Elite500’s Challenger Guide to Vladimir

About Me

Hello! I’m Elite500, a streamer and multi-season League of Legends veteran. I’ve been playing since Season 3, and Vladimir has been my go-to champion since Season 5. I peaked at Challenger 552 LP in Season 8, and now I’m excited to share my knowledge with you in my first-ever guide. I welcome any constructive criticism!

Why You Should Play the Crimson Reaper

I started maining Vladimir around Season 6 when I realized I could carry games and 1v9 much more effectively than with any other champion I played at the time (sorry, Zed and Yasuo!). This was even before his rework, which only made him stronger.

So, why should you play Vladimir?

1v9 Potential: Vladimir is insanely effective at taking over games. I’ve won countless matches by single-handedly dominating the enemy team.
Fun Factor: There’s nothing quite like the feeling of absolutely CRUSHING and DEMOLISHING your opponents in mere seconds.
Effectiveness Across Ranks: He’s a strong pick in both low and high elo.
Versatile Kit: Vladimir boasts insane burst damage and DPS, AoE and single-target spells, team fighting and 1v1 dominance. He’s a menace in the early, mid, and late game.
Unique Build Path: You have flexibility in your itemization to adapt to different team compositions and matchups.
Resource-less: No mana to worry about, just pure, unadulterated power.
High Skill Ceiling: Mastering Vladimir takes time and dedication, but the rewards are immense. He has one of the steepest mastery curves in the game, with a winrate that scales incredibly well with mastery. According to statistics, his winrate climbs from 39.9% to a whopping 54.7% after 100 games. This guide will help you navigate the early learning curve and reach that juicy 55% winrate (or even higher!).

Here’s a prime example of Vladimir’s 1v9 potential. We were losing 6-15 at one point with a disconnected top laner, but I managed to turn the tides and secure the victory.

Tl;dr: Play Vlad. Make enemy HP go poof.

But Elite, if he’s so strong, why doesn’t everyone play him?

Well, he does have some weaknesses:

Short Range: Vladimir’s biggest weakness is his limited range.
Immobile: He has zero mobility spells, making him vulnerable to ganks and kiting.
No Waveclear: Farming can be slow and tedious, especially early on.
Punishing if Behind: Falling behind on Vladimir can make it extremely difficult to impact the game.
Difficult to Master: As mentioned earlier, Vladimir has a steep learning curve. Mastering his kit and reaching his full potential requires time and effort.

Runes

Vladimir’s optimal rune setup has evolved significantly over recent patches. Here’s the current build I recommend:

Primary: Sorcery

Phase Rush: This keystone is crucial for overcoming Vladimir’s lack of mobility. It allows you to escape ganks, chase down fleeing enemies, and even dive the backline in team fights. The beauty of Phase Rush is that the initial ult cast (not the damage portion) counts as an attack, making it incredibly easy to proc.
Transcendence: 10% CDR at level 10 means more DPS, more sustain, and the possibility of exceeding the CDR cap.
Nimbus Cloak: More speed! Nimbus Cloak synergizes perfectly with Phase Rush, giving you an extra boost after casting your ultimate.
Gathering Storm: This rune provides valuable scaling AP, allowing you to become an unstoppable late-game monster.

Secondary: Inspiration

Magical Footwear: Free boots? More AP? Yes, please! This rune gives you even more early-game power.
Cosmic Insight: The 5% CDR on everything is incredibly valuable on Vladimir. It affects your items (Protobelt, Zhonya’s), summoner spells, and even your abilities, allowing you to reach that crucial 40%+ CDR spike even earlier.

Mini Runes

Ability Haste: More casts, more damage, more fun!
Adaptive Force: Provides a nice damage boost in the early game.
Health: Vladimir’s passive converts bonus health into AP, making this a great choice for extra damage and survivability.

Summoner Spells

Flash: Essential for making aggressive plays and escaping sticky situations. Flash + Protobelt + Sanguine Pool is a deadly combination that gives your opponents zero counterplay.
Ignite: Provides extra kill pressure, helps secure early leads, and synergizes well with Phase Rush. Plus, it just makes you look like a true Chad.

