Vayne Build Guide : True Damage, True Carry ~ S3 Vayne Guide

NEW GUIDE

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My other guides:
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Short Intro

Hello guys and welcome to my guide, the second one I made here on MOBAFire. I'm BroxXx95 and I play on EU West. Although I main Mid, sometimes I like to play AD Carry/Marksman and is my favourite. She was actually the newest champion in the League when I started playing LoL. Her high mobility and great dueling potential made her my favourite champion, even today. Although I'm far from pro player I find myself a solid player and in this guide I'll give you some tips how to play her.

This guide will cover basic champion information, as well as recommended runes, masteries and summoner spells. Also, I'll give my best to explain how to play in different game stages and how to build her effectively, to dish out as much damage as possible.

I have to warn you this is an in-depth guide; it takes a while to fully read so it's best to concentrate and read it carefully. I relly hope you'll enjoy what I've prepared for you!

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- What makes Vayne so special?

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High mobility
Strong duelist
Stealth
Late-game power

- is naturally highly mobile champion thanks to and her basic abilities. and can both be used offensively and defensively. is great poke tool and very strong in fighting an enemy as it resets auto-attack while can potentially stun enemy to secure a kill. Alternatively, they can be used to create distance between you and enemy to escape scary situations.
- Vayne's assassin-like playstyle makes her very strong duelist that's able to burst down any target within seconds. Combination of and significantly increases her damage output and she melts even toughest tanks very quickly. Tumbling while is active gives a short-duration stealth which is crucial to confuse enemies during fight.
- Finally, is a hyper-carry; the moment she gets a few offensive items she becomes unstoppable late game monster!

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- What should I be aware of?

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Short range
Squishy
Main target of her enemies
Quite difficult to understand

- has relatively short range, therefore she can easily be denied from farming and poked a lot, especially if you're against someone like . Generally AD Carries with strong early-game can be real pain in the a** to as she is weakest during first few levels.
- After laning phase, when the team fights start to happen, will ALWAYS be the primary target of enemy team. Since you'll focus on building primarily damage items, you will be an easy target if you get caught.
- At last, Vayne's mechanics are pretty difficult to understand, especially to newer players. Wrong use of can put you in a dangerous situation, while can potentially save an enemy.

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SPACESPACESPACESPACEAAAA

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When it comes to runes and masteries, almost every AD Carry uses the same setup. You should focus on increasing damage output as much as possible, for easier farming and better poke, while also putting reasonable amount of defensive stats to be able to trade effectively.

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Runes -

- Offensive Runes -

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Runes

Precision

Press the Attack

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are highly recommended to take, at least two of them. Providing extra life steal at the start allowing you to stay in lane longer, to heal up quickly if being poked. They also have great synergy with and can allow you to delay life steal item if you want to.

One could be taken to replace one to add extra early attack damage for easier last hitting and deadlier auto-attacks.

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Runes

Precision

Press the Attack

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are obligatory to any AD Carry as they greatly improve your chances to successfully last hit. They also give more power to your basic attacks for better pokes and trading with enemy AD Carry. Since both and have AD scaling you'll get more damage from them, as well.

Replacing one with is optional, but can be actually very helpful. You'll loose only 1 AD, which is hardly noticeable, but you'll gain 1 critical chance. You might be thinking "That's also hardly noticeable!", but the point is you never know when that critical strike can occur, and when it does, you'll surely get an advantage over enemy AD Carry.

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- Defensive Runes -

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Runes

Precision

Press the Attack

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are mandatory and are the only seals I'd recommend. You will be facing another AD Carry, or AD based champion 99% of time in current meta so you need a way to negate some of their damage and these are perfect runes for that purpose. With these, you shouldn't worry about getting armor at early levels.

are pretty much standard choice, too. Since most supports and some AD Carries deal decent amount of magic damage, these runes will make you much less vulnerable to their poke.

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Masteries -

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*WILL BE UPDATED*

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- For masteries you want to take 21 points in Offense Tree while putting the rest of your points into either Defensive Tree or Utility Tree, depending on your playstyle.

- In Offensive Tree you want to take all the physical damage improvements, starting with for a little bit of attack speed and for better last hitting. Also take for more lane sustain. Next take , , and for more attack damage, as well as for some extra attack speed on crit strikes. Also put points in and for overall increased damage output.

- You can take instead of , but you can also take them both if you want to. This will leave you 8 points to use in other Trees instead of 9.

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Summoner Spells -

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is probably THE best summoner spell in the game. It's a great utility spell that has multiple uses. Use it to to escape scary situations and flash to safety. Use it to dodge abilities like or . Use it to catch up to enemy after you've been knocked back. Possibilities are endless.

should be taken if you're still bellow level 12. Like it has both offensive and defensive uses, to catch an enemy or escape them. The movement boost is pretty high and has great synergy with , but overall is generally better choice.

is one of the best spells for an AD Carry at the moment. This spell can often save your life and prevents you from being burst down in a second by champions like or . It is especially strong in 1vs1 situations.

works wonders against hard CC teams. It instantly removes any stuns, slow, snares, etc. and reduces duration of any other CC for next few seconds. Additionaly, if being snared/stunned, it will create a shockwave that knocks back all enemy units around you. Definitely worth to consider if facing for example .
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

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Being an AD Carry means you have to farm and get fed so you can purchase damage items, to deal as much damage as possible. For it's best to focus on buying attack damage and attack speed items, like and , and primarily focus on utilizing , since this ability represents the biggest threat to your enemies.

