@Riot, Regarding the 7.3 Vlad changes.

Over Innsmouth·Feb 8, 2017·16 votes·1,850 views

small breath

Thank. You.

After playing around a couple of games, I can happily say that this is the best Vladimir has felt in a long time. I might be over exaggerating a bit, but watching my shitty little crimson blobs that we call auto attacks actually have some wiggle room with csing feels fantastic. No longer do I have to precisely time and judge the distance between me and the minion, and pray that it stays within the incredibly tiny margin of Vlad actually being able to last hit.

And of course, the Q changes are equally welcome. Having a more consistent damage output at the cost of some power on the Crimson Rush (and it evens out once you get past rank 2-3 of Transfusion) is something I'm massively grateful for. It all just feels great.

Champagne and blood all around.

25 Comments

WoonStruckFeb 8, 20173 votes

5-25 additional base damage on every Q, depending on rank.

Last hitting is better.

Appreciated changes overall.

20-35 minute period still feels absolutely terrible, though, and despite being a hypercarry, his late game is not at all impressive.

There are many things that do more burst and more dps at the same time than Vlad, while having more CC and more mobility...and without relying on 'windows of power' like Vlad.

Tychusfindlay919Feb 9, 20171 votes

{quoted}

5-25 additional base damage on every Q, depending on rank.

Last hitting is better.

Appreciated changes overall.

20-35 minute period still feels absolutely terrible, though, and despite being a hypercarry, his late game is not at all impressive.

There are many things that do more burst and more dps at the same time than Vlad, while having more CC and more mobility...and without relying on 'windows of power' like Vlad.

His late game would be better if this piece of shit broken item didn't exist item 3033

Back then ADs had to give up slot efficiency and buy an executioners which didnt upgrade into anything. Now they can give up practically nothing when they get EC's cuz it goes conveniently into their required arpen anyways...

At least morellonomicon has a condition, this item is fucking braindead you just hit him with something and its three whole seconds of sustain pain.

WoonStruckFeb 9, 20171 votes

To be honest, I'd rather them have Mortal Reminder than LDR.

The sustain hit barely affects what I seek to do anyway. LDR ends up dealing way more damage than the healing I lose out on when they have Mortal Reminder.

Hell, I'm happy when my opposing laner buys Executioner's calling because it honestly sets them back more than it sets me back.

#Personally, I don't rely on the sustain at all. Its just a nice bonus.

I'm tired of people perceiving him as a drain-tank when he's a damage champion first and foremost; healing is just a fringe benefit, IMO. The healing just off-sets E cost for me in most cases that aren't jungle clearing. Yeah, GW hurts him, but not as much as people think.

That said, I still think it would be easier to balance heals in general if GW weren't in the game.

#After all, shields do effectively the same thing during a fight, but lack any form of counterplay.

Smitty ManjensenFeb 9, 20171 votes

{quoted}

His late game would be better if this piece of shit broken item didn't exist

Back then ADs had to give up slot efficiency and buy an executioners which didnt upgrade into anything. Now they can give up practically nothing when they get EC's cuz it goes conveniently into their required arpen anyways...

At least morellonomicon has a condition, this item is fucking braindead you just hit him with something and its three whole seconds of sustain pain.

See, Mortal Reminder is perhaps good against Vlad, but imagine if it didn't exist what would happen? Adcs and melee carrys like Yasuo would be unstoppable, and even if you have MR, they heal like crazy with all the lifesteal from masteries and items, I personally think MR and EC should affect LS differently than personal healing through abilities like Vlad does.

Chaos Milk TeaFeb 8, 20171 votes

I haven't gotten my hands on top lane yet, but I'm glad to hear he can CS now. Its horribly jarring to go from Nautilius and Orianna who have excellent auto attack damage and animation, to vlad who couldn't land an auto on a suppressed Chogath.

Lothàrs EdgeFeb 8, 20171 votes

He's already hard to kill without burst 2v1 by lvl 9 with just a protobelt

CremepieFeb 8, 20171 votes

Hey tides, Unrelated but I always wanted to ask what do you usually run for runes on vlad? I like MS quints and 10% CDR. Then my build usually turns into this: item 3158 item 3157 item 3065 item 3285 > item 3151 / item 3135 > item 3089 I don't use item 3116 anymore so I want to know what people do these days.

WoonStruckFeb 8, 20171 votes

Sustain isn't very useful, so it isn't a focus atm. Damage is too high to make great use of it. Not only that, but the buildpath for Spirit Visage leaves you with horrible damage potential mid-game (or early if you're rushing). That, and its almost certain that you'll be getting tagged with GW throughout a fight.

Also, again because damage it too high, I'd say start running Abyssal.

10% increased damage with masteries and your ult stacks up to 40% total (its all multiplicative).

Learn to flank Eve style when Ghost or Flash are off CD and bomb the backline you can easily 100-0 them if you aren't far behind.

As far as runes, I've been using scaling CDR quints, and scaling HP yellows, filling the rest with scaling AP (helps fill the low AP period 6-11), unless I can punish or need to trade damage with someone early in lane, in which case I use magic pen reds.

I haven't liked MS quints for quite a while; its rare that I find a circumstance I'd appreciate them in. Either they don't do enough, or I have more than enough MS already due to ghost or stormraider's.

