Guide Sections (15)
Champion Stats
Low elo players cannot close games. They farm aimlessly, fight randomly, and let the clock tick. Vayne scales infinitely. Every second the game goes on favors you. They also constantly walk near walls, giving you free Condemn stuns they never saw coming. They don't buy Pink Wards to spot you during Final Hour invisibility. A skilled Vayne can 1v9 even if her entire team is feeding because Silver Bolts % Max HP True Damage doesn't care how fed the enemy Cho'Gath is. You kill tanks as fast as you kill ADCs.
The Condemn Pin
Start Q. Tumble is an auto-attack reset, meaning Auto-Q-Auto deals three hits almost instantly. This wins trades against most ADCs who just auto you back. At Level 2 (Q+E), if they stand anywhere near a wall, Flash-E to pin them. This is a First Blood angle in at least 40% of lanes. Practice the wall stun angles in practice tool. Level 3 (Q+W+E) gives you three-hit W proc in trades, adding significant damage.
Wall stun (E) wins the trade. Fish for it. Q to reposition for the angle. Flash-E is a play. Don't save Flash for next game.
Vayne's Best Skins
'Project: Vayne' feels the smoothest with the HUD overlay that shows your Silver Bolts stacks on the target—it's genuinely pay-to-win information. 'Sentinel Vayne' is also very clean with satisfying audio cues. 'Spirit Blossom' is the prestige choice. 'Vindicator' is the O.G. smurf skin that signals intent. Avoid 'SKT T1' unless you're an actual Faker fan.
'Project' is pay-to-win. The HUD overlay for silver bolts is a game-changer. 'Sentinel' is the modern choice. 'Aristocrat' for the retro-smurf feel. Vayne is the definition of skill—look the part.
When They Ban Vayne
If Vayne is banned, Kai'Sa offers similar hyperscaling with mixed damage and outplay potential. Kog'Maw provides the tank-shredding fantasy but with less mobility. Samira offers aggressive all-in resets if you want a different playstyle.
If Vayne is gone, Kai'Sa is the best 'outplay-carry' pivot. If you want more shred, Kog'Maw. But nothing replaces the '1v9' feeling of a fed Vayne.
Kai'Sa for the dive/stealth. Kog'Maw for the shred. Samira for the style. Kai'Sa is the modern Vayne with more agency.
Best Runes for Vayne
Lethal Tempo is standard for extended trades and teamfight DPS—the attack speed synergizes perfectly with Silver Bolts. Press the Attack is excellent for burst trading in lane and snowballing early. For secondary runes, take Taste of Blood for sustain and Treasure Hunter for accelerated item spikes. Bone Plating can be taken against burst lanes like Draven or Lucian.
Vayne's Skill Order
Max W first for tank shredding—this is standard and maximizes your DPS against anyone. However, some smurfs prefer Q max for lower Tumble cooldown and more mobility/burst. E max last is universal; you only put one point in it for the utility until late game.
Mastering Vayne's Kit
Tumble resets your auto-attack timer, doubling as a damage tool and mobility spell. It cannot pass through walls (unlike Lucian E). Use it to sidestep skillshots, not just for damage. During Final Hour, Tumble grants 1 second of invisibility—use this to drop tower aggro or confuse assassins.
Silver Bolts. Every 3rd consecutive hit on the SAME target deals % Max HP True Damage. Changing targets RESETS the stacks. FOCUS. ONE. TARGET. The true damage is why you kill tanks; it ignores armor and magic resist entirely. Attack speed items directly increase your W proc frequency.
Condemn pushes enemies back and stuns if they hit terrain. The damage also applies a Silver Bolts stack. Flash-E (pressing E mid-Flash) is essential for wall stun mechanics—practice this until it's muscle memory. Use E defensively against divers, or offensively near Dragon/Baron pit walls.
Final Hour gives bonus AD, grants Tumble invisibility, and increases movement speed toward enemies. Use the stealth duration to reposition unpredictably—don't auto-attack immediately after Tumbling. Let them guess where you are. The R duration extends on takedowns, so one kill can mean 12+ seconds of enhanced Vayne.
