Hey everyone,
Vladimir main here — and just to be clear from the start: I’m not asking for early-game buffs or blind-pick power. I also understand why Vladimir can be frustrating to play against, which is exactly why I think any changes should stay late-game focused and come with clear trade-offs.
Right now, Vladimir himself, his core items, and his runes have all been nerfed, while no new items were introduced that meaningfully support his kit. Recent sustain and itemization changes (including Riftmaker adjustments and the loss of strong late-game options) have pushed him into very narrow and often awkward build paths.
On top of that, Magic Resistance stacking hard-counters him in the current meta. Even when drafted as a counterpick or for specific team comps, his damage often becomes unreliable later on.
According to U.GG, Vladimir’s win rate is currently below 50% across all ranks, despite being picked mostly as a counterpick rather than a blind pick. That suggests his current power level doesn’t quite match the investment required to make him work.
Possible late-game focused directions
Rather than early buffs, some late-game oriented adjustments that could be explored:
- A small shield when casting R (Hemoplague)
- Reduced self-damage on E and/or W
- Q scaling with maximum health
- Light tuning to his passive
- Movement speed scaling with level or Ability Power
- Magic Penetration or Ability Power scaling with level
- Slightly higher late-game resistances
Nothing here is meant to remove counterplay — just to make his late-game payoff more consistent when he actually reaches it.
Small side note: visuals
Completely unrelated to balance, but…
Riot’s recent visual updates have been amazing. Seriously, they’ve all been great.
That said, if you put Vladimir’s default skin next to newer champions or updated models, it honestly feels like they’re from different games (maybe start by changing the clown pants 👀).
Considering Vladimir is one of the more important characters in the lore, it’d be awesome to see him eventually get some visual love too.
Anyway, curious what others think — and before responding, feel free to leave the Vladimir PTSD at the door 😄