Countering Irithel in Mobile Legends: Strategies and Tips

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is a popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed and published by Moonton. Among the vast roster of heroes, Irithel stands out as one of the most formidable marksmen. Known for her high mobility and significant damage output, she can dominate the battlefield if left unchecked. However, like all heroes, Irithel has her weaknesses and can be countered effectively with the right strategies and hero picks. This article delves into various methods to counter Irithel, exploring hero selections, gameplay strategies, item choices, and team coordination.

Understanding Irithel's Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• High Mobility: Irithel's unique ability to shoot while moving gives her an edge in kiting enemies and dodging skills.
• Area Damage: Her ultimate, Heavy Crossbow, allows her to deal significant area-of-effect (AOE) damage, which can decimate grouped enemies.
• Sustain Damage: Irithel excels in prolonged fights due to her consistent damage output, especially when paired with her passive, Jungle Heart, which boosts her attack damage.

Weaknesses

• Reliance on Basic Attacks: While her ability to shoot while moving is powerful, Irithel heavily relies on her basic attacks for damage, making her susceptible to disablers and burst damage.
• Vulnerability to Crowd Control: Stuns, silences, and other forms of crowd control (CC) can significantly hinder her performance, as she lacks innate abilities to escape such scenarios.
• Positioning Dependent: Irithel requires good positioning to maximize her damage potential, making her vulnerable to heroes that can disrupt or dive into the backline.

Hero Counters to Irithel

1. Chou

Role: Fighter/Assassin

Strengths Against Irithel:

• High Mobility and Crowd Control: Chou excels at disrupting enemy formations with his abilities, particularly The Way of Dragon (ultimate), which can isolate Irithel from her team.
• Tankiness: Chou's passive, Only Fast, provides him with a shield, enhancing his survivability against Irithel’s attacks.
• Burst Damage: Chou can quickly burst down Irithel, especially when building assassin items like Blade of Despair or Endless Battle.
• Strategy: Use Jeet Kune Do (first skill) to close the gap and Knock Up Irithel, then follow up with The Way of Dragon to kick her towards your team or away from her allies. This isolates her, making her an easy target for focus fire.

2. Khufra

Role: Tank

Strengths Against Irithel:

• Initiation and Disruption: Khufra's Bouncing Ball (second skill) can block Irithel’s escape and prevent her from using mobility skills.
• Crowd Control: Khufra’s Tyrant's Rage (ultimate) can knock Irithel up and back, disrupting her positioning and leaving her vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
• Durability: Khufra’s passive, Spell Curse, provides sustainability in fights, making it hard for Irithel to burst him down quickly.
• Strategy: Engage with Tyrant’s Revenge (first skill) to close the distance, then use Bouncing Ball to limit her movement. Finish with Tyrant's Rage to CC her and allow your team to follow up with damage.

3. Natalia

Role: Assassin

Strengths Against Irithel:

• Stealth and Ambush: Natalia can sneak up on Irithel with her passive, Assassin Instinct, making her a constant threat from the shadows.
• Silence Effect: Natalia’s Claw Dash (first skill) and Smoke Bomb (second skill) can silence Irithel, preventing her from using skills and basic attacks effectively.
• Burst Damage: With her high burst potential, Natalia can eliminate Irithel quickly before she can react.
• Strategy: Use stealth to approach Irithel undetected, then unleash your combo starting with Claw Dash, followed by Smoke Bomb to silence her and basic attacks enhanced by Assassin Instinct. Finish with Cold-blooded Strangling (ultimate) if necessary.

4. Saber

Role: Assassin

Strengths Against Irithel:

• Target Lockdown: Saber’s Triple Sweep (ultimate) is a point-and-click ability that locks down Irithel, preventing her from escaping or attacking.
• Burst Damage: Saber’s skill combo can quickly burst down squishy targets like Irithel.
• Mobility: Saber can use Charge (second skill) to dash in and out of combat, making him hard to catch.
• Strategy: Wait for the right moment to engage when Irithel is isolated or overextended. Initiate with Charge to close the gap, then use Triple Sweep to lock her down and follow up with your basic attacks and Orbiting Swords (first skill) to maximize burst damage.

