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Why 2020 would be the best year to VGU Vladimir

Malicious Metal·3/26/2019, 8:40:10 PM·40 votes·27,230 views

https://bobandsuewilliams.com/images/league-of-legends-art-vladimir-3.jpg

Well, it’s not even halfway through 2019 but it’s always great to plan for the future! And what better things to plan ahead than the many more VGU’s Riot will have to power through towards their quest of bringing all the champions up to date?

Well, I could list about a hundred better things to do, but here we are. Let’s talk about everyone’s favorite Vampire Hemomancer; Vladimir.

With Mordekaiser’s rework looming on the horizon all eyes are drawn towards Noxus. Or more specific, the Immortal Bastion that serves as a grim reminder of the Nation’s dark roots.

Noxus may be one of my favorite regions, but it’s easy to see why. They are a nation who values strength in all its forms and had to power through a dark history of foreign tyrants and dark magic to emerge victorious, standing proud on the three main principles of strength of the Trifarix: Vision, Guile and Might…

But something lurks underneath this new face of the nation, a dark secret, a twisted vine deeply rooted in the very foundation of Noxus.

I am talking about the Black Rose.

With Mordekaiser, Noxus’ past shall be brought back into the limelight and with it all the important characters who had woven their influence into the empire over countless centuries. And while I’d gladly talk about the Matron of the Black Rose herself, I am more inclined to focus on Vladimir here.

Vladimir. Oh Vladimir. You’re the bad boy of League, constantly getting nerfed, ranking among the most hated champions to face, and you’re a walking bundle of blood puns wrapped up in a model that looks like a shrivelled up turnip.

Time has caught up with you, my boy, and it’s about time you’ll get your due.

Vladimir himself is in a strange spot when it comes to champions in need of reworks. His Lore is pretty up to date, though as we know, things are bound to change with VGU’s, his gameplay is serviceable if not flat out golden if you ask those spamming him to the highest of elos…

And yet he’s a character that is really starting to show his age. Not just visually speaking but in terms of sheer character potential Vladimir is a champion that would certainly be very worthwhile to update!

He embodies a very specific trope, which is one that a lot of players can heavily relate to: He’s the quintessential Vampire character.

Whereas Elise and Evelynn have some vampire-sque traits, these Ladies have different niches that do not overlap too heavily with what Vladimir’s supposed to embody.

While Vampire does invoke a variety of different traits, Vladimir has the potential to be League’s very own, unique take on such an universal Archetype. Just how Mordekaiser is in essence just a Dark Lord, Vladimir could truly be brought to life and made Riot’s own little monster.

But how would they do it, you may ask? Well stranger whose question I definitely wouldn’t hear over the computer screen: By applying the oh so important Triple Pillar system that forms the basis for every champion foundation!

Power not meant for a Mortal The very first thematic pillar I would focus on for Vladimir is one of power that was never meant to be held by a human. He absorbed a Darkin and with it, the mastery over the blood arts. It is a vile, dark magic that was wielded by god warriors, far removed from mortal beings…

And yet, Vladimir did not just learn such power from his masters, he made it his own, and gave it to mortals. He is the Prometheus if the fire was unholy powers over the bodily essence of life through blood and flesh.

This should be reflected in his character, as it’s already shown in his lore. Vladimir’s form is not meant to contain the essence of a Darkin and his mortal mind is incapable of truly lasting through the ages. He is still a human whose immense power is too much for his physical body.

The thematic of a mortal making the power of warmongering gods his own forms the first pillar.

Crude, Brutal Blood Arts…refined into elegant Craft Vladimir is not a brute, nor is he truly a bloodhungry fiend. His mastery over the blood arts is not one of reveling in the guts and gore of his fallen foes like champions like Aatrox, Rhaast and Renekton do.

He has taken the crude art of flesh forging, of blood magic, and has given it a human touch, applying our understanding of magic, of grace and elegance to wicked sorceries meant for even more twisted purposes.

Whereas Darius uses an Axe, crude, but mighty, Vladimir uses precise blood magic to destroy whoever stands in his way. His style is one of unholy power given a nigh serene beauty, an elegance of gore that would otherwise be incomprehensible.

This thematic of abhorrent blood arts refined into something beautiful should be the second design pillar.

And Lastly

Seductive, Twisted Aristocrat Whereas Mordekaiser is the “Morgoth” Vladimir is the Lord Byron, the Lestat, of League of Legends. This thematic pillar would deal with Vladimir’s role in Noxian society, how he has woven his influence into its society and it would dictate how Vlad’s character would appear in the game. He’d embody the spirit of grande ballrooms, of revelling festivities, and the dark machinations that pull the strings in the background.

Vladimir is the Aristocracy Swain tried to abolish, and he has formed a cult around his personality. This should shine through in his design, the spirit of old Noxian decadence, during the times of the Aristocratic Reign.

He opposes the Trifarix, and yet does not long for the dominance of Mordekaiser (not in that way at least), but instead would be the quintessential Aristocratic Bachelor. Albeit twisted, as. just how Art is Life carries heavy metatextual themes, he’d be a Dorian Grey: Outwardly charming, well groomed and the very model of high society…but hiding twisted desires and dark secrets underneath this guise…

But this thread wouldn’t be made if there wasn’t one reason for Vladimir’s rework being something Riot should consider releasing by 2020, and it’s not just the raw untapped potential of a playerbase THIRSTY for a Gothic Rockstar Vampire with Wicked Blood Arts:

The Plethora of vampire Media released in 2020:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kltbwElCr9Y This'll get all the Vampire fan(g)s back into gaming so why not convert some of 'em to League's playerbase?

https://www.kerrang.com/the-news/jared-leto-teases-first-photo-from-morbius-movie/ Superhero movie fans will get a taste of Vampires again...and how intoxicating that is...

https://wegotthiscovered.com/tv/first-plot-details-lost-boys-tv-show-surface/ Would be nice to give those lost boys and girls a place to sink their teeth into some hot vampire character, eh?