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Early Items -

- First Spawn -

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is the best possible item to start a match with at the moment. It's an amazing item that gives you a mix of all necessary stats for laning phase. AD will stack up nicely with damage runes and your basic attack will damage more. Bonus health and health regen will greatly improve your lane sustain, along with life steal runes. Taking one will allow you to heal quickly if you take some damage.

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- Early Picks -

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are pretty much the only shoes you want to take on an AD Carry. They're cheap and give you pretty much needed early attack speed.
goes pretty well with life steal runes. Besides increased sustain and small boost to attack damage this item is upgraded to later, which is core item in this build.

In those games where you get a great advantage over your bot lane enemies it's good idea to rush early . Giving you whole 45 bonus attack damage, you will most probably crush your enemy in any attempt to trade with you. It also upgrades to , or if you prefer it over BotRK.

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Essentials -

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Rushing has multiple advantages. Firstly, it provides you with decent amount of attack speed and damage; improves your overall damage output. Secondly, passive has good synergy with and makes you into melting machine. Finally, active is very useful in almost any situation, whether you fight someone, chase them, or trying to escape. In short, it absolutely amazing item!

alternative is bloodthirster

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is one of my favourite items for . The attack speed boost is very nice and goes well with . Movement speed and the passive increase your mobility a lot, and it also has great synergy with . Having both and means you will deal massive damage in short duration.

alternative is statikk shiv

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Even has her own way of dealing with tanks/bruisers, she still needs armor penetration. is one hell of an item I consider CORE in every situation. Attack damage works very well with all your abilities, but the armor penetration is what we really want. 35% arPen combined with damage from will make you a real unstoppable force that melts everything that stays on its way.

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is absolutely necessary if you want to maximize your damage output. Having 70 bonus AD and 25% crit chance combined with passive that increases crit damage will make your attacks hurt like never before. When combined with , this item does wonders.

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Situational Items -

- Last Item -

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A standard last item for most AD Carries that provides you with nice mix of armor and magic resist, against balanced teams. Passive also revives you upon dying and literally gives you a second chance if you screw up. You'll want this item in most games.

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Very useful item, considered uncommon choice for AD Carries. Mixture of health and armor help you significantly against physical damage and champions that rely on basic attack to deal damage. Their attack and movement speed will be reduced every time they attack you, and active if you're trying to escape.

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The semi-offensive item you'd want to grab if you seek for more health. It boosts your health pool greatly, and it also gives you passive which makes you basic attacks slow any enemy hit. This works great with Vayne's high mobility and improves your kiting and chasing ability a lot.

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A highly situational item, but very useful against certain enemies like or . Active removes ANY debuffs that are currently on you, including , , etc. It should be considered if you are facing hard CC team, without .

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gives you only a small defensive boost via health, but it greatly increases your damage output. This may seem like a strange choice but works very well on . It's mostly because of frequent procs thanks to and even more attack speed and crit chance thanks to , while gives you more chasing power. Since this item is very expensive (but not expensive as it used to be), you should never rush it early as bot lane AD Carry because it will leave you behind the enemy AD Carry. Grabbing it as last item gives you huge damage potential, but it makes you more vulnerable to damage due to lack of armor/magic resist. Be careful if you choose to take it.

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is very useful item against AP based champions, especially those who are combo-based, such as , , etc. Shield works great against some initiation spells like or , allowing you to move back to safety.

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Not the greatest item to take, but not bad at all. It mostly protects you from dying from bursty mages, such as or , by giving you shield that protects you from magic damage. Unlike , this item gives you attack damage instead of defensive stats and further increases you attack damage based on how low your health is.

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- Movement -

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is good to take when you are playing more aggressively. Increasing movement speed on every hit goes very well with bonus.

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can be very useful, as it allows you to refill both your health and mana instantly and gives you huge movement speed boost to quickly return to your lane.

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At very late game, after you finish other items, you can replace boots with if you want. Movement speed boost is smaller, but you get more attack speed, cooldown reduction, as well as tenacity and some attack damage. This item works like three different boots in one!

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Abilities -

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Night Hunter: Movement speed is increased when facing an enemy champion; Passive is what makes such a great chaser. It gives you 30 flat movement speed, and this bonus is tripled while is active, so you usually won't need any kind of slow to chase down your enemies. But please note that this bonus works ONLY if you are facing enemy champion.