CremepieFeb 8, 20171 votes

Oh trust me I know how to play vlad with abc. The reason I like getting Spirit Visage is just simply because of the 500 Health. When you compare stats you only get like 30 more AP for abyssal and I never notice the passive for damage, but it makes sense on paper I guess. With visage it feels much safer to survive that awful mid game. Besides with Ludens I can relatively land E rapidly and reliably with little issues.

That being said I never rush Full visage in lane. I just rush the CDR components item 3108 item 3067 item 3158 Then build whatever makes me happy.

I rarely take Ghost anymore simply because TP or Ignite is so necessary to survive lane depending on the match up. I understand the power of a midlane Vlad with ghost, but I primarily play Vlad top. If I took Ghost every game I probably wouldn't run MS quints either. I also take Hp scaling yellows, praise it!

Would share a nice penta kill with vlad I got last week but not sure how to share those files here.

Whats you're opinion on Protobelt? Its an early game item that has crap returns come mid-lategame yet "pros" build it first.

WoonStruckFeb 8, 20171 votes

Protobelt has some very large issues that you have to be able to compensate.

The only good use of protobelt I've seen is when already snowballing (base damage+scaling helps cover 20-35 min hell-period for Vlad) and the masters player that goes protobelt+Mejai's->full AP. He takes Protobelt instead of Zhonya's, building Abyssal as the other CDR option; Mejai's is covering Protobelt's low AP in this case.

Almost no case of Protobelt+Spirit Visage has over a 45% winrate in high diamond-challenger last time I did research.

Ones with full AP, or the challenger player with Protobelt+Mejai's->full AP have 50%+ generally.

That said, I don't like Protobelt all that much.

Over InnsmouthFeb 8, 20172 votes

I run MPen Reds, HP/level yellows, 15% scaling CDR blues, one 5% CDR scaling quint, and two MS quints.

No AR/MR means you have to play well early, really well, but the scaling is worth it. My build is almost always:

item 3151 - item 3089 - item 3157 - item 3135 - item 3001 or item 3065 and for boots I can choose between item 3020 item 3111 item 3047 . I still hit 45% CDR lategame, which I think is important. I try to rush Liandrys when I can for the damage, but if I need AR I get an early Armguard and MR I get an early Cowl.

Rylais is a gimped item and the only Champs who still build it are equally gimped Champs who require it to function. Mordekaiser

Feel free to ask me anything else!

reaperteaserFeb 8, 20172 votes

how do you best utilize vlads pool ability?

Over InnsmouthFeb 8, 20174 votes

Treat it as nothing more than an escape tool early-mid game. It's too valuable to be used as anything else. Lategame and during teamfights, use it as a tool to wait out Haemoplague pops and CDs, coupling it with Zhonyas.

If you get Liandrys, lategame Pool can put out some nasty damage if you position yourself under your enemy.

ThalassaFeb 9, 20171 votes

Equally gimped champions? Ahri Cassiopeia

Fondling GemsFeb 9, 20172 votes

Brand and Cass just have amazing synergy with the item. Ahri is a situational build. These days I only get it in about 50% of my games with her and often as a 5th or 6th item to round out my teamfighting with some utility since I don't really need a lot more damage anyways.

NineTailedMysticFeb 9, 20171 votes

I find GA to be a much better finishing item.

Fondling GemsFeb 9, 20171 votes

Personally not a big GA fan right now. I find that I rarely die to mages late game, it is AD carries and assassins that do me in. With Lethality being as it is the armour on the item might as well not be there so I don't find myself appreciating that stats on it.

I find that passive doesn't have the greatest synergy either because you generally aren't going to die with your ult up which means you probably wont get away anyways (And as Ahri I rarely find myself dying before my team so there isn't going to be backup in that regard) and even if your ult was up there is a decent chance it will time out during the GA anyways.

There are situations I will buy it, but in general I find that Rylais suits me better. It helps keep my teamates alive through the soft CC, makes E easier to land, provides kite if I am jumped on after my hourglass, provides kite so I don't have to hourglass vs non assassins.

It is a decent item but I just don't like it in this meta on Ahri since you generally wont have the tools to escape on your own after it and Ahri is so safe that if you die you are generally going to be on your own because you were caught out or because the rest of your team is dead.

In regards to that I find the health on Rylais to be a better stat buy and the passive to have more synergy with Ahri's kite potential and turnaround potential than GA.

NineTailedMysticFeb 10, 20171 votes

I enjoy it as it allows to to make much risker plays late game and can cover a mistake if you're with your team. GA + Zhonya's is enough time to dive their team, kill a squishy, and hope your team aren't monkeys enough to lose the tf.

Fondling GemsFeb 10, 20171 votes

See I like Rylais because you can make far more consistent plays at the cost of not being able to play quite as risky as you can with a GA. Overall I think it provides more consistency in winning fights to be able to constantly aoe slow everything than to get a short respite if you misstep.

NineTailedMysticFeb 10, 20171 votes

Yea, I'd definitely get Rylai's if they have certain champions like Darius or other kiteables, but overall I dropped Rylai's hard since the nerfs.

Fondling GemsFeb 11, 20171 votes

The nerfs are why I get it as a 5th-6th item when I don't need the damage instead of a 3rd item now.