vex guide
Vex is a powerful mid-lane mage in League of Legends, known for her aggressive playstyle and ability to punish dashes with burst damage. With a 53.64 win rate in Patch 15.11, she excels at deleting squishy targets quickly, making her a formidable pick in the mid lane. Her kit revolves around fear, poke, and quick combos, making her a strong contender in competitive play.
1.1 Overview of Vex as a Champion
Vex is a mid-lane mage champion in League of Legends, known for her aggressive playstyle and ability to dominate team fights with burst damage. As the Gloomist, she thrives on fear and chaos, making her a formidable opponent in the mid lane. With a 53.64 win rate in Patch 15;11, Vex is a strong pick for players who enjoy punishing dashes and diving into enemy lines. Her kit revolves around quick combos, poke, and crowd control, allowing her to delete squishy targets effortlessly. Vex is particularly effective against mobile champions like Azir and Sylas but struggles against hard counters such as Kayle and Annie. Her versatility and high damage potential make her a popular choice for climbers and experienced players alike.
1.2 Role and Playstyle in League of Legends
Vex is a mid-lane mage with an aggressive, high-damage playstyle, excelling at burst combos and punishing enemy dashes. Her kit revolves around fear, poke, and quick engagements, making her a versatile pick for players who enjoy both roaming and team fights. Early game, Vex focuses on harassing enemies with her abilities while scaling into a late-game threat. Her ultimate, Shadow Surge, allows her to dive into fights and delete squishy targets instantly. To maximize her impact, mastering her mechanics and itemization is crucial. Vex thrives in competitive play, offering a blend of assassination and control, making her a powerful asset for climbers and experienced players alike.
Vex’s Abilities Breakdown
Vex’s abilities include Q ⎼ Mistral Bolt, W ー Personal Space, E ⎼ Looming Darkness, and R ー Shadow Surge, each offering unique damage, control, and burst potential.
2.1 Q ⎼ Mistral Bolt
Mistral Bolt is Vex’s primary offensive ability, dealing magic damage to enemies in a line. It’s effective for poking in lane and harassing enemies from a distance. The ability’s moderate range and decent damage make it a staple in Vex’s early-game trades. Landing Mistral Bolt on champions who dash or use mobility skills triggers additional effects, enhancing its utility. Proper use of Mistral Bolt is crucial for early-game dominance and setting up for Vex’s powerful combos later on. Maximizing this ability early ensures consistent damage output and pressure in lane.
2.2 W ⎼ Personal Space
Personal Space is Vex’s defensive tool, granting her a shield and dealing magic damage to nearby enemies. It’s particularly effective against melee champions or those who close the distance. The shield scales with Vex’s ability power, making it more potent as the game progresses. Personal Space is crucial for mitigating damage in skirmishes and lane trades. It also synergizes well with her other abilities, allowing Vex to stay safe while dealing damage. Proper timing of this ability can turn the tide of fights, especially when enemies overcommit. Using Personal Space effectively is key to Vex’s survivability and aggressive playstyle in the mid lane.
2.3 E ⎼ Looming Darkness
Looming Darkness is a powerful area-of-effect ability that deals magic damage to enemies within its radius. Upon activation, it slows enemies and applies a stack of Corrupting Presence. This ability is crucial for controlling team fights and preventing enemies from repositioning. Looming Darkness pairs well with Vex’s ultimate, Shadow Surge, as it allows her to follow up with burst damage. Properly positioning this ability can disrupt enemy formations and create opportunities for Vex to land her combo. It’s also effective in skirmishes for zoning and protecting allies. Maximizing Looming Darkness requires good spatial awareness and timing to catch multiple enemies in its area of effect.
2.4 R ー Shadow Surge
Shadow Surge is Vex’s ultimate ability, enabling her to fire a projectile that marks enemies with Corrupting Presence. Reactivating the ability allows Vex to dash to the marked target, providing exceptional mobility. This skill excels at initiating or escaping fights, with the projectile traveling swiftly, making it difficult for enemies to evade. Shadow Surge is particularly effective when used on moving targets, as it enables Vex to follow enemies into team fights. In competitive play, timing and positioning are crucial to maximize its impact. Proper use of Shadow Surge can turn the tide of a battle, making it a cornerstone of Vex’s aggressive playstyle.
