What I would like to see as the Vladimir rework
Note: this is probably really late and there is no way I expect these changes would actually happen. I just think it would be cool to see.
Goal of the Rework is to make him choose whether to be a huge AoE damage threat, or to be an extremely difficult champion to put down. Primary stats: HP and AP (Same as now) Secondary Resource: Blood Well (Used for his kit)
Passive: Blood Well Spells used fill up Vlad's Bloodwell based on number of targets hit. If Vlad is out of combat for X amount of time, blood well is consumed to heal him based on how full it was. Vlad gains a small amount of bonus AP based on how full his blood well is
Q (New) - Blood Orb Vladimir sends out an orb of blood marking champions and minions within a small radius. Activate again to deal damage based on how long the targets were in range (auto pops after X amount of time).
Visual would be a small red orb that upon reaching target destination would send out small red tethers to everything in range (looks like it is sapping blood) When it is reactivated to deal damage it quickly pulls the tethers back in and rushes to Vlad.
W (Slightly changed) - Sanguine Pool On activation, Vlad instantly consumes the blood in "Blood Well" to heal based on how much was in it. He becomes untargetable for X amount of time and increases his movespeed during the duration. Targets within a radius of vlad while moving take %current hp magic damage and fill his blood well up based on how many are in range.
Visuals would be nearly identical to current W
E (Slightly changed) - Tides of Blood Vlad draws from his blood well to deal damage in an area around him. Fills up his blood well based on the number of targets hit. Blood well %cost goes up for each successive cast. Can be cast without blood in his well but deals reduced damage and costs vlad his hp instead.
Visuals like his current E
R (New) - Hemoplague Vlad channels for a small time, and expends all blood in his blood well, as well as X% of his current health, to deal a substantial amount of damage in an area and mark all targets hit. Targets marked take damage over time proportional to the amount of blood and health Vlad expended. Vlad gains movespeed towards targets marked and Blood Orb instantly deals full damage to them as well
Vlad can cancel his channel early to instead absorb the blood in his blood well and gain a large portion of his missing hp and a small AP Boost (about equal to what his bonus AP from passive was).
Visuals for full channel would show blood flowing out of Vlads hands, and then rushing quickly to the targetted area. A canceled channel would still have the blood flow out of Vlad's hands but then quickly rush back to him.
Thinking like Poppy ult channel, where she can instant cast for a knockup, or hold it just a second for the knockback.
I feel like this solves the issue of Vlad's point and click Harass+sustain spell. And also allows him to fulfill his fantasy of being an aoe damage threat, or a very difficult to kill tanky mage. I purposely left cc out of the kit, as I would want Rylai's to still be core on him for slowing. He also is still capable of split pushing with a combination of his Q+E to kill waves as I know that is why a lot of people take him top.
Also I feel like this still fits strongly as a blood mage, as he uses the blood of his enemies to get the most of his kit. but can sacrifice his own health as well if he has to. He is a major threat if left unfocused, but he sacrifices a lot of his offensive options if he needs to escape from like a gank.
Anything you want to ask or suggest I am willing to discuss of course.
I would still want to be very strong pickups for him.
I personally feel vlad should build more of a damage route though, maybe have slightly higher base defensive values, but he screams to build damage as there is very little to no utility in his kit. (both live and if this was his kit). But getting items like Abyssal and Zhonya that increase his survivability on top of it would be ideal so he can keep pumping out damage.