How To Lane Against Vi – Ultimate Guide

The ever-changing nature of League of Legends can sometimes spawn some unholy Champion builds. ADCs become Supports, Top Laners become ADCs, and Mid Laners turn to the Jungle. In this case, the latter is reversed, and we have a notorious Jungler turn into a formidable Mid Laner dominating the Summoner’s Rift.

Known as one of the best Junglers with incredible mobility and map pressure, Vi hasn’t been seen in a Laning role for God knows how long. But, as I’ve said, the game tends to change frequently and drastically, and we end up with Vi on Mid. It’s her second-most popular role right after Jungle, and Mid Laners have been struggling to fight her. But worry not, I’m here to help you with our guide on how to effectively and victoriously Lane against Vi.

What you can expect:

• An overview of Vi’s abilities.
• An in-depth guide to beating her.
• Many comments from the author.

Vi’s Abilities, or Letting Her Hands Do the Talking

Vi is among those Champions that value CC-ing you over anything else. She has two CC abilities: a short displacement and a complete disable. Using these she’ll close any distance between herself and her targets and pummel them incessantly until they’re dead. Recent changes to the meta have made her an insane one-shotter, so that should be kept in mind when considering the power of her kit. Here’s a rundown of her abilities.

Passive – Blast Shield: Vi’s abilities periodically grant her a shield that lasts for a few seconds. The passive’s cooldown is reduced every time Vi consumes Denting Blows.

Q – Vault Breaker: The first cast charges a dash that slows Vi so long as she holds it to increase the ability’s range. The ability goes to full cooldown if Vi doesn’t recast the ability. However, if the charge is interrupted, it has a lower cooldown. On recasting, Vi dashes and pulls all non-Champion units toward her. If she hits a Champion, Vi stops and knocks them up for 0.75s. Both her E and Ultimate can be cast during the dash.

W – Denting Blows: When Vi hits a unit with her basic attacks or her Q, she applies a stack of Denting Blows. After three hits, Vi consumes Denting Blows, dealing bonus damage, reducing the target’s Armor,  and increasing her attack speed.

E – Relentless Force: Vi empowers her next basic attack to have extra range, damage, and AOE damage. Relentless Force attacks can critically strike and act as auto-attack resets. Vi can store up to 2 Relentless Force charges at a time.

R – Cease and Desist: Vi dashes toward a target Champion. After she reaches them, she grabs them and knocks them up briefly, dealing damage at the end. Vi also stuns and knocks aside all units she passes through during the dash. The dash cannot be interrupted.

As you can see, Vi’s entire kit revolves around closing the gap between herself and the enemy. Whether it’s her Q or her Ultimate, Vi will get close enough to beat you senseless. She’s also amazing versus Tanks due to her Armor-shredding ability, and she can attack quickly, giving her an advantage in such duels where speed means life or death. She’s undoubtedly a tough nut to crack, but nothing is impossible.

Laning Against Vi: The Early Game

Vi’s early game when Laning is pretty weak compared to other popular Mid Lane picks. However, she shouldn’t be underestimated. Her Q is a very strong spell that can lock you into a brief stun–enough for her to bash your head in. Even if you get the chance to retaliate, her passive shield will be enough to block most, if not all, of your early-game damage. Her E’s AOE damage is also something to look out for, as it can damage you significantly from a long distance. All she needs to do is to strike a minion facing you, and bam–you’ve just been traded with at no cost.

So, what should you do in the early game? Well, it all revolves around dodging and choosing your fights. She’s weak, as I’ve said. It’s not easy for her to dodge pokes; farming is another of her early weak points. Take it easy, attack her with long-range abilities, and poke her down until she’s at a safe percentage of HP you can fight against. Don’t get too close or caught in her Q. If you do, it won’t end well. Also, try to bait out her abilities before trying to trade. Without her Q, she’s pretty much empty-handed (wink, wink), and she won’t be able to retaliate effectively. That shield also triggers on minions, so if she uses it with her E and it goes to cool down, that should be your cue to try and trade. Just be mindful of the state of her kit, and you should be fine.

