Vladimir Champion Overview and Scaling Guide
See when Vladimir is worth the wait, how his scaling teamfight burst works, and which lane patterns punish his weak early game.
Vladimir Counter Strategy & Strategy (Patch 16.11)
When to Counter Vladimir
Pick Vladimir when your team can absorb a quieter early game and later fight around grouped enemies, frontlines, or tight objective setups. He fits best in drafts that can buy time, cover side waves, and provide enough initiation for him to enter fights on his terms. Vladimir is especially rewarding when the enemy lacks the tools to repeatedly punish his first few levels.
How to Counter Vladimir Strategy
Pressure his early wave states so he farms under stress instead of floating safely toward scaling breakpoints. In teamfights, spread before Hemoplague lands and force his pool or movement early so he cannot hold it for the most dangerous moment. Vladimir is much less threatening when he has to enter from the front rather than through a protected flank.
Vladimir Targeted Build Strategy
Knowing Vladimir's ideal items helps you build optimal counters.
Vladimir Key Weaknesses
Vladimir gives up a lot of early lane control because his short range and scaling pattern make him slow to contest priority. He also depends on cooldown timing and fight access, so poor entry angles leave his damage trapped behind enemy spacing.
Worst Matchups for Vladimir
Anivia, Orianna, Ryze, and Malzahar consistently trouble Vladimir by shoving waves, controlling space from range, and making his approach into fights more predictable. These champions deny him comfortable scaling windows and punish the time he needs to reach threatening positions.
Best Champions Against Vladimir
Amumu, Wukong, Jarvan IV, and Rell pair perfectly with Vladimir because they create the grouped fights and layered lockdown that maximize Hemoplague. Their engage lets him spend less time finding an angle and more time detonating the center of a fight.
Vladimir Counter Tips & Summary
Vladimir is a scaling battlemage who takes over clustered fights with sustained spell damage, self-healing, and explosive Hemoplague windows. He offers massive late-game threat and slippery survivability, but his early lane is passive and his range can make access awkward without setup.