Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- +Exceptional ally protection with Idol Love shields that scale against burst threats (assassins, mages, carries)
- +Passive invulnerability at low HP enables clutch plays and baits enemy cooldowns without dying
- +Forest Song mass transform disrupts enemy formations and provides sustained area control during teamfights
Weaknesses
- −Low damage output limits playmaking potential and waveclear, making her dependent on carry performance
- −Squirrel form invulnerability leaves allies vulnerable during 3-second window; easily exploited by coordinated teams
- −Idol Love ride mechanic forces close proximity to carries, making her susceptible to burst if shields are depleted
Abilities
PSquirrel Spirit
When Aya's HP drops below 40%, she transforms into a squirrel for 3 seconds. During this time, she cannot be targeted and cannot attack enemies.
1Sound Breaker
Aya fires a sonic wave in a designated direction, dealing magic damage, revealing enemy positions, and slowing enemies.
2Transform
Return to original form.
RIdol Love
Aya leaps onto an allied hero's head and grants a shield. The shield strength increases if the target is an Assassin, Carry, or Mage. While mounted: pressing this skill again grants a shield to the mounted ally; dragging this skill instead makes Aya leap down to a designated location.
1Hasten
Leap forward.
1Forest Song
After charging, Aya transforms nearby enemies. While mounted, Aya creates a magic circle around her that damages enemies in range. Enemies in the circle are transformed. While this skill is active, the mounted ally gains movement speed.
Skill Order
Priority: R > Q > W| Skill | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Sound Breaker | 1 | · | 3 | · | 5 | · | 7 | · | 9 | · | · | · | 13 | · | · |
2Transform | · | 2 | · | 4 | · | · | · | 8 | · | 10 | · | 12 | · | 14 | · |
RIdol Love | · | · | · | · | · | 6 | · | · | · | · | 11 | · | · | · | 15 |
Loadout
Golden Body
Protect
Spirit
ProwessCore Combos
Engage Shield
R1Activate Forest Song to transform enemies, immediately ride your carry with Idol Love to grant enhanced shield, then reposition with Sound Breaker for poke and vision
Cleanup Control
RRide a teammate, Flicker toward fleeing enemies, then channel Forest Song to mass transform and secure kills while protecting your ally
Gameplan
Early Game
Levels 1–6- →Stick with your carry and abuse Idol Love shields to win 2v2 skirmishes against burst-heavy matchups
- →Use Sound Breaker for poke and vision control in lane; coordinate with carry for all-in plays when shields are available
Mid Game
Post Broken Spear- →Position near your primary carry at all times; pre-emptively ride them before enemy dives to maximize shield value
- →Use Forest Song to interrupt enemy rotations and create space for your team to farm safely or take objectives
Late Game
Teamfight phase- →Ride your hypercarry during critical teamfights and maintain shield uptime through threat assessment (assassins > mages > AD)
- →Channel Forest Song reactively when enemies group; the mass transform setup enables your team to chain crowd control
Matchups
Aya gets countered by
LaurielPersistent damage and mobility allow her to pressure during passive cooldown and ignore shields with sustained DPS
LilianaHer pull negates Idol Love protection and Forest Song disruption; silence prevents timely skill responses
SepheraStun chains and area control ignore Squirrel invulnerability and lock down both Aya and her protected ally
Aya synergizes with
- ElandorrScales massively from Idol Love shields; benefits from Forest Song setup to reset and clean fights
ZillTransforms grant him reset opportunities; shields enable him to dive safely and abuse his invulnerability during ult
FennikAya's shields compensate for his glass cannon nature; Forest Song transforms lock enemies for guaranteed critical rotations
Pro Tips
- →Play around passive HP thresholds strategically—bait enemy burst at 40% HP to trigger invulnerability, then counter-engage when enemies commit
- →Shield priority order: hypercarry > mages > assassins > AD. Ride the highest damage output target, not necessarily the frontline
- →Forest Song is strongest into clumped enemies (midlane teamfights, baron pit). Avoid using it versus mobile/spread enemies who can escape the zone
Aya excels as a clutch-protection support in the current S+ meta, leveraging her unique invulnerability and ally shields to enable carries against burst compositions. Pick into mage/assassin-heavy enemy teams where her scaled shields and teamfight transform disrupt provide maximum value. Avoid matchups with consistent, unavoidable poke (mages) or teams with high mobility that negate Forest Song lockdown.