12/22/2015
gaia_nitemareleft So I'm writing this maybe 2 years later. Maybe with some more experience and a bigger perspective of the game. Needless to say, I did get pretty good with Nidalee. And then she got reworked... so that was that. It's been maybe a year since then and I've learned to enjoy Nidalee even with a new skill set. It makes Nid a LOT more valuable early game and throughout it. She is still quite weak in terms of team fight, but that's understandable. It's Nidalee. But Nidalee is neither here nor there. This is about Vayne.
When I first tried learning Vayne... let's just say it was a dark time for me. Like... Final Hour status. It was gruelling, painful, and I just couldn't get the hang of it. Even as months passed, I was far from confident with my Vayne play. Somewhere deep inside I knew that I could not carry a game, no matter how fed I was. Though the mentality could have something to do with it, it was mostly the overall mechanical skill I lacked with Vayne.
Early game would leave me tilted. Needless to say, it is definitely a challenge to CS early and somehow manage the amount of harass you can take from your enemy counterparts. Vayne just felt lackluster the majority of Seasons 4 and 5, and a lot of better AD carries just seemed to overshadow her. She was a lot of risk, with questionable reward. People don't like to come out and say it, but yes, she IS at a disadvantage early - it's not rocket science, people. But if you play her well, safe, and smart, she can easily overpower her opponent in lane. Season 4/5 screamed, If you cannot dodge for the life of you, PLAY THIS CHAMPION. If you're looking to farm from 00:00 - 35:00 PLAY THIS CHAMPION. If you want to be a late game hypercarry that shreds the frontline into paper mache PLAY THIS CHAMPION. It felt like the same redundant playstyle over and over. Either get fed and win, or go even/lose, stall/farm yourself up, and teamfight if you could ever get that far. And even then, it never truly felt like I was a "hypercarry"
Then came Preseason 6...
Riot blessed us with AD Carry changes that blew everything out of proportion. My first instinct was... TRY VAYNE. The change to new items, builds, and other champions, I dare say, REVOLUTIONIZED the way Vayne is played. THIS IS NOT AN UNDERSTATEMENT. You are no longer able to be penalized for being a little b***h in lane. Why is this entirely crucial? because with Vayne, most opposing ADCs will MAKE you their b***h. She felt better in lane, she was viable early, her kill pressure was through the charts (and beyond, the longer the game went), and it seemed like Phantom Dancer was changed for the sake of champions like Vayne. I had no complaints.
Other points, especially if you're looking to play Vayne:
- Although you are inherrently at a disadvantage early (typically lower range than most adcs, kit doesn't really take off until 1st or 2nd item <- still better than 4th item, right?, no AOE). Know your limits and play smart - know when to trade - alot of it involves tumbling in with Q and backing off ALWAYS Q IN THE MINION WAVE when looking for harrass.
- Yes, botlane is a 2 way street. Don't be an a*****e to your support and COMMUNICATE your limits. Remember: your kit is very potent, but you must use it wisely in order to take advantage of it, and a shield, heal, hook, slow, stun, whatever, could help instigate a trade, or get you out of one.
- Ulti. ULTI. ULTIIIIIIIIIIIIIII. When I first started playing Vayne, I never saw the face value of Final Hour. It makes 1 v 1s VERY onesided in your favor. Not to mention how slippery you can be in teamfights and skirmishes.
- IT IS OK TO SIT AND FARM. You must learn this rule with Vayne. It is OK to sit and just farm. You may be reworked, but every ADC has its unique struggles, Vayne's inability to respond instanteously to trades is one of them
- Speaking of trades, your W procs are your best friend. It is OK to auto twice and use a tumble to either get out there or proc the third and peace the scene. Try not to ask for more. If you can, get those 3 autos and GET OUT. Back off unless you can get the kill - the tables can turn very easily after you have used your Q.
- Speaking of Q, without your tumble, you are still susceptible to everything and anything. You are no different than a jinx walking up to an enemy thresh and walking back to her creep wave in a perfectly straight (not to mention predictable) line. Use your Q wisely.
