Guide Sections (15)
Champion Stats
Low elo players love dash champions (Yasuo, Yone, Irelia, Akali) but don't track Vex's fear bar. They will dash onto you when your bar is red, getting instantly feared and comboed. They also group up for low HP resets, allowing you to Goomba Stomp the entire team with R resets. A smurf utilizes the fear interrupt to completely shut down the enemy carry.
The Zoning Play
Start E (Looming Darkness). Charge your fear passive in fountain. Walk to lane. E the wave + enemy. The fear creates space. Auto them for Electrocute. You win the trade and push for 2.
Hold passive. The red bar scares them. If you use it on minions, they engage. Keep it for safety.
Hold your Passive Fear. The red bar creates a zone of 'don't touch me'. Use it to deny cannon minions. Make them respect the gloom.
Which Vex Skin to Use
'Dawnbringer Vex' is polished. 'Empyrean Vex' has cool effects. Default Vex capture the mood best.
'Dawnbringer' for the contrast. 'Empyrean' for the neon-gloom. Default Vex is actually perfect for the aesthetic. You're a depressed yordle with a shadow shadow—embrace the darkness. whatever.
'Dawnbringer' is distinct. 'Empyrean' is flashy. Base skin fits the personality best. Vex doesn't want to be flashy. She wants to be miserable.
When They Ban Vex
If Vex is gone, Lissandra is the best 'anti-dash-mage' pivot. If you want more burst, Annie. But nothing replaces the shadow-resets. Go back to sleep, the world is boring anyway.
Annie for the burst stun. Lissandra for the anti-dive. Malzahar for the suppression. Lissandra is the 'stop dashing' alternative.
Optimal Runes for Vex
Electrocute. Burst is everything. Taste of Blood, Eyeball, Ultimate Hunter (for R resets). Secondary Sorcery with Manaflow and Transcendence.
Vex's Ability Priority
Max Q for waveclear and damage. Max W second for the shield and point-blank burst. E last.
Mastering Vex's Kit
Mistral Bolt. Fires a wave that accelerates. Good poke.
Personal Space. Shield and AOE damage around you. Instant fear activation.
Looming Darkness. Shadow flies to location. Slows and applies Gloom. Increases Fear range.
Shadow Surge. Fires Shadow. Marks the target. Recast to fly to them. Resets on kill. The Goomba Stomp.
Vex's Lane Opponents
Hard. He out-ranges you. You can only kill him with a max range R. If you miss R, you lose.
Easy. He dashes, you get Gloom. He comes close, you W (Fear). He hits windwall, you fear him with W anyway. You own him.
Easy. Same logic. Interrupt her Q with your fear. She creates your passive cooldowns for you.
Yasuo dashes? You get passive. Irelia dashes? You get passive. Anti-mobility mage. Punish them for moving.
Cooldown Disrespect
Stop R-ing in without Fear! Shadow Surge (R) brings you to the enemy. If you don't have your Fear (Passive) up or W ready, you are just delivering yourself to be killed. Manage your bar (red = good). Also, don't hold R forever. Sometimes using it just for gap close is fine.
If you miss R, you don't go in. Simple. Wait for it. Don't force plays without your toolkit.
Don't R in without W/Passive ready. You are a squishy yordle. You need the fear to survive. No fear = No engage.
When They Dive Through Your Zone
Dodge artillery mages like Xerath or Vel'Koz. You can't fear them if they never get close to you. They out-range you hard.
Artillery mages (Xerath) don't dash. You don't get passive resets. You just get poked. Roam bot.
Dodge Xerath/Vel'Koz. They don't dash. You don't get passive resets. They poke you out. Vex hates artillery.
The Combo Window
In teamfights, look for the R reset chain. Wait for someone to get low. R -> R2 -> W (Fear) -> Q -> Reset -> R next target. If they engage on you, use W to fear everyone around you. You are an anti-diver. Punish them for coming close.
R1 hit -> R2 go in -> W Fear -> Q -> E. Reset R. Do it again. Pentakill machine.
R landed? Go in. W fear. Q burst. E slow. Auto. R again (reset). Chain kills like a gloom-train. Pentakill angle.
The Poke Build
Full Pen Vex. Luden's -> Shadowflame -> Zhonya's. You dive in, blow someone up, Zhonya's, then clean up.
Luden's and Stormsurge. You want to dive in, kill one, and get the R-reset. Your W-fear is the most powerful anti-dash tool in the game. Use it on the Yasuo and watch him cry. Boredom wins.
Luden's -> Shadowflame -> Zhonya's. Burst is key. You are an assassin mage. If they don't die in one rotation, run away.
Timing Vex's All-Ins
Level 6. Your roaming to side lanes with R is lethal. Any squishy below 60% HP is in kill range.
Level 6 is your entry into the game. Roam bot, R the ADC, Fear-W-Q. Double kill. Reset and go mid. You're a shadow-traveller; the rift is yours to haunt. See you in the gloom.
Level 6 Roam to bot lane. R from river. Double kill. The fear is real. Snowball from side lanes, mid is just a waiting room.
The Cross-Map Play
Type 'whatever' in all-chat after a multikill. Spam the 'sigh' emote. Acting bored while destroying them fits the character perfectly.
Your R has a massive range. Sniper them from the jungle. Once you hit, you're the assassin. Fear-W is a guaranteed kill window. You're the reason they're afraid of the dark. sigh.
Snipe R from fog. Fly across the screen. Delete the low HP carry. Type 'whatever' in chat. Walking back to lane is too much effort.
Recent Patch History
Recent Balance Changes
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V14.9 | May 1, 2024 | NERF | Base stats nerfed |
| V14.5 | Mar 6, 2024 | BUFF | P buffed |
| V13.21 | Oct 25, 2023 | ADJUST | R adjusted |
| V13.17 | Aug 30, 2023 | BUFF | Q buffed, W buffed, R adjusted |
| V12.13 | Jul 13, 2022 | BUFF | Q buffed |
