However I haven't gotten around to playing as yet. Needless to say, I'm not happy with what I'm seeing on the boards so far. I really hope this is just the community overblowing everything as usual.
Over Innsmouth2 votesTo an extent they're overblowing it, to an extent they're not.
Vlad is different now. Not hugely different, but different enough that the same buildpaths and playstyles no longer apply.
I don't want to create a wall of text, so I'll give as brief a rundown as befits the Crimson Reaper.
What's different: Q is no longer a "use this button whenever it's off cd tool", you have to move back in forth in lane according to your Rush stacks and can even zone the enemy if they don't just let you use the Rush on them. Try to start fights when you have 1/2 stacks of Rush, and if the enemy is out of range don't hesitate to heal off a minion. It's reduced healing, but it's still healing.
You can still hit the entire wave with your E if you position right, but doing this when the enemy laner is there to punish you is ill-advised. If you use E as harass in lane, just tap or half-charge it. The self-slow from the full charge means you might just not hit it and you'll cost yourself 10% of your health. Use it fully in teamfights though, since the idea is that your ult (which you should have put down at the start of the fight anyway) will heal up some of whatever health you've lost from the pops.
Pool use is still the same. You can go for those fancy E-charge, pool, E-pop combos, but they're not required to do well. Hitting as many people with ult is more important than ever thanks to the heal, so if the choice to ult 3 beefish enemies or 1 squishy presented itself, I'd choose the former.
Full AP Vlad is super risky, and entirely not worth it due to his AP ratios being lowered across the boards, and his health ratios being pretty damn good. I personally get Randuins and SV as my first two items because I like being tanky to start, but the build order is up to you.
You're still Vlad, so you're still a god in any fight where the DPS you take is less than the amount you heal, and lategame is still your favourite time of the month. He honestly does take some getting used to, almost to the extent of learning a new champ. I'd definitely say try him when you can, and continue even if you feel he's weak, he is set for some buffs already after all.
Basically, the problem is Vlad, but the problem is also players treating him like old Vlad.
Nathaniell12 votesI love him as well.. They are already shiping buffs on pbe.. but I think he will be just freelo in good hands (which is almost noone when you read boards).. his emp Q and E lategame damage is just insane...and that PBE heal... with 3600 hp, 600 AP, and 1800 hp missing with pbe changes you would be able to heal for 1300 with one Q....
I personaly like build with sorc boots rylai SV rabadon and (abys or void + warmog or hourglass).. with this build you have 500-600 Ap, 3.5 - 4,3K hp and deal a lot of dmg.. while still being able to tank some dmg (your defenses arent so high, so its.. like regular buiser)
New belt item is great.. but I just dont have place for it in my build.
Catastrop1 votesSounds cool, I'be always wanted to build Warmog's on him but usually there just wasn't actual need for it. Good to know it's possible now.
And um, ignore the 4 day reply, life's been a bit hectic >.<
Verxint2 votesMost people are overreacting
He's weak numerically, but mechanically this is a huge improvement. The third q is satisfying to use, the haste just sucks, and his E gives him really good chase except that it still has a cast animation so he stops while using it.
Another thing I don't think a lot of people have realized, you can cast all your spells while E is charging, even pool. You break out of pool when E casts tho.
Sahn Uzal1 votesI'm loving Vladimir so far, and so is a friend of mine who mains Vladimir. I'll link him this post for ya :P
MasterSomething1 votesWell, generally most of the boards users are Gold-.
Caítlyn1 votesNew Vlad is terribad. They nerfed literally all his damages, ratios, cds, healing, and reliability. The only thing that could possibly be considered a buff is that his E slows people, but it also slows you and costs 10% of your hp so theres literally no reason to ever use it. Its possibly the worst ability in the game. Oh and they also deleted his core item. GG
Fovere1 votesVlad's Q damage was pretty much halved, you can recover some of this if you happen to be able to time a third q within 2.5 seconds of the second one, which is mostly just a really obnoxious mechanic.
Vlad's E is where it hurts most. Where it used to amp damage and help with sustain, now it just sucks a ton of health and its harder to use.