Irelia

Irelia's Unique buttons put blades on the stage. 5U throws one forward, 2U stabs one into the floor ahead of her, and j.U throws one down at an angle. The blades stay planted for a few seconds (two at a time), and the rest of her kit uses them:

• 6U Bladesurge dashes her to a blade, cutting everything on the path. With a blade behind the opponent, she goes through them.
• 236 Flawless Duet pulls a planted blade in to meet her strike, cutting the whole line.
• 22 Blade Recall calls every blade home through the opponent and drags them toward her.

A landed Duet marks the opponent Unsteady. A Bladesurge (623) into an Unsteady opponent resets the combo: her blade moves and special cancel come back, and the combo runs again. Every different ability she lands builds Ionian Fervor, which adds damage and, at four stacks, true damage.

Blades

• 5U, 2U, and j.U set a blade. You can have two on the stage at a time (three under Awakening). A new blade retires the oldest.
• A planted blade stands for about six seconds and does nothing until she uses it. 6U surges to it, a Duet pulls it in, and 22 recalls every blade. Surging or Duetting uses the blade up.
• 6U prefers a blade past the opponent, nearest first. Otherwise it picks the nearest one in range. With no blade in range, it's a short dash slash.
• The HUD shows your planted blades under the Fervor stock.

The blade loop

• 5U/2U cancel into 6U, and a landed 6U cancels into 5U/2U for the next blade, or into 5L/5M/2L/2M from the new side.
• Each blade move (5U, 2U, 6U, j.U) can only be cancelled into once per combo. From neutral they always come out. A reset returns them.

Unsteady and the Bladesurge reset

• A landed Duet, Vanguard's Edge, 214EX, or a charged Dance marks the opponent Unsteady for a few seconds (the HUD calls UNSTEADY).
• A Bladesurge (623) that lands on an Unsteady opponent resets, up to twice a combo (the HUD calls BLADESURGE RESET):
  • the mark is spent;
  • your blade moves and the leg's special cancel come back;
  • that Bladesurge may cancel into any special on hit;
  • the hit stuns longer;
  • damage scaling still steps down, just less than a new leg.
• 623EX always resets, mark or not (still counts toward the two).

Ionian Fervor

• 0 to 4 stacks. Each different ability family you land in a combo builds one: the blades (5U/2U/j.U), 6U, Duet, Dance, Bladesurge, Recall, and Vanguard's Edge.
• Each stack adds 4% damage. At four stacks, every hit also deals bonus true damage that combo scaling can't reduce.
• Stacks last about five seconds from the last one built, then drop together. Using more of her kit sharpens her faster.

• Toss and surge: 5L 5M 5U 6U 5M 5H. The blade plants past them, and the surge carries the combo to the other side.
• Basic reset: 5L 5M 5H 236M 623M. After the reset, cancel into a blade move or another special.
• The loop: 5L 5M 5U 6U 5M 236M 623M, reset, 5U 6U 5M 236H 623L 2U. The first reset returns the blade moves, and the second Duet sets up the second reset. End with 6U 5M 5H off the ward's blade for her best meterless damage. It works in the corner too.
• Recall: 5L 5M 2U 22M 5U 6U 5M 5H. The ward's blade flies home through them and drags them back into range.
• Legs: end air chains with j.U so a blade sits under the knockdown, then pick up with 6U.
• Build Fervor early: routes that touch more families (toss, surge, Duet, Bladesurge, Recall) reach four stacks sooner, and every later hit deals true damage.
• Meter: at 50 Style, finish the loop with 236EX 6U 5M 5H. At 100, Awakening spent at the start and the whole loop under it is her highest-damage route. Skybound after the loop leaves blades for one more 6U series.