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Tumble: Vayne dashes in target direction and gains bonus damage on her next basic attack; This is Vayne's signature move. It has very short cooldown at max rank, only 2s, which can be used to proc effect or quickly reposition yourself during fights, while in combination with it grants you short-duration stealh. It also scales of bonus attack damage making pure AD items viable choice. This ability resets your auto-attack, while using it next to thick walls will make you fire second basic attack almost immediately. can also be used to move through some abilities like . Be careful how you use it, as it can put you in dangerous situation if not used correctly.

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Silver Bolts: Every third Vayne's basic attack on the same target deals bonus true damage based on target's max health; Probably the deadliest ability in Vayne's kit. It is quite strong at early levels, but it gains even more significance as the game goes on. This ability will wreck even the toughest targets, since no resistance can help to reduce its damage. It also makes attack speed items very good choice for and it is the reason why is generally stronger than .

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Condemn: Vayne knocks back targeted enemy and deals damage. If enemy hits the wall they are stunned and take double damage; , like , can be used both offensively and defensively. It's also Vayne's only form of crowd control, and be careful how you use it as it can potentially knock back enemy away from your reach. It is advisable to save it to prevent some channeled abilities, like Katarina's or Master Yi's . Early in game it can be strong burst spell if you level it first, especially against squishy targets like or . Also, keep in mind that enemies won't be stunned if they are pushed against champion-made terrain, like Jarvan's .

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Final Hour: Vayne gains bonus attack damage and tripled bonus from Night Hunter; is very strong steroid spell that boost Vayne's attack damage for short duration. It is another why is attack speed strong choice for and the reason she is a great duelist. Is has longer cooldown at early ranks, but it's good idea to use it if you're destroying towers. Fun fact is that in combination with grants a short-duration stealth that is especially useful during team fights, as you can easily confuse your enemies and switch the focus from you.

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Ability Sequence
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18

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- Ability Sequence Explanation -

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Introduction - Let us hunt those who have fallen to darkness

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Hello, folks! Welcome to my second guide, this time for . Here I will show you how to play Vayne effectively and how to carry your team to victory. Also, I will be grateful if you check my other guides.
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sBefore we start, let me introduce myself. I'm BroxXx95 and I play on EUW. At the time I started playing LoL, Vayne was newest champion in the league, and I liked her immediately. She was, and still IS, the best AD Carry in the game, for me. She was tricky to learn to play with properly, but after some games it was easier and easier. The best thing about Vayne (in my opinion) is that she can be built differently than other carries and still be effective. So, lets get started!

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You might be asking "Why would I pick Vayne". Well, firstly, Vayne is a Hyper-Carry, which means she will do insane amounts of damage to her targets if she manages to reach late game. Secondly, she is the only ADC (besides ) to have true damage in her kit, with , and not even armor will stop her from doing damage. She also has potential stun if she properly uses , and in team fights she will be able to confuse enemies with her + stealth. And, of course, she is extremely fun to play!

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For those who are interested in lore.

Vayne's Lore

Pros and Cons

Pros

Good chaser
Can avoid skill-shots easily
Stealth with Tumble
Great against high-health champions
True damage
Unstoppable late game carry

Cons

Relatively short range
Squishy
Hard to master
Completely disabled by CC
Weak early game
Unreliable stun
Always focused in team fights

Masteries and Runes

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Explanation

There is not really much to explain. I suggest using standard ADC runes, putting 21 points into Offensive Tree and 9 points into Defensive Tree. Take all physical damage increase in Offensive Tree and add some survivability through Defensive Tree, taking health, armor and magic resist. Alternatively, you can put 9 points into Utility Tree, to increase your buff duration or decrease cooldown of summoner's spells, but I don't think it's necessary.

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Runes

Precision

Fleet Footwork

Phase Rush

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spcgreater mark of armor penetration

- are great for boosting your early damage, as well as helping you farm easier. Also, with these your and will deal more damage.
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- greater mark of armor penetration can be great alternative to . Since most players take armor runes for ADCs, these runes will help you to deal more damage to them early, and later, along with armor penetration items.

-Since you will be going bottom lane, you will face another ADC. will help you negate some of their damage through early and mid game.

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- will help you at bottom lane against supports, since most of them deal magic damage, and sometimes ADCs (, , etc.) These will also help you against mages later in game.

-Like , is good choice for increasing your early game power and damage of your abilities.
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-If you need more lane sustain, are very strong choice, especially combined with AD marks and Doran start.

Abilities and Summoner's Spells

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Ability Sequence
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18

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Night Hunter:
Vayne ruthlessly hunts evil-doers. She gains 30 Movement Speed when moving towards an enemy champion.

- helps you catch fleeing enemies;
- Bonus movement speed from works ONLY when you are facing enemy champion.

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Tumble:
Vayne tumbles, maneuvering to carefully place her next shot. She rolls toward the cursor and her next attack deals 30/35/40/45/50 % bonus damage.

- is great to poke your enemies in lane;
- It can be also used to last hit;
- can be used to avoid skill-shot abilities (, , etc