Illaoi vs Pantheon TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Pantheon

Illaoi vs Pantheon

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Use tentacle zoning to force Pantheon into risky approaches and deny his early burst trades.
Pressure early to prevent Pantheon from snowballing and leverage Illaoi's stronger mid-game all-ins.
This is a snowball vs scale lane where Illaoi must punish Pantheon’s short burst windows and avoid extended fights without tentacles.

Trading pattern

Fish for (E) spirit pulls to force Pantheon into your tentacle zone before committing to trades.
Punish Pantheon’s (W) stun by stepping back after it is used and then counterattacking with tentacle damage.
Avoid chasing Pantheon out of tentacle range; force him to enter your zone for maximum damage and healing.

Danger windows

Pantheon is dangerous when his (W) stun is up; avoid overextending and respect his engage range.
Illaoi is vulnerable if (E) misses or tentacles are cleared; reset zone and play cautiously until tentacles respawn.
After (R) is used or tentacles are cleared, ganks become safer for Pantheon; ward accordingly and avoid fights without your ultimate.

Early game

Establish tentacles around the wave early to control space and threaten (E) pulls.
Avoid extended trades before level 6 unless (E) lands and tentacles are nearby to punish Pantheon’s stun attempts.
Use (W) empowered tentacle slams to trade only when Pantheon commits after (E) or (W) cooldowns are used.

Power spikes

Level 6 (R) dramatically increases Illaoi’s all-in threat; fight only inside tentacle zones and use (R) when Pantheon commits.
Pantheon’s level 2-3 empowered (Q), (W), and (E) create strong burst trades; respect these windows by avoiding extended fights.
Prepared side lane with multiple tentacles and (E) angles makes Illaoi’s zone hard to contest; set this up before pressuring tower or wave.

Win conditions

Control tentacle zones and land (E) to force winning trades and deny Pantheon’s early snowball.
Punish Pantheon’s roams after level 6 by hard pushing and taking plates while he is off the lane.
Use (R) to turn multi-target fights in your favor and secure side-lane pressure leading to tower damage or objectives.