How to win lane as Illaoi against Zaahen · 50.9% win rate over 1,000 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Level 1 is even — the tentacles are not online yet, so neither kit matters. |
| Level 2 | Illaoi | Level 2 is Illaoi's: Harsh Lesson slams plus tentacle follow-up out-trade him cleanly. |
| Level 3 | Illaoi | Level 3 stays yours — the tentacle field plus the Test of Spirit zone owns the lane. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | Levels 4-5 even out: his early ult punishes you whenever you fight off your tentacles — stay planted. |
| Level 6 | Even / skill | Level 6 is even — his ult trades against your Leap of Faith commit, and whoever commits second wins. |
| First item | Illaoi | First item is Illaoi: tentacle DPS plus your sustain out-brawls him in every extended trade. |
| Two+ items | Illaoi | 2+ items stays yours — the extended fight his kit wants is exactly the fight you win. |
From level 2 you are the bully — Harsh Lesson slams with tentacle follow-up out-trade him, and by 3 the field plus Test of Spirit zones him off the wave entirely. One caveat arrives at 4-5: his ult shows up early and punishes any fight you take away from your tentacles, so bully strictly from your setup and never chase past its edge.
The full Illaoi vs Zaahen report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.
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Playing the other side? Zaahen vs Illaoi guide →
All Illaoi top lane matchups →