QEQWQR -> R > E > Q > W imo, with some wiggle room in the first 4 levels. In lane, you need the burst over the W, otherwise you won't scare anyone off a lane.

EDIT: you can finish W over Q if you really need to kill a poppy or something, but it's pretty rare that I don't max my burst asap.

TheYango

United States47024 Posts

April 20 2011 18:34 GMT

#242

IMO maxing W just doesn't play that well to Irelia's kit. Midgame you're not playing to be a sustained damage dealer--your strength is based on your combo's burst against key targets, and you max Q and E to improve the strength, reliablility, and repeatability of your combo's burst damage. Maxing W does improve your damage, but not by much more than maxing Q/E, and it doesn't improve your ability to stick to squishies with a longer-duration stun/slow or shorter-CD jump.

W becomes strong lategame, when enemy champions have all built up mitigation stats for true damage to be noticeably stronger than straight AD.

EmeraldSparks

United States1451 Posts

April 20 2011 19:34 GMT

#243

what if you were laning against 0/21/9 taric maxing w with full armor runes

BlackPaladin

United States9316 Posts

April 20 2011 19:36 GMT

#244

Then you take his tower in under 10 minutes and laugh when their support is the one with farm.

spinesheath

Germany8679 Posts

April 20 2011 19:51 GMT

#245

Maxing W obviously would go along with a different playstyle. Not running after squishies, but hitting whatever is in range.
Not saying this is good on Irelia or anything.

Slayer91

Ireland23465 Posts

April 20 2011 21:26 GMT

#246

Maxing W is ridiculous against any armour dependent melee in lane though. +75 TRUE damage to every attack. Holy shit. Level 5 W + wits end just sends me to another lane.

NeoIllusions

United States37500 Posts

April 20 2011 21:45 GMT

#247

So many scrub Irelias...

With Irelia, you really need to adapt to your lane. It's not like most champions, say Corki for example, where you are set going QWQER, R > Q > E > W. And you pretty much go that skill build in and out, every game.

I usually open WEEQER, R > E > Q > W with Irelia up top. This build works fine normally, like if I'm up against a solo top Renekton. First point W means I can poke with Renekton then heal back up with auto attacks on minions. Prioritizing E means I can actually fight for lane control if I burst correctly.

However, that previous Irelia build is going to be subpar against a solo bot Cho'gath. Lane is going to be very farm war and if I can't stop Cho from farming, he's going to laugh off Irelia's E, even at level 5. A better Irelia build in this situation would be QWWEWR, R > W > Q > E. First point Q to help last hit and more importantly, make sure you never eat a Rupture (just dash onto a creep). At levels 2-5, you can outharass Cho with W auto attacks and heal back up on creeps when your true damage active is down. In attrition lanes, W is better, all you need E for is to slow/stun.

Good Irelias don't use blanket skill builds. It honestly depends on her opponent in lane. The whole EU Irelia build vs NA Irelia build argument is moot.

TheYango

United States47024 Posts

April 20 2011 22:08 GMT

#248

Is being slightly better off in lane with W ranks worth the loss in utility as an anti-carry midgame? W is great in lane, but true damage isn't that much better than plain AD against squishy AD/AP carry targets, who you will most likely be bee-lining for in fights.

I can see more W ranks being useful against a team that doesn't have squishy AD/AP solos, and instead has beefy guys like Ryze/Jarvan. But I just can't see Irelia losing any lanes hard enough that it warrants taking all 5 ranks in W. You'll win your lane, but is that worth losing the reliability and repeatability of your midgame burst?

Shikyo

Finland33997 Posts

April 21 2011 00:12 GMT

#249

God, it's not the damage of the Q, it's the cooldown.

If you've ever experienced the Q into battle -> do nothing for 20 seconds you'll know.

Standard rule should be to just get as much W as you need to not get forced off lane and then prioritize E and Q. I dunno, I really don't see maxing W benefiting you nearly as much as maxing E.

BlackPaladin

United States9316 Posts

April 21 2011 01:30 GMT

#250

Neo kind of explains how I think actually. Builds are just cookie-cutter to help. However, you need to adapt to your opponents team/the game itself. You don't go into a game of starcraft 12 hatching everygame because it's the most optimal economy build, because if your opponent does something like a 9 pool you've just lost the game (unless you're jaedong). You need to adapt your builds sometimes to account for the enemy.

Shikyo

Finland33997 Posts

April 21 2011 01:45 GMT

#251

Hahah on stream right now, Grackis maxing W first and rushing wits end, Rainman says "grackis, your build is really bad man"

Yep!

And then Grackis says wickd is better at irelia than anyone

hahahaha

NeoIllusions

United States37500 Posts

April 21 2011 01:47 GMT

#252

Skill builds change but you should get Triforce first. >_> Maybe a HoG before for hp and g/5. zzz

Shikyo

Finland33997 Posts

April 21 2011 01:49 GMT

#253

no its the wickd build, max W and rush wits end

BlackPaladin

United States9316 Posts

April 21 2011 01:50 GMT

#254

On April 21 2011 10:47 NeoIllusions wrote:
Skill builds change but you should get Triforce first. >_> Maybe a HoG before for hp and g/5. zzz

I agree here. After triforce items are game dependent, but irelia just needs triforce imo. I never even agreed with people who got wriggles or rushed a HoG on her before triforce. It was never really needed and just delayed her damage. =/

NeoIllusions

United States37500 Posts

April 21 2011 01:52 GMT

#255

On April 21 2011 10:49 Shikyo wrote:
no its the wickd build, max W and rush wits end

Yes, I know it's Wickd's build. >_>
Works in EU I guess. Hi5.

Shikyo

Finland33997 Posts

April 21 2011 01:54 GMT

#256

On April 21 2011 10:52 NeoIllusions wrote:

Show nested quote +

Yes, I know it's Wickd's build. >_>
Works in EU I guess. Hi5.

nope it doesnt. I get those irelias all the time. "Wow, wits end + W 42 and 75 dmg insane attack speed, super good!" then they do well in lane and are useless in teamfights until they get that 40min triforce.

It's just like the support-carry bot on EU, it sucks but everyone does it.