With Vladimir dominating in both his top and mid lane roles, we here at BOTDIFF.LOL have decided to show some of the hardest Vladimir counters if you end up matched against this champion.
Mid Lane Vladimir Counters:
1. Malzahar
Malzahar is by far the most oppressive mid lane Vladimir counter, boasting nearly a 10% win rate advantage when they face each other. One of Malzahar’s biggest strengths in the matchup is his ability to damage Vladimir even through Sanguine Pool, since Malzahar’s E continues ticking while Vlad is untargetable. Combine that with Malzahar’s strong wave clear to keep Vladimir stuck under tower, plus an ultimate that completely shuts down Vlad’s ability to heal or escape, and the matchup becomes miserable for the vampire from level one.
In this lane, rushing Oblivion Orb isn’t really necessary. I usually go Blackfire Torch into Liandry’s, giving you the maximum burn damage and all the mana you need to keep pushing waves, controlling mid priority, and opening up plays around the map.
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2. Orianna
Orianna is the second strongest Vladimir counter, and her strength in the matchup plays out very differently from Malzahar’s. She bullies Vladimir from a safe distance, constantly poking with Q and W while denying him any chance to walk up for an empowered Q heal. With Phase Rush and her W speed buff, she can instantly pull herself out of any all-in Vladimir tries to force, turning his biggest win condition into a non-factor.
For items, stick to the standard control mage setup of Blackfire Torch into Horizon Focus. Just like Malzahar, Orianna doesn’t need anti heal here. Her range, mobility, and constant chip damage make it nearly impossible for Vladimir to play the lane properly, and once she gets her items, she controls every skirmish and rotation with ease.
Check here for some other counter pick guides!
Top Lane Vladimir Counters:
1. Yorick
In the top lane, Yorick plays almost identically to Malzahar in this matchup. He is the go to Vladimir counter if you get the counter pick. His ghouls give him wave control Vladimir can’t match, and Yorick’s cage punishes Vlad’s low mobility instantly. If Vlad tries to dodge your E with his pool, just drop the cage around the puddle, he can’t cross the terrain, so he’s stuck waiting for death.
On Yorick, I rush Trinity Force into Spear of Shojin to get spellblade damage, ability acceleration, and better extended trades. Like the other counters, Yorick doesn’t need anti heal he simply out damages, out maneuvers, and out pressures Vladimir by default.
2. Cho’Gath
Cho’Gath’s kit is almost too good at countering Vladimir. Between a slow, a silence, and a knock up, Vladimir has no room to freely use abilities or kite Cho’Gath out of lane. Add in Cho’s ultimate execute, and Vlad often dies before he even gets the chance to heal back up. His passive sustain also smooths out the early game, letting you farm safely as long as you’re landing last hits. If Vlad pools to dodge one ability, you still have two more ready to tag him and punish.
On Cho’Gath, Heartsteel is my go to rush, followed by whichever Bami’s Cinder upgrade fits the enemy team. With the raw HP from Heartsteel stacks, Feast, and your passive healing, Vladimir can rarely threaten lethal. You out tank his burst, out sustain his poke, and eventually become too big for him to ever push out of lane.
Vladimir might feel impossible to deal with when he’s allowed to scale for free, but these champions stop him long before he ever gets there. Whether it’s Malzahar shutting down his healing and waveclear, Orianna poking him from a mile away, Yorick trapping him in terrain he can’t escape, or Cho’Gath locking him down with multiple forms of CC, each of these picks attacks his weaknesses in a different but reliable way.
The best part is that none of these counters require rushing anti heal. They all naturally pressure Vladimir through lane control, range, or crowd control. If you’re tired of watching Vlad pool out of every trade and heal back to full, these champions give you the tools to flip the matchup on its head.
