Heimerdinger vs Illaoi Counter Pick

Illaoi builds her damage before she uses it. Prophet of an Elder God spawns tentacles on nearby impassable terrain, Harsh Lesson leaps her to a target and makes those tentacles swing at it, and Test of Spirit rips out a spirit that echoes damage back to its owner. Every step needs Heimerdinger inside melee reach of ground she has already prepared, and at 550 attack range with turrets holding the middle he usually is not. The 222-game figure on patch 16.13.1 is 59.0%, difficulty Easy.

Three things can still flip it:

• Illaoi reaches 2,611 health and 120 armour at level 18 against 2,343 and 90.4, so one Leap of Faith landing next to walls ends the exchange immediately.
• She moves at 350 base against 340, enough to punish a mistimed reposition.
• Her damage is physical and 19 base armour is very low for a top laner, so the first two levels are the thinnest part of the matchup.

The reply stays the same each time: keep a turret between the two, hold CH-2 Electron Storm Grenade for the leap, and save UPGRADE!!! for the moment she commits. Tentacle Smash passively raises tentacle damage, so every minute she is allowed to hold prepared terrain makes a late fight beside it worse. Difficulty runs 8 against 4, which places the execution burden on the winning side.