That is all I would like to say about Vayne. Honestly, I think she's one of my favorite champions. It was really fun getting to talk about her.
gaia_nitemareleft So I'm writing this maybe 2 years later. Maybe with some more experience and a bigger perspective of the game. Needless to say, I did get pretty good with Nidalee. And then she got reworked... so that was that. It's been maybe a year since then and I've learned to enjoy Nidalee even with a new skill set. It makes Nid a LOT more valuable early game and throughout it. She is still quite weak in terms of team fight, but that's understandable. It's Nidalee. But Nidalee is neither here nor there. This is about Vayne.
When I first tried learning Vayne... let's just say it was a dark time for me. Like... Final Hour status. It was gruelling, painful, and I just couldn't get the hang of it. Even as months passed, I was far from confident with my Vayne play. Somewhere deep inside I knew that I could not carry a game, no matter how fed I was. Though the mentality could have something to do with it, it was mostly the overall mechanical skill I lacked with Vayne.
Early game would leave me tilted. Needless to say, it is definitely a challenge to CS early and somehow manage the amount of harass you can take from your enemy counterparts. Vayne just felt lackluster the majority of Seasons 4 and 5, and a lot of better AD carries just seemed to overshadow her. She was a lot of risk, with questionable reward. People don't like to come out and say it, but yes, she IS at a disadvantage early - it's not rocket science, people. But if you play her well, safe, and smart, she can easily overpower her opponent in lane. Season 4/5 screamed, If you cannot dodge for the life of you, PLAY THIS CHAMPION. If you're looking to farm from 00:00 - 35:00 PLAY THIS CHAMPION. If you want to be a late game hypercarry that shreds the frontline into paper mache PLAY THIS CHAMPION. It felt like the same redundant playstyle over and over. Either get fed and win, or go even/lose, stall/farm yourself up, and teamfight if you could ever get that far. And even then, it never truly felt like I was a "hypercarry"
Then came Preseason 6...
Riot blessed us with AD Carry changes that blew everything out of proportion. My first instinct was... TRY VAYNE. The change to new items, builds, and other champions, I dare say, REVOLUTIONIZED the way Vayne is played. THIS IS NOT AN UNDERSTATEMENT. You are no longer able to be penalized for being a little b***h in lane. Why is this entirely crucial? because with Vayne, most opposing ADCs will MAKE you their b***h. She felt better in lane, she was viable early, her kill pressure was through the charts (and beyond, the longer the game went), and it seemed like Phantom Dancer was changed for the sake of champions like Vayne. I had no complaints.
Other points, especially if you're looking to play Vayne:
- Although you are inherrently at a disadvantage early (typically lower range than most adcs, kit doesn't really take off until 1st or 2nd item <- still better than 4th item, right?, no AOE). Know your limits and play smart - know when to trade - alot of it involves tumbling in with Q and backing off ALWAYS Q IN THE MINION WAVE when looking for harrass.
- Yes, botlane is a 2 way street. Don't be an a*****e to your support and COMMUNICATE your limits. Remember: your kit is very potent, but you must use it wisely in order to take advantage of it, and a shield, heal, hook, slow, stun, whatever, could help instigate a trade, or get you out of one.
- Ulti. ULTI. ULTIIIIIIIIIIIIIII. When I first started playing Vayne, I never saw the face value of Final Hour. It makes 1 v 1s VERY onesided in your favor. Not to mention how slippery you can be in teamfights and skirmishes.
- IT IS OK TO SIT AND FARM. You must learn this rule with Vayne. It is OK to sit and just farm. You may be reworked, but every ADC has its unique struggles, Vayne's inability to respond instanteously to trades is one of them
- Speaking of trades, your W procs are your best friend. It is OK to auto twice and use a tumble to either get out there or proc the third and peace the scene. Try not to ask for more. If you can, get those 3 autos and GET OUT. Back off unless you can get the kill - the tables can turn very easily after you have used your Q.
- Speaking of Q, without your tumble, you are still susceptible to everything and anything. You are no different than a jinx walking up to an enemy thresh and walking back to her creep wave in a perfectly straight (not to mention predictable) line. Use your Q wisely.
That is all I would like to say about Vayne. Honestly, I think she's one of my favorite champions. It was really fun getting to talk about her.
