Illaoi vs Olaf Counter Pick

Olaf‘s answer to almost everything is to keep swinging, and Ragnarok makes that literal — activation grants immunity to disables for as long as he keeps attacking. Against a champion whose pressure arrives through tentacle swings rather than crowd control, that ultimate is worth less than usual, and the 54.6% Illaoi records over 412 games on patch 16.13.1 is partly that mismatch.

Reckless Swing is the more dangerous tool. True damage ignores her 120 armour at level 18 completely, and Berserker Rage grants attack speed and life steal as his health drops, so the fight he wants is a long one conducted at low health. He also out-scales her in raw health, ending at 2,668 to 2,611, and carries 68 attack damage to her 65.

What keeps the matchup in Illaoi’s column is Test of Spirit. A spirit torn out of a champion diving forward at 350 move speed echoes damage back at the worst available moment, and the armour shred on Undertow does nothing to reduce it. Olaf is rated 3 for difficulty and Illaoi 4, so neither side fails on mechanics; his loss condition is committing to a duel on ground where tentacles already stand. Tough It Out supplies both a shield and attack speed, which is why the first few seconds usually belong to him, and why Illaoi’s decision is whether to spend Leap of Faith immediately or hold it until that shield expires.