Optimal Build for Vex
Vex’s optimal build focuses on items like Ludens Companion, Sorcerers Shoes, Stormsurge, Shadowflame, Zhonyas Hourglass, and Rabadons Deathcap to maximize her burst damage and mobility in mid lane.
3.1 Best Runes for Vex
The optimal runes for Vex focus on enhancing her burst damage and survivability. The primary rune path includes Electrocute, Taste of Blood, Grisly Mementos, and Ultimate Hunter, which amplify her ability to deal damage and sustain in fights. For the secondary path, Manaflow Band and Transcendence are recommended to improve mana management and ability haste. Rune shards should prioritize Attack Speed for offense, Adaptive Force for flexibility, and Health Scaling for defense. This setup ensures Vex can poke effectively, burst squishy targets, and remain resilient against early-game aggression. These runes are highly effective in most matchups and align with her aggressive, burst-oriented playstyle.
3.2 Recommended Items
Vex’s item build focuses on maximizing her burst damage and survivability. The core items include Luden’s Companion for early mana and ability power, Sorcerer’s Shoes for magic penetration, and Shadowflame for its percentage-based damage and fear effect. Zhonya’s Hourglass is crucial for survivability, allowing Vex to avoid deadly attacks. Rabadon’s Deathcap is a late-game staple to amplify her ability power. For situational needs, Void Staff is recommended against heavy magic resistance. These items together enable Vex to deliver devastating burst combos while maintaining defensive capabilities, making her a formidable force in team fights and skirmishes. This build emphasizes her ability to quickly eliminate squishy targets and scale into the late game effectively.
3.3 Summoner Spells
For Vex, the optimal Summoner Spells are Flash and Teleport. Flash provides essential mobility for escaping, engaging, and repositioning, which is crucial for Vex’s aggressive playstyle. Teleport allows her to maintain map pressure, quickly return to lane after recalls, and join team fights, making it a staple for mid-lane mages. These spells enhance her ability to roam effectively, secure kills, and influence objectives. Flash is particularly vital for initiating combos or evading deadly abilities, while Teleport ensures she remains a consistent threat across the map. Together, they complement her kit and playstyle, enabling her to dominate in lane and scale into the late game as a formidable burst mage.
3.4 Skill Order
The recommended skill order for Vex is to prioritize Q (Mistral Bolt) as her primary ability, followed by W (Personal Space), and then E (Looming Darkness). This order maximizes her early-game damage and survivability. Starting with Q allows for consistent poke and harassment, while W provides a shield and damage to nearby enemies, making it ideal for trading in lane. E is essential for its damage, slow, and Corrupt application, enhancing her combo potential. Maxing Q first ensures strong burst damage, while W and E are maxed second and third to balance defense and utility. Finally, her ultimate R (Shadow Surge) is taken at levels 6, 11, and 16 to amplify her burst and mobility in team fights.
Vex Counters and Matchups
Vex excels against mobile champions like Azir and Irelia but struggles against strong engage or hard CC champions such as Kayle and Annie, who can disrupt her burst.
4.1 Champions Countered by Vex
Vex excels against champions with heavy reliance on dashes or mobility, such as Azir, Irelia, and Sylas, due to her ability to punish dashes with extra damage. Her kit shines against squishy, mobile mid-laners who struggle to handle her burst combos. Vex’s W ー Personal Space and E ⎼ Looming Darkness allow her to zone and harass these champions effectively, making it difficult for them to close the gap. Additionally, her ultimate, R ー Shadow Surge, enables her to dive into team fights and eliminate high-priority targets quickly. Champions like Qiyana, Yone, and Yasuo, who rely on agility and dashes, are particularly vulnerable to Vex’s playstyle. By mastering her mechanics, Vex can dominate these matchups with ease.
4.2 Champions that Counter Vex
Vex struggles against champions with strong mobility, hard crowd control, or abilities that counter her burst damage. Kayle, with her ultimate, can negate Vex’s combo and protect allies. Annie’s Tibbers can disrupt Vex’s positioning and force her to retreat. Veigar’s cage and burst damage also pose a significant threat, as Vex relies on dashing into fights. Additionally, champions like Anivia and Mel Medarda can outscale Vex in the late game and counter her dive-oriented playstyle. These champions highlight the importance of banning or prioritizing picks to minimize Vex’s effectiveness in competitive matchups.