Mid-Game Madness

Vi hits a massive power spike when she reaches level 6. Her Ultimate is an incredible CC ability that can lock you in a stun for 1.5s while dealing damage. Vi can chain this with her Q to bump that stun over 2s–more than enough for a Champion like her to secure a kill. Avoiding this Ultimate is impossible. It’s a targeted ability, and she only needs to click on you. However, it’s survivable. So long as you’re in a good position from which you can escape (near a tower, allied Champions, etc.), you should be fine. Stocking up on HP and survivability items is also a good idea. I’ll look at the best items later in the article.

Vi also suffers immensely without her itemization. Sure, her abilities give a ton of damage and so on, but that’s nothing compared to the items she loves buying. Recent changes to the game have propelled Vi’s Lethality build to insane levels. She indeed relies on having them and doesn’t do nearly as much if she’s denied the purchase. If you’ve played your cards right in the early game, Vi can be stopped in her tracks, and she won’t be able to terrorize you or your allies.

However, if you let her farm up and get early kills, thus getting a speedy Lethality item like Eclipse or Collector, you’re pretty much done. So make sure to play the post-6 stage of the game properly so as not to allow Vi to rack up too much Gold and get those juicy Assassin one-shotters.

Late Game

Vi’s late game is beyond brutal. She’s capable of one-shotting people without breaking a sweat. Her build also contains many Ability Haste-enhancing items that will ensure her onslaught never ends. She can spam abilities left and right without taking a second to rest, making any encounter with her that much more annoying. Add to that the aforementioned unlocks that she can dish out, and you have yourself a whole lot to deal with.

The same thing applies in the late game, as I’ve said in the previous section–don’t let her reach it. Vi is incapable of doing anything so long as she’s contained and denied the opportunity to build up. Consider her as Kayle or any other scaling Champion that is nearly useless against much stronger opponents. I think Vi is even worse in this regard due to how reliant she is on her items. Champions like Kayle have natural scaling built into their kit. Vi does not. Therefore, you should focus all your strength on prevention rather than direct fighting.

Even if she gets into a powerful position, Vi has a significant flaw, especially when she goes for the currently most popular build–she’s squishy. A well-placed stun and CC will almost guarantee a kill on her. She doesn’t have the proper means of dispelling your CC abilities. She can dodge them with her Q, but that’s not a given if you have targeted spells or AOE CC, which is incredibly efficient against Vi. You can also bait out her Q or Ultimate and then CC her down, as she’ll have zero counters for that. All in all, it’s all about stopping her–whether it’s from building up or attacking. The former is much better if possible.

How to Counter Vi’s Abilities

Vi’s spells are notoriously hard to counter. But here’s some advice on what you should do when faced with her:

• Keep a distance. Vi’s spells and AOE damage have quite the range, but it’s not infinite. Stay behind the minion wave and only come near when it’s safe to farm and trade. She won’t be able to do much harm to you, especially early in the game, if you’re adequately distanced.
• Build Tenacity. Mercury Treads might give you Magic Resist, but they also boost your CC resistance by 30%, a massive amount, especially early on. It’ll make her nasty stuns last much shorter, giving you more time for retaliation. Without her Ultimate, Vi’s stun is relatively short already, so making it even weaker is the perfect countering strategy.
• Bait them out. She can’t use her abilities twice (except for her E), and you should try to bait them as much as possible. You might not even have to do it, as Vi players often use their spells to shove waves/try to poke you. So, if her cooldowns are all up, use the situation to your advantage by trading with her or plain attacking.
• Learn how to dodge. Her abilities are sometimes hard to predict, but her Q is well-telegraphed and takes a while to charge fully. Study how all of her spells work and learn how to dodge them. Dodging skill shots and attacks in League of Legends is the fundamental mechanical skill you should hone until perfection.
• Play against her. The more you encounter Vi, the better you will understand how all of her abilities work. I’d even advise you to play her in a few matches just to get a sense of what makes her tick. Vi is an old Champion, making her very straightforward, so understanding her deeply won’t take too long.

Mid Lane Counters for Vi

As with any Champion, Vi has her natural counters in the Lane that can pressure her significantly. Mid Lane is a solo Lane, meaning counter-picks hold much more weight and can be game-breaking. Here are Vi’s Mid Lane Counters:

Irelia

Irelia is among the best fighters in League of Legends. Her ability to easily trade and deal massive damage is unprecedented. She’s also immensely popular, especially during the current patch with all the changes made to the itemization system. Irelia’s mobility is another aspect that works more than well against slower Champions like Vi.

