Illaoi vs Tahm Kench TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Tahm Kench

Illaoi vs Tahm Kench

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Use your tentacles to zone Tahm Kench and force him to approach under pressure, denying him passive stack buildup.
This is a control vs durable front-line matchup where you must maintain tentacle zones to punish Tahm Kench's short trades and sustain.

Trading pattern

Control tentacle space and fish for (E) to pull his spirit, then use (W) and (R) to punish committed fights inside your zone.
Avoid chasing him out of your tentacle range where he can kite and negate your damage.
Punish Tahm Kench when his passive stacks are low and (E) gray health shield is down by forcing extended trades inside tentacle range.

Danger windows

Be cautious when Tahm Kench reaches three passive stacks and can stun with (Q), as he can punish your trades heavily.
Avoid fighting when your (E) misses or your tentacles have been cleared, as your damage and healing drop sharply.
Respect (R) cooldown as he can isolate or save targets, making ganks or all-ins riskier.

Early game

Focus on setting up tentacles around the wave early to create pressure and bait Tahm Kench into risky approaches.
Avoid fighting without tentacles nearby since Tahm Kench can absorb damage and punish you if you trade poorly.
Use (E) only when Tahm Kench is forced into your tentacle zone to maximize its threat and punish his attempts to stack (Q).

Power spikes

At level 6, use (R) to turn ganks or multi-target fights in your favor by maximizing tentacle damage.
When you have multiple tentacles established, pressure Tahm Kench to force him to clear them or lose wave control.
Respect Tahm Kench's level 6 (R) threat and his first tank item spike which increases his durability and sustain.

Win conditions

Win by controlling tentacle zones and landing (E) to force Tahm Kench into losing trades or to commit under pressure.
Deny Tahm Kench the chance to build passive stacks safely by zoning and punishing his attempts to trade.
Use your (R) to turn multi-target fights or ganks, securing kills and snowballing your side-lane pressure into objectives.