Tips and Tricks for Playing Vex
Master Vex by punishing dashes with her Q, managing cooldowns effectively, and positioning in team fights to maximize burst damage. Use her ultimate to follow enemies and block key abilities with her W for optimal impact.
5.1 Early Game Strategy
In the early game, focus on harassing enemies with Vex’s Q (Mistral Bolt) and E (Looming Darkness) while maintaining a safe distance. Use W (Personal Space) to block incoming abilities and protect yourself from all-ins. Prioritize controlling the minion wave to deny gold and experience to the enemy. Avoid overextending into enemy territory unless you have a clear advantage. If playing aggressively, use summoner spells like Ignite to snowball the lane. Be cautious of hard engage champions and focus on farming until you hit key power spikes with your items and abilities. Proper positioning and patience are key to setting up for mid-game dominance.
5.2 Mid Game Power Spikes
Vex’s mid-game power spikes revolve around completing key items like Ludens Companion and Shadowflame, which enhance her burst damage and mobility. At this stage, focus on roaming to influence other lanes and secure objectives like towers or Dragon. Use your ultimate (R ー Shadow Surge) to dive into team fights or chase down high-priority targets. Reactivate your ultimate to follow enemies attempting to escape, ensuring maximum damage output. Coordinate with your team to set up vision control and ambushes, leveraging Vex’s ability to punish overextensions. Avoid engaging in unfavorable skirmishes and prioritize picking off squishy targets to snowball the game. Properly timing your power spikes can lead to overwhelming pressure and a strong transition into the late game.
5.3 Late Game Team Fights
In the late game, Vex excels at dominating team fights with her burst damage and mobility. Position yourself to maximize your ultimate (R ー Shadow Surge) impact, diving onto high-value targets like the enemy ADC or mid laner. Use your W (Personal Space) to shield against incoming damage and reposition safely. Prioritize picking off squishy targets with your Q (Mistral Bolt) and E (Looming Darkness) combo, ensuring quick takedowns. Avoid overextending without vision control, as Vex can be vulnerable to dives. Coordinate with your team to focus on objectives like Baron Nashor or Elder Dragon to fuel your late-game power. With items like Zhonyas Hourglass and Banshees Veil, Vex becomes a formidable force in deciding team fight outcomes, making her a key asset for closing out games.
5.4 Advanced Combo Techniques
Mastering Vexs advanced combos requires precise timing and spatial awareness. Start with your ultimate (R ⎼ Shadow Surge) to mark targets, then immediately follow up with Q (Mistral Bolt) and E (Looming Darkness) for burst damage. Use your W (Personal Space) to block critical abilities like hooks or dashes, creating an opening for a counterattack. For maximum impact, combine your Q and E after landing a mark from R, as the damage amplification from Corrupting Darkness will devastate squishy targets. Practice chaining these abilities in quick succession to maximize burst potential. Advanced players can also incorporate Flash into their combos for unexpected engages or escapes. Refine these techniques in practice mode to ensure flawless execution in high-pressure situations.
Pro Tips for Mastering Vex
To truly dominate with Vex, focus on optimizing your ability usage and decision-making. Always prioritize landing your ultimate (R ー Shadow Surge) on high-priority targets, especially those attempting to reposition or flee. Use your W (Personal Space) to block critical enemy abilities, such as hooks or dashes, and capitalize on the damage it deals. Mastering your Q (Mistral Bolt) timing is crucial for last-hitting minions and harassing enemies effectively. Additionally, always be mindful of your mana management, as Vex relies heavily on her abilities to control the lane. In team fights, position yourself to maximize the fear zone from your ultimate while staying safe from enemy threats. Finally, adapt your build and playstyle based on the matchup to ensure consistent impact throughout the game.
Vex is a formidable mid-lane mage with a 53.64 win rate in Patch 15.11, making her a strong A-Tier pick. Her ability to punish dashes and deal burst damage makes her a versatile and fun champion. With proper itemization and mastery of her abilities, Vex can dominate games and climb the ranks. Her playstyle revolves around fear, poke, and quick combos, making her a great choice for players who enjoy aggressive, high-impact champions. Whether you’re a seasoned player or looking to improve, Vex offers a rewarding experience with her unique mechanics and potential for game-changing plays. Mastering her kit and build will elevate your gameplay and make her a delightful addition to your champion pool.