Darius vs Illaoi TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Illaoi

Darius vs Illaoi

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Use high early lane pressure to deny Illaoi safe farming and force her to respect your (E) pull threat.
This is a snowball matchup where Darius must force extended trades to stack passive and leverage level 6 execute windows.

Trading pattern

Threaten (E) to control spacing and force Illaoi to farm cautiously near the wave.
Engage in long trades to build passive stacks and hit outer (Q) for healing; finish trades when passive is high.
Punish Illaoi's missed (E) spirit pulls by stepping forward to start your all-in before she can reset tentacles.

Danger windows

Beware when Illaoi lands (E) near tentacles, as it enables her to punish committed trades heavily.
Avoid extended fights inside Illaoi's tentacle zones without (E) available to disengage or reposition.
Be cautious of ganks after Illaoi hits level 6 since her (R) can turn multi-target fights against you.

Early game

Start with aggressive positioning to force Illaoi into unfavorable trades before she sets up tentacles.
Use (E) to pull Illaoi when she steps too close, then follow up with (Q) outer edge for sustain and damage.
Avoid pushing the wave without vision since Illaoi's zone control punishes overextensions.

Power spikes

At level 6, use (R) execute to finish low-health Illaoi and reset for kills; stack passive before committing.
After first bruiser item, force longer fights where your durability and damage overwhelm Illaoi's zone.
Respect Illaoi's level 6 (R) as it can turn fights if you overcommit near her tentacles.

Win conditions

Use wave control to force Illaoi into your (E) range and start extended trades to build passive stacks.
Punish missed (E) spirit pulls aggressively to prevent Illaoi from establishing tentacle zones.
Reach level 6 and item spikes to execute Illaoi in low-health windows and snowball lane kills into side-lane pressure.