Vayne's Best & Worst Matchups
Hard Counter. She outranges you by 100+ units. She bullies you off every CS. Survive laning phase, outscale her after 3 items. Don't ego the matchup.
Hard Counter. He out-damages you at every stage of laning phase. Do NOT trade Auto-for-Auto. Wait for ganks, play for farm, and scale. If he gets kills early, the game is extremely difficult.
Tumble Forward Syndrome
Stop Tumbling FORWARD into the enemy team. You are a ranged champion. Use your range. Tumble sideways or backwards to reposition and dodge skillshots. The only time you Tumble forward is to execute a low-HP target or to dodge INTO terrain (walls) to create distance. And do NOT try to 1v5 until you have at least 3 items—you are squishy until you build some lifesteal.
ONLY Tumble forward if you have the kill. Otherwise, Tumble sideways to dodge. Your Q is a movement tool, not just damage. Invisibility on Q during R is your best friend. Be a ghost.
When You Can't Auto Safely
Dodge if the enemy drafts Caitlyn and Xerath or Lux support together. Caitlyn's range advantage makes laning phase miserable, and poke supports prevent you from ever walking up to CS. You will be down 30 CS by 10 minutes. These lanes require a jungler who camps for you; if you don't have that, dodge.
Caitlyn outranges. Xerath pokes. Draven bursts. Farm under tower. Scale. Level 6 R gives stealth. Use it to dodge poke.
Dodge Caitlyn/Xerath. You have 550 range. They have 650+. You will never touch a minion. You will lose tower at 10 minutes. Save your mental.
The DPS Check
Front to back. Hit the tank. Yes, hit the tank first. You kill tanks fast anyway with W true damage; you don't need to 'focus' the backline. Your job is to survive, deal consistent DPS, and let the Silver Bolts do the work. Save E for self-peel only—if the assassin dives you, Condemn them away or into a wall. Save R-Q for dodging key ultimates like Malphite R or Zed R. Stay alive and you win automatically.
R-Q stealth duration is long. Use it to reposition. Don't break stealth instantly. Confuse them. Silver Bolts will kill the tank. Be patient.
The True Damage Build
Blade of the Ruined King into Guinsoo's Rageblade is the standard hyper-carry path. For disrespect/durability, build into tank items after two damage items—Randuin's Omen or Jak'Sho the Protean. You still deal massive true damage, but now you're unkillable. It's genuinely unfair. AP Vayne (Nashor's Tooth) is a meme but technically works because of on-hit W synergy.
BORK into Guinsoo's into Terminus. You deal physical, magic, AND true damage. No one can tank you. Add a Wit's End for the MR and speed. You are a light-speed bolt of death. Tumble on.
Vayne's Power Spikes
BORK + Guinsoo's spike is your online moment. Before BORK, you are weak and should play for farm, not kills. At BORK + Rageblade, you shred anything that stands still for 2 seconds. Level 6 all-in is also strong because Final Hour grants AD, invisibility on Tumble, and bonus movement speed toward enemies. Use R to win fights you shouldn't win.
Level 6 for 'Final Hour'. One BORK spike. 3-item hyper-scaling. By 30 minutes, you should be able to 1v5 if your mechanics are there. Enter the shadows and hunt them all.
The Silver Bolts Melt
Pinning someone to a wall is humiliating. Doing it repeatedly is soul-crushing. Type '?' after outplaying a 1v2 gank in bot lane—it's mandatory. When you're fed, just walk at people. The mere threat of Vayne walking forward makes the enemy team retreat. Also, spamming Mastery 7 after dodging a skillshot with Tumble is peak ADC energy.
HEAR THE SOUND. The 'pop' of the third bolt is the most satisfying sound in League. Chase them down with your passive speed. You're the night hunter; no one escapes the silver. Pop pop.
Recent Patch History
Recent Balance Changes
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V14.9 | May 1, 2024 | ADJUST | Base stats adjusted |
| V14.5 | Mar 6, 2024 | NERF | P nerfed, Q buffed |
| V14.2 | Jan 24, 2024 | BUFF | Q adjusted |
| V13.10 | May 17, 2023 | BUFF | Q adjusted |
| V13.6 | Mar 22, 2023 | BUFF | P buffed, Q adjusted |