From the very beginning of the match, Irelia will have the upper hand on Vi. She can use her high base damage and Q resets to farm effectively and get beneficial trades. Vi has no concrete tools at her disposal to prevent Irelia from doing what she does best: bullying people into submission. Vi will scarcely be able to approach the minion wave for the farm without getting hurt badly. This can even go as far as getting her killed, so the zoning is there pretty much by default.

Vi’s only option here will be to wait for level 6, which, even then, isn’t a guarantee against Irelia. The Jungler may have to come in and help and thus divert their focus from the rest of the map. A good Irelia player will be able to ward off the Jungler, which will give her allies enough time to make plays elsewhere. All in all, Irelia is a firm counter against Vi that does the essential job when it comes to laning against her–preventing her from getting strong. She’ll be denied both farm and XP and isolated for the entire match.

Pantheon

Pantheon has been gaining traction as a popular Mid Lane pick for a while now. His consistent stuns, high survivability and insane damage are all the tools one needs to be a dominant force in solo Lanes. He was a good Top Laner for a while and still appears occasionally, but he’s found a new home in the Support Role for the past couple of Seasons. Nevertheless, he’s a fantastic choice for solo players and the option for countering Vi.

Pantheon is known in the community as the Lane bully Champion. He counters such picks as Jax, arguably one of the best Champions in League of Legends. He can put massive pressure on Champions, especially on ones like Vi, who don’t have much to strike back at him with. Pantheon’s Q is a fantastic poking tool that he’ll spam almost incessantly. Its range also means that Vi will have to stand much further back than usual to avoid taking damage. This will only help Pantheon establish a zone of control, denying Vi of Gold and, potentially, XP. If Vi gets too close, she is subject to being comboed. Pantheon can amplify one of his spells every now and again, and his buffed W does a ton of damage and applies a massive stun that’s hard to escape. It’s also a targetable ability, meaning you can’t dodge it as long as he’s used it.

If Vi gets the chance to attack Pantheon, he’ll simply use his E to mitigate all of the potential damage she does. This goes for any ability or attack she has if it’s coming from the front. His E is a brutal ability that can be lifesaving and outright frustrating for Vi players. Like with Irelia, Vi cannot do much to play against Pantheon in the game’s early stages. Unlike Irelia, however, Pantheon slacks off significantly in the Late game, and if he hasn’t contained Vi early enough, he’ll suffer the consequences.

Malphite

There’s not a Champion under the Sun that Malphite doesn’t counter in Season 13. The durability update and the dominance of Tanks in League of Legends have persisted for a while now. This has led me to ban him from every match as a Katarina player. Think about that for a moment. An AP-centric Champion consistently plagued by a traditional Armor Tank? Yeah, it’s that bad, and it only gets worse for Champions like Vi.

Though Vi possesses arguably some of the best anti-Armor tools, Malphite can eat right through them. You also might find it strange that Malphite’s being mentioned as a Mid Laner. But, of course, in the same vein as some other crazy meta shifts, Malphite is now popular on Mid. That’s all I have to say about that.

Anyhow, Vi cannot do much against Malphite, except for the early game. She can trade well against him and even kill him before he builds up a couple of component items. Fighting him will still hurt, but Vi’s shield and anti-Armor damage will make easy work of an early-game Malphite. However, Malphite’s Tank snowball is almost guaranteed, as he doesn’t need much to become one. He can build only one or two component (not whole) items and utilize his W to boost his Armor by the hundreds. This will make Vi’s attack seem more like sponge splashes than actual rocket-powered hits. He’ll chomp right through anything she can cast at him and won’t feel a thing.

The late game is where Malphite’s strengths far outshine Vi’s weaknesses. He will become so strong and invulnerable that Vi will feel completely useless fighting against him. All she’ll be able to do is divert her attention to other, more killable targets. And that is only if Malphite lets her do it. His Ultimate is beyond comedic with its usefulness, and his sheer presence can be quite the deterrent. Therefore, Malphite is the perfect late-game showstopper against Vi. Just make sure you don’t lose early; it’s entirely possible.