5. Kaja

Role: Fighter/Support

Strengths Against Irithel:

• Suppression: Kaja’s Divine Judgment (ultimate) suppresses Irithel, making it one of the most effective CC abilities in the game.
• Initiation and Isolation: Kaja can pull Irithel towards his team, isolating her from allies.
• Durability and Sustain: Kaja’s passive, Wrath Sanction, and his skills provide him with good sustain, allowing him to survive longer in fights.
• Strategy: Hide in the bushes or wait for an opportune moment to use Divine Judgment on Irithel. Pull her towards your team and unleash your damage skills while your teammates follow up to secure the kill.

Itemization to Counter Irithel

1. Dominance Ice

Effectiveness: Reduces the attack speed of nearby enemies, which directly counters Irithel’s damage output. The additional armor and mana help sustain prolonged fights.

2. Blade Armor

Effectiveness: Reflects a portion of Irithel's basic attack damage back to her, making it risky for her to focus you. The armor also boosts survivability.

3. Athena’s Shield

Effectiveness: Provides a shield that absorbs significant damage, helping to mitigate Irithel’s burst from her ultimate. The magic resistance also helps against mixed damage compositions.

4. Wind of Nature

Effectiveness: Grants immunity to physical damage for a short duration, allowing marksmen and assassins to survive Irithel’s damage output during crucial moments.

5. Immortality

Effectiveness: Provides a second chance at life, allowing heroes to revive after being burst down by Irithel. This can turn the tide in team fights by allowing your team to reposition and counterattack.

Gameplay Strategies

Early Game

• Pressure and Harass: Focus on harassing Irithel in the early game to delay her farming. Use aggressive laning heroes that can poke and trade effectively.
• Deny Farm: Control the jungle and deny her access to buffs and farm. Invading her jungle with heroes like Chou or Natalia can slow down her item progression.
• Vision Control: Place wards and traps to gain vision over key areas, preventing Irithel from roaming freely and securing kills.

Mid Game

• Ganking: Coordinate with your team to gank Irithel whenever she is isolated. Utilize heroes with strong gap-closing abilities to catch her off guard.
• Objective Control: Prioritize securing objectives like the Turtle and towers. Forcing Irithel to respond to these objectives can lead to advantageous fights for your team.
• Item Power Spike: Ensure your core heroes reach their item power spikes before engaging in major team fights. Heroes like Saber or Kaja can quickly burst Irithel if they have their core items.

Late Game

• Focus Fire: In team fights, prioritize targeting Irithel first. Use crowd control and burst damage to eliminate her quickly, as she is a significant damage threat.
• Peel for Carries: Protect your backline carries from Irithel’s damage. Use tanks and supports to peel and provide crowd control to keep her at bay.
• Split Push: Utilize split-pushing tactics to create pressure on multiple lanes. This forces Irithel’s team to spread out, making it easier to isolate and pick her off.

Team Coordination

• Communication: Maintain constant communication with your team to coordinate ganks, rotations, and team fights. Use in-game pings and voice chat effectively.
• Drafting Phase: During the drafting phase, ensure your team picks heroes that can counter Irithel effectively. Avoid picking multiple squishy heroes that can be easily burst down by her.
• Synergy: Choose heroes that synergize well with each other and have complementary abilities. Heroes with strong initiation and follow-up can effectively counter Irithel’s mobility and damage.

Conclusion

Countering Irithel in Mobile Legends requires a combination of the right hero picks, effective itemization, strategic gameplay, and strong team coordination. By understanding her strengths and weaknesses, players can devise strategies to neutralize her threat on the battlefield. Heroes like Chou, Khufra, Natalia, Saber, and Kaja offer effective counters through their crowd control, burst damage, and mobility. Additionally, proper itemization with Dominance Ice, Blade Armor, Athena’s Shield, Wind of Nature, and Immortality can mitigate her damage output and enhance survivability. Implementing these strategies will help ensure your team can handle Irithel and secure victory in your matches.