I want to Learn to use Mages (Vladamir and Others)

The Ruin Sage·1/30/2015, 5:50:00 AM·1 votes·896 views

So, I'd really like to get good with AP based champs specifically mages but they are so difficult for me to use, I main ADC as well as AD assassins like yi and talon and do well enough but when it comes to mages like ryze , annie and brand I just can't use them at all. I tried a normals game with vladamir and costed my team the win by going 1/10/9 (even though he is aesthetically my favorite champion I am always strongly discouraged from using him) If you guys could give me the basics of using Mages and maybe also some tips for Vladamir specifically I would appreciate it very much.

8 Comments

Tilomentry1/30/2015, 7:50:03 AM2 votes

Tips for Vlad huh?

*Well item 3145 is pretty awesome but item 3152 not so much. Its not worth upgrading until much later in the game.

item 3116 is one of my favorite items on Vlad as it is hugely cost efficient on him (cause of his passive) and gives him much needed utility.

*Avoid using Tides of Blood (E) too much early one (especially before revolver) because it uses health and will kill you.

*Vlad in lane likes to poke and kite people with his Q but is very susceptible to all-ins.

*When poking with Vlad, use both Q and E in tandem. The Q animation hides the E animation and makes it look like it does more damage than it actually does.

*After you get revolver and a few levels in Q, try to keep your E stacks up. E stacks increases E's damage by a huge amount. But only do this when your sustain can cover the cost.

*Vlad's early game is pretty weak. But his mid/late game is quite strong

*You can use summoners during Vlad's pool. summoner 6 during pool can sometimes take you further than flash alone and it also helps you keep up with people when chasing (but it can't get you over walls).

*Pool uses 20% of your current health. Try not to be scared into using it as it puts it on CD and can do more damage to you than the enemy.

That's about all the tips I can think of right now.

TheLordPrism1/30/2015, 7:19:22 AM1 votes

I pretty much only play AP champions as I love the burst play style. My best advice to you and the way I learned is to watch as many people on YouTube play the champ that you want to learn and study the way they play hard. Also look at guides on solomid and lol king. F you're not confident enough just learn the mechanics in bot games. There's nothing wrong with playing against bots and it'll only make it easier to start PvP with mages.

Stephenizgod1/30/2015, 7:40:12 AM1 votes

Im pretty bad with Vlad but i know you get WotA and i think Rylais, then you build straight tank making sure to pick up a Spirit Visage at some point.

Brand is easy, EQW is a great combo, the E sets off your passive, the Q stuns off of it, and the W deals increased damage. W is for poking as it is easy to hit and has a large radius. Make sure to use your ult when there are 2-3 champs in one place, specially if they are surrounded by minions.

Annie... wait for stun flash tibbers.

Malzahar is really fun and not hard to farm with but he pushes hard so be careful. It does take some skill to fight 2 people at once since he is designed for 1v1's but in time you will know what to do. E for farming and mana sustain, Q for poke, W is a waste of mana to farm with, try to only use R when they are standing on W. Poke with Q, farm with E, hit them 2-3 times with Q and wait for E to bounce to them then throw down W and hit R, maybe ignite if needed (but be careful hitting ignite can cancel your ult). Thats my normal kill combo, it does pretty good too. Max E first, Q if they are immobile or are cast reliant, W if they are building tanky (it does %hp damage; i usually max this as hitting Q on a slightly mobile target is hard) obviously always take a point in your ult when you can.

I dont use Ryze ever.

Try Mordekaiser lol, he is really fun you just spam E, and just like Vlad he uses his health has a resource although he doesnt have a way of getting it back.

Xerath is super fun to poke with his Q.

TheLordPrism1/30/2015, 2:51:05 PM1 votes

I'll second that malzahar comment! I also really like syndra...... but since you're new to mages its probably a good idea to get familiar with someone with a lower skill cap. Syndra is a pretty complex champion but so rewarding when you get her down.

61413860_DEL2/1/2015, 10:47:32 PM1 votes

Annie=flash tibbers

Basically with mages you stand back and deal damage, then burst the others down 100-0. A lot of mages early games are pretty weak, so I'd just farm levels 1-6, get some items, then in team fights, wreck face.

I play a lot of lux though, she's super fun and pretty easy to pick up. :D you should play her because her burst is amazing and so is her cc. And she has a shield and the best laugh in game :D but yeah the basics of mages is just stand back and wreck face. It's really fun.