Guide Sections (15)
- Champion Stats
- The Vault Breaker
- Skins Worth Buying for Vi
- When They Ban Vi
- Vi's Rune Page
- What to Max on Vi
- Mastering Vi's Kit
- Who Vi Beats (And Who Beats Vi)
- Ult the Wrong Target
- When You Can't Win the Side Lane
- The Frontline Brawl
- The Bruiser Vi Build
- When Vi Hits Hardest
- The Cease and Desist
- Recent Patch History
Champion Stats
Low elo players have terrible positioning and almost never account for Vi's Q-Flash range. You can initiate from the fog of war, land a fully charged Q, and follow up with R to ensure a kill before the enemy even reacts. They also struggle to deal with her armor-shredding passive (Denting Blows), which allows her to melt even the tankiest targets while maintaining her own survivability through her blast shield.
The Vault Breaker
Vi's level 1 is usually about the W (Denting Blows) for the fastest and healthiest clear. Start W and focus on landing three consecutive hits on each camp to trigger the attack speed bonus and armor shred. If you are invading, start Q (Vault Breaker) for the displacement and gap close. A level 2 gank after Red buff with Q is highly effective against immobile mid-laners.
Q charge flash. It extends the range. It surprises everyone. Use it to engage from fog. Don't show yourself charging Q.
Skins Worth Buying for Vi
'PsyOps Vi' is the definitive smurf skin—the visual effects are crisp and the sound of the Q charging up is incredibly satisfying. 'Arcane Vi' is a great free option with high-quality animations. 'Warring Kingdoms Vi' offers a more traditional and prestigious look. Avoid 'Neon Strike Vi' unless you really like the throwback aesthetic, as it feels a bit clunky compared to newer skins.
'PsyOps' has the best sound for the Q-charge. 'Arcane' for the canon look. 'Heartbreaker' for the irony. Vi is about the BONK—pick the gauntlets that hit the hardest. Punch first, ask later.
When They Ban Vi
If Vi is gone, Jarvan IV is the best 'hard-lockdown-jungler' pivot. If you want more dueling, Xin Zhao. But nothing replaces the 'point-and-click' R. Punch them anyway.
Jarvan IV for the dunk. Xin Zhao for the dive. Warwick for the lockdown. Jarvan matches the 'Lockdown' ultimate style.
Vi's Rune Page
Hail of Blades is the superior choice for high-burst assassinations, allowing you to trigger W instantly. Aftershock is the alternative if your team needs a primary engager and you expect to take a lot of focus fire. Secondary Precision with Triumph and Legend: Alacrity for better dueling and sustain in extended skirmishes.
What to Max on Vi
Max Q first—it reduces the cooldown significantly and is your primary mobility and damage tool. Max E second to increase your waveclear and burst potential. W is maxed last because the base armor shred is sufficient and the scaling depends more on your AD and Attack Speed.
Mastering Vi's Kit
Vault Breaker. You charge forward and knock up the first enemy hit. You can Flash during the dash to change direction or extend the range. This is your most important skill to master.
Denting Blows. Every third attack on the same target deals bonus damage and shreds their armor. It also gives you bonus attack speed. This makes you a nightmare for tanks.
Relentless Force. Your next attack deals damage in a cone behind the target. It resets your auto-attack timer, so always use it immediately after an auto-attack (AA-E-AA).
Cease and Desist. You chase down a target and slam them into the ground. You are UNSTOPPABLE during the charge. Use this to ignore key enemy CC like Lux's Q or Blitzcrank's hook.
Who Vi Beats (And Who Beats Vi)
Skill Matchup. You win the 1v1 if you land your Q and 3-stack W. If he kicks you away mid-Q, you lose your momentum. Wait for him to commit with his Q before you engage.
Hard Counter. You have the point-and-click CC to stop his Highlander rampage. Save your R for the moment he enters the fight, and your team will delete him before the stun ends.
Skill Matchup. His E (Counter Strike) blocks your W stacks and E damage. Wait for his E to end before you commit to a full trade. Use your Q to disengage if he jumps on you with his E active.
Ult the Wrong Target
Stop missing your Q! If you miss Vault Breaker, you lose your primary gap close, displacement, AND a huge chunk of your damage. Also, don't R into 5 people unless your team is ready to follow up immediately. You are a diver, not an invincible tank. If you go in alone, you will be focused down before your second Q comes off cooldown.
Don't R the tank. R the carry. If you R the tank, you are trolling. You are a diver. Dive.
When You Can't Win the Side Lane
Dodge if facing Morgana or Black Shield heavy comps. Her E completely invalidates your R and Q lockdown. Also dodge into heavy anti-dive comps with Janna or Lulu if your team has no other follow-up.
Fiora parries your Q. Jax dodges your autos. Trundle stat-checks you. Avoid the 1v1 against duelists.
Dodge Morgana. Black Shield makes your R useless. You become a minion. Also Fiora/Jax who out-duel you effortlessly.
The Frontline Brawl
In teamfights, your job is to isolate and neutralize the most fed enemy carry. Use Q to find an angle, then R to lock them down. Coordinate with your team to follow up on your CC. Once your primary target is down, use your E-resets and Q-mobility to stick to other targets and shred their armor with W stacks. You are the hammer that breaks the enemy formation.
R the carry -> Q the peel -> E the AOE. You disrupt everything. Even if you die, if you made space for your team, it's worth it.
The Bruiser Vi Build
Full Lethality Vi. Youmuu's Ghostblade -> Opportunity -> Collector. With this build, a Q-R-AA-E combo will literally delete any squishy target from full HP. It's extremely high-risk as you will be squishy yourself, but the 'one-shot' potential is hilarious for stomping uncoordinated teams.
Sundered Sky and Trinity Force. You're a sticking machine. Your Q has a low cooldown late game. Smash their armor, shield with your passive, and R the priority target. You are the law.
Trinity Force -> Sundered Sky -> Sterak's. You need burst and sustain. Sundered Sky crits on Q-Auto are massive. Punch through their armor.
When Vi Hits Hardest
Level 6 is your first massive spike—the point-and-click lockdown of Cease and Desist is a guaranteed kill in most gank scenarios. Your biggest item spike is Trinity Force or Sundered Sky, providing the perfect blend of burst, sustain, and ability haste to dominate the mid-game.
Level 6 is a guaranteed kill gank. 2-item bruiser core. Level 11 for the R-cooldown. By late game, you're the best 'fuck that guy in particular' champion. Point, click, delete. Sheriff's in town.
Level 6 (Gank is free kill). Trinity Force completion. Mid-game skirmishes. You dictate who dies. Point and click.
The Cease and Desist
Use the 'laugh' emote every time you land a long-range Q-Flash. All-chat 'Bonk' after an R-kill. Seeing a Vi charging at them at full speed from the jungle is enough to make most low-elo ADCs tilt and spam their flash prematurely.
Your R is unstoppable. Use it to follow an Ezreal E or a Flash. They can't escape the law. Once they're up, Q-AA-E-AA. They're dead before they hit the ground. Justice served.
Flash-Q engage. R the carry. They can't move. They can't flash. They just die. Type 'Police brutality' in chat. Justice served.
Recent Patch History
Recent Balance Changes
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V14.18 | Sep 11, 2024 | NERF | Q nerfed |
| V14.16 | Aug 14, 2024 | BUFF | Q buffed |
| V14.5 | Mar 6, 2024 | BUFF | E adjusted |
| V11.23 | Nov 17, 2021 | ADJUST | Base stats adjusted |
| V13.17 | Aug 30, 2023 | NERF | P buffed, E nerfed, R nerfed |