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-03-04/dracula-tv-series-starts-filming/ There's so much at stake when the grandaddy of all Vampires gets another adaptation!

https://comicbook.com/horror/2019/03/06/vampire-chronicles-tv-series-production-start-september-hulu/ With Anne's Vampire Chronicles getting another adaptation it would be the best time to Rice to the occasion and put Marquis Vlad on display

2020 would be the perfect environment to drop a Vlad VGU as everyone would be riding the bloody tidal wave of Vampire hype! Just as Infinity War part 2 builds hype for a Titanic Lord of Death, these releases would serve as the best context to place a Vladimir VGU in!

It’s simple marketing baby!

61 Comments

Zoli Ben3/27/2019, 9:18:57 AM10 votes

Don't get me wrong, I want Vladimir VGU, but these champs need it more: Pantheon Volibear Nocturne Fiddlesticks DrMundo Corki Udyr right now. If we are lucky though, most of these should be done by the end of 2020 if we assume that the 2 VGU in development is both this year and we get 5 next year.

Pale Mask3/26/2019, 8:50:15 PM9 votes

Yes. I literally have nothing else to say.

More Vlad, please.

4 Step Cadence3/26/2019, 8:53:52 PM8 votes

"Lestat".

Well, its official. Vladimir is my dad. My dad's name was Lestat(I say "was" because he apparently changed it a lot, and I honestly don't know if that's still his name), and he changed it to that because of the character. I am not joking.

Please Riot give my dad the VGU he deserves.

Blood Magicks3/26/2019, 9:16:17 PM8 votes

Great thread, I also don't have much to add except perhaps offer an alternative to two of the design pillars:

  • Seductive, Twisted Aristocrat - no one can dispute this, it's the most obvious but also the most tired and basic one. You need to base Vlad far above and beyond it to get a truly unique character, and I think there is plenty of uniqueness in Vlad's original concept to build from.

  • Crude, Brutal Blood Arts…refined into elegant Craft - I think a far more intriguing take on this would be Biology as black magic since this is what blood magic essentially is. There is a sort of primal fear coded into most humans, an instinctive revulsion to blood, unexplainable maladies and the signs of disease, a terror so base and powerful I think we just have to play with it. Furthermore toying with nature, "playing God" is a wonderful link to the Darkin for the man who envied them.

  • Power not meant for a Mortal - I guess some of the above falls here, but I'd like this to be closer to Flawed immortality as this is essentially what Vlad is - a broken, incomplete self-made demigod who has to put constant intellectual and magical effort into maintaining the mastery of his craft, and staying alive and young and sane through it all.

There is a fair bit of philosophy and speculative fiction territory to tread with Vladimir, because his magical efforts mirror the efforts of modern science to make humanity (or at least those wealthy enough) not unlike the gods themselves. I think it's all fairly unique to the League IP for the time being, so it's a wonderful opportunity to seize.

Also isn't Code Vein coming too? Not sure if I'm hyped but still.

EDIT: The research I've done to write Vladimir is nothing short of ridiculously extensive and intriguing, I'll start dropping threads about it.

PaffWasTaken3/27/2019, 1:44:40 PM4 votes

Morde's reworked kit has not even been shared to the other members of the community that Malicious Metal is already talking about other wanted reworks. Didn't expect less from you [slayer-pantheon-thumbs]

tamaya3/26/2019, 10:24:56 PM4 votes

May I have one request? If that does happen,please don't make Vladimir clothes skimpy. "Male champions are the more skimpy the better." I feel that Riot is thinking this way.Kayn Rakan Sylas YasuoTaric 　 Especially the trend is remarkable recently.Kayn Rakan Sylas Their design fits their character, but I wish Vladimir not to be like Kayle.

GreenLore3/27/2019, 12:05:57 AM4 votes

Am I the only one who wants Vlad to be actually a bit comical?

I mean don't get me wrong I don't want him to be Kled-level of comical, but I hope that Riot could find a good middleground between comical and serious with his character and its not like his current VO isn't already somewhat on the comical side with all those blood puns.

Overall I feel like Vladimir could be a bit narcisstic and flamboyant, but also competent, making it easy to find his antics funny, but still make him creepy and menacing if he gets serious.

I feel like if he was played completely seriously, then he'd end up too similar to Elise.

Moody P3/26/2019, 9:01:12 PM4 votes

Can your next thread be why 2070 would be the best year to rework Volibear?

Over Innsmouth3/27/2019, 4:13:13 PM4 votes

It doesnt count unless you rename to Sadistic Sanguine.

Good thread tho.

Neamean3/27/2019, 6:30:44 AM3 votes

I've never associated Vlad and Dorian Grey before. And now seeing the correlation. I am like Oh My God, Yes.

ModAcademy Kayn3/28/2019, 2:06:42 AM2 votes

I see you've moved onto new things now that you've finally laid your eyes on a newer, better Mordekaiser. Lotsa free time now that ya don't have Morde posts to make huh? :D

Zybertooth7/25/2019, 8:03:52 PM1 votes

I was scrolling down to link VtMB2 but you already did it lul. Vlad for leader of the Tremere!

Ahris3/27/2019, 1:01:20 AM1 votes

Didnt he just get some VGU though with rework? Id consider Ahri quite high in the priority, higher than Vlad.

DorkunedAuras3/27/2019, 5:54:39 AM1 votes

But no one likes/plays/enjoys Vladimir at all. Nope, not a one. He's just a lame amalgamation of vampire tropes.