Use Illaoi's strong tentacle zoning to force Aurelion Sol into risky positions and deny his safe farming space.
Pressure early with tentacles to prevent Aurelion Sol from freely scaling and roaming, leveraging Illaoi's higher lane pressure and medium early agency.
This is a snowball vs scale matchup; Illaoi must capitalize on early aggression to disrupt Aurelion Sol's late-game control mage scaling.
Trading pattern
Control tentacle space and fish for (E) to force Aurelion Sol into committed trades where Illaoi's tentacles can slam.
After landing (E), use (W) and tentacle slams to maximize damage without overextending.
Avoid trading when (E) is down or tentacles are cleared, as Illaoi's threat significantly drops then.
Danger windows
Be cautious when (R) is down; Aurelion Sol can safely gank or trade without risk of Illaoi's multi-tentacle turnarounds.
Avoid extended fights when tentacles are cleared, as Illaoi loses significant damage and healing.
Watch for enemy jungler ganks, especially after Illaoi commits to (R); use tentacle zones to punish overcommitment but ping for assistance if outnumbered.
Early game
Establish tentacles around the wave early to create zones Aurelion Sol must respect or avoid.
Punish Aurelion Sol's weak early game by landing (E) spirit pulls and following up with tentacle damage before he can fully use his kit.
Avoid chasing Aurelion Sol when he uses (W) for mobility; instead, control space and wait for him to enter (E) range.
Power spikes
Level 6 (R) is a major spike; use it to turn ganks and multi-target fights in your favor by summoning multiple tentacles.
Establish multiple tentacles in side lanes for strong zone control and to force Aurelion Sol to choose between wave control or risking (E).
Respect Aurelion Sol's power spike after completing Rylai's, which improves his waveclear and trade reliability; adjust aggression accordingly.
Win conditions
Win by controlling tentacle zones and landing (E) to force Aurelion Sol into unfavorable trades.
Use (R) to punish multi-target commits and ganks, turning defensive plays into kills.
Deny Aurelion Sol's scaling by aggressive early pressure and side-lane tentacle setups to force him off the wave and limit his roaming impact.
Tip: For Illaoi vs Aurelion Sol, read overview, trading pattern, and danger windows first for a fast Top lane check.