Jungle Counters for Vi

Vi’s primary role is in the Jungle, primarily due to how well she performs as a ganking Champion rather than as a dueler. With all I’ve mentioned above, Vi doesn’t strike me as a Champion so capable of fighting one on one. However, I’ve also noted some of her strengths, so it’s no wonder some high-elo players opted for playing her on Mid. Nevertheless, the Jungle is still her most played role, so let’s check out some counters for her off the Lane.

Kha’Zix

In the Jungle, Vi suffers from this one thing called slowness. Though mobility crowns her kit in the later parts of the game, she’s super slow early. Her cooldowns are way too high and can limit her potential. When faced with Champions like Kha’Zix, Vi has many issues to deal with.

First and foremost, Kha’Zix can outgank her. He can roam around with his slightly lower cooldowns and more significant early-game damage and strike at his opponents effectively. Vi can try and do so, and she might even succeed at times, but not nearly as consistently as Kha’Zix.

He can also outtrade her most of the time due to how his passive functions. Vi’s primary ability is her Q which has a massive lower-level cooldown. Kha, on the other hand, has his Q that has a low cooldown and amplified damage against isolated targets (which Vi will be most of the time in the Jungle).

Overall, Kha’Zix is a fantastic pick against Vi due to his ability to outmatch her in the early game. Once she’s denied the opportunity to scale from the beginning, Vi will significantly struggle in the mid to late game (the bit when she’s supposed to be at her peak).

Nocturne

Like with Kha’Zix, Nocturne can outgank Vi in the early game. His superior mobility and high base damage allows him to fight consistently from level 1. He also can pull a fantastic invade with his allies due to the aforementioned movement speed he uses to chase down any running target. Vi is insanely prone and weak to invades, and it is difficult for her to recover from such an early disadvantage.

Nocturne’s 1v1 with Vi is also pretty strong. He has a ton of survivability, negating Vi’s Q completely, and has that nasty lifesteal of his. His basic attack damage is also nothing to scoff at, and he’ll likely emerge victorious from an early duel nine times out of ten.

Where Nocturne really shines is the post-6 stage of the game. This is when Vi also reaches a massive power spike that she should use to establish herself as the strong Bruiser/Assassin she is. However, Nocturne’s Ultimate is the definitive ganking tool he can use to apply insane map pressure on Vi and her allies. He can also dash in from vast distances and close any gap much more effectively than she can.

This constant pressure can lead Vi to be completely isolated and ignored and potentially denied a ton of Gold. Clearing her camps will only net so much income, and ganks and kills are her primary Jungle source of income. Nocturne’s ability to prevent her from getting any is incredible, making him a perfect Vi counter.

Amumu

As one player on Reddit put it: ‘Amumu loves people dashing into him,’ and nothing could be more true. He’s a complete damage soaker, similar to Malphite in this regard, and can deal massive damage with his kit. He also has those two bandage-throwing abilities that stun people for insane durations–the perfect tool for fighting Vi. Being one of the Champions most vulnerable to stuns and CC, Vi is powerless against a well-placed Amumu double-Q. Not to mention his Ultimate that can prolong the CC to unbearable lengths. You could just leave the match since you’d get an AFK warning anyways.

But I digress. Vi’s most significant problem with Amumu in the early game is the same as with the previous two Champions. They all can get ganks in better and quicker than she does. Amumu is probably even more than the other two due to his 2 charges on Q. Vi will focus her Jungling game primarily on avoiding enemy Junglers and clearing camps while looking for gank opportunities. If a Champion can outdo her in this regard, she’s pretty much done for early on. So long as the rest of the team doesn’t feed, Amumu and Champions, similar in design, can beat Vi more or less consistently.

Her attacking and going all-in on Amumu just doesn’t work. His tears and E deal a ton of damage in a 1v1 situation, and a double Q has a stun too long to withstand, no matter who or what you’re playing as. Vi struggles in the early game and peaks in the mid to late game. Amumu is great at any stage, especially when Vi is supposed to be both weak and strong.