Abilities and Early Usage

Q – Transfusion

Your bread-and-butter ability. In the early game, focus on using Transfusion to harass your opponent and sustain your health. Try to weave in empowered Qs whenever possible, as they deal significant damage and heal you for a surprising amount. Don’t be afraid to take bad trades early on, as your sustain will allow you to come out on top.

W – Sanguine Pool

Your get-out-of-jail-free card. Sanguine Pool is a powerful defensive tool that makes you untargetable and grants a brief movement speed boost. However, it has a long cooldown and costs a significant portion of your health, so use it wisely. In the early game, consider using it to dodge key abilities or escape ganks.

E – Tides of Blood

Your primary damage-dealing ability. Tides of Blood deals AoE damage and can be charged up for increased damage and healing. However, it also costs a percentage of your current health, so be mindful of your HP when using it. In the early game, try to land E only when you’re guaranteed to hit your opponent, as the health cost can be punishing.

R – Hemoplague

Your game-changing ultimate. Hemoplague deals AoE damage, amplifies all damage taken by affected enemies, and heals you for a percentage of the damage dealt. In team fights, your goal is to land Hemoplague on as many enemies as possible, prioritizing squishy targets.

Items

Vladimir’s build path can be flexible, but here’s the core build I recommend:

Protobelt: This item is core on Vladimir, providing everything he needs: AP, health, CDR, a movement ability, and even an attack to proc Phase Rush.
Sorcerer’s Shoes: Magic penetration is crucial for maximizing your damage output.
Fiendish Codex: Building this early will grant you a significant CDR spike, allowing you to spam your abilities more frequently.
Mejai’s Soulstealer: If you’re confident in your ability to snowball a lead, Mejai’s is a must-buy. The extra AP will make you an unstoppable force.
Rabadon’s Deathcap: The ultimate AP item. Deathcap will significantly amplify your damage output, allowing you to melt through even the tankiest of opponents.
Void Staff: Essential for dealing with enemies who stack magic resistance.

Final Item Options:

Zhonya’s Hourglass: Provides valuable armor and stasis, allowing you to survive burst damage and make clutch plays.
Morellonomicon: Inflicts Grievous Wounds, reducing enemy healing and regeneration.
Liandry’s Torment: Excellent against tanks and enemies with high health regeneration.

Gameplay

Early Game

Vladimir is relatively weak in the early game, but don’t let that discourage you. Focus on farming safely, harassing your opponent with Transfusion, and scaling up for the mid-game. Avoid unnecessary trades and roams, and prioritize staying alive.

Mid Game

Once you have Protobelt and a few levels under your belt, you’ll start to feel Vladimir’s power. Look for opportunities to roam and impact other lanes, or continue farming and scaling if your team is ahead.

Late Game

In the late game, Vladimir truly shines. With a full build, you become an unstoppable force capable of 1v5ing team fights. Your goal is to land Hemoplague on as many enemies as possible, then unleash your full combo for devastating results.

Combos

Basic Combo: E – Q – (Empowered Q)
All-In Combo: R – Flash – Protobelt – Ignite – E – W – Q
Extended Trade Combo: E – W – (Charge E during pool) – Q – (Empowered Q)

General Tips

You can cast Tides of Blood (E) while in Sanguine Pool (W).
Both the initial cast and the damage portion of Hemoplague (R) count as an attack for Phase Rush.
You can extend the duration of your empowered Q by casting Sanguine Pool (W), charging Tides of Blood (E), or activating Zhonya’s Hourglass.
Sanguine Pool has a long cooldown, so be mindful of your positioning and avoid wasting it.
Vladimir has short range, so be aware of your positioning and avoid getting kited.
Ban Kassadin. He’s a difficult matchup for Vladimir at all stages of the game.

Matchup Sheet

Here’s a link to my slightly outdated matchup sheet. It’s based on the old Electrocute rune, but I’ll update it for Phase Rush soon!

Skin Tier List (Very Important!)

Marquis Vladimir: For the stylish player.
Blood Lord Vladimir: For flexing on your enemies with bonus armor.
Dark Waters Vladimir: For an almost pay-to-win invisible ultimate.

Closing Words

Thank you for taking the time to read my guide! I hope you found it informative and entertaining. I’m excited to see you dominate the Rift as the Crimson Reaper!

Be sure to follow me on Twitch for more Vladimir gameplay and entertainment: https://www.twitch.tv/elite500/