the battlefield and prevent Irelia from engaging on her team.

Choosing the right champion to counter Irelia involves considering factors such as lane matchups, team compositions, and individual playstyles. Tanks and bruisers with crowd control, ranged and poke champions with kiting abilities, and control mages with zoning potential can all effectively neutralize Irelia’s threats and contribute to their team’s success. Ultimately, it’s essential to play to your champion’s strengths and capitalize on Irelia’s weaknesses to secure victory in lane and team fights.