His dominance as a Late game Teamfighter also overshadows Vi completely. He brings so much utility to his team, and a well-placed Amumu Ultimate can win a game just like that. Vi has this capacity as well, being able to isolate and even kill an important target, but she’ll most likely die in the process and not be able to stop a whole team–unlike Amumu.

Overall, he’s a fantastic Champion in any situation and does exceptionally well against Vi in the Jungle.

Best Items Against Vi

Some items work better against Vi than others. Both AD and AP Champions have a myriad of options to choose from to use as counters against Vi. Let’s take a look at them.

AD Options

1. Plated Steelcaps: They provide you with much-needed Armor and reduce incoming auto-attack damage, which can help a ton with Vi’s incessant basic attacks. This is also a viable option for many AP Champions.
2. Dead Man’s Plate: Boosts your Armor and HP and provides you with bonus movement speed that can counteract Vi’s incredible mobility. This Item primarily focuses on Tanks, so make sure it goes well in your build before purchasing.
3. Guardian’s Angel: Vi’s recent Lethality build has a ton of potential for killing you instantly—no better way of getting out of that situation than by having a second life. Guardian’s Angel is the perfect item against most Assassins in League of Legends, Vi included.
4. Titanic Hydra: Provides you with survivability and excellent extra damage. This is a fantastic item for most AD Bruisers, the best Champions to play against Vi.
5. Serpent’s Fang: A lot of Vi’s survivability in games revolves around her passive’s shield. Well, there’s a solution: Serpent’s Fang allows you to cull her shield in half, thus reducing one of her main defense options.

AP Options

1. Seeker’s Armguard: A great component item that builds into Zhonya’s Hourglass, arguably the best anti-Assassin item in League of Legends (even better than Guardian’s Angel).
2. Stopwatch: It’s Zhonya-little, and you get it for free. What else is there to say about it?
3. Zhonya’s Hourglass: As I’ve already stated, this is the ultimate tool against Assassins like Vi. It can dodge and mitigate anything she does, and there’s nothing she can do against it. If she uses her abilities on you, all you have to do is use Zhonya’s, and done: you’ve now denied her entire kit.
4. Archangel’s Staff / Seraph’s Embrace: Provides you with massive AP and Mana and an incredible life saving shield that’s a must when facing burst Assassins like Vi.
5. Rylai’s Crystal Scepter: An overall good item that gives a ton of HP, plus a slow on dealing Magic Damage that can prevent Vi from getting too close.

Naturally, many more items work well against Vi, but it’s all based on what her other allies build. Learning how to build situationally is a fundamental skill in League of Legends. The more you play, the more you’ll know which items work at any given moment.

Top Laner’s Comment on Vi

To be completely honest, I don’t encounter Vi often in the wild in any way, shape, or form. She’s simply not too popular of a Champion, at least in my division. However, I think that this exact thing makes her lethal and unpredictable. Most players’ experience is relatively low regarding Vi, and they’ll make common mistakes when fighting against her.

Whenever I did face off with her during my occasional Mid games, I just sought to zone her and keep my distance to avoid getting hit. Pretty simple, is it not? She does have a knack for going all-in at random times, but these are easily anticipated if you know what to look for. Scan her positioning and movement. These two usually give out enough information for you to know Vi’s coming to get you.

Once you learn how most Vi players maneuver their engagements, you’ll be safe basically forever. She’s much more dangerous in the Jungle, where she uses the guise of darkness. Even then, if your game sense is high and developed, not even this will be enough for her to stop you.

Not to mention the late game where Vi drops off severely, and unless she gets the opportunity of zoning out your most important Champion, she’s a throwaway. A solid stun or cleanse will see her blown out within seconds in the late game, and a Champion such as her just isn’t worth the praise. She’s a tough nut to crack early on, but once you know all there is about her–you’ve cracked her for life.

Conclusion

Vi has been on the rise for the past few months, and her onslaught doesn’t seem like it will end soon. However, some Champions in League stop her in her tracks and do it consistently. I hope you’ve learned a ton with this in-depth guide on countering Vi and her many strengths. Keep playing as you acquire valuable experience, at which point no guide will be a match for your own wit. Good luck, and have fun on the Summoner’s Rift!