Mordekaiser vs Illaoi Counter Pick

Fifty units of attack range shape the early exchanges. Mordekaiser swings at 175 while Illaoi reaches 125, so he can contest a minion and step out before her Tentacles answer. Both champions are rated 4 out of 10 on execution, which means the gap between them is not mechanical — it comes down to damage type. Illaoi is a physical-damage Fighter and Tank, Mordekaiser a magic-damage Fighter and Mage, and both start on 32 magic resistance.

Armor is where the mismatch shows. Illaoi climbs to 120 armor by level 18 against 108.4 for Mordekaiser, and none of that stat applies to Darkness Rise, the aura that switches on once three attacks or spells connect. Indestructible compounds the problem by storing damage dealt and taken as a shield that can be spent as a heal, blunting the echoed damage from Test of Spirit. Prophet of an Elder God plants her Tentacles on nearby impassable terrain, so the geometry of the fight matters as much as her cooldowns do.

Across 1,133 games on patch 16.13.1 the Iron Revenant wins 53.7% of these fights. Illaoi owns the raw bulk — 2,611 health at level 18 against 2,413, plus 350 move speed against 335 — yet Realm of Death drags her away from the Tentacles that supply most of her output. Her honest window is Leap of Faith cast beside several planted Tentacles; outside of that, Obliterate hitting her alone deals its increased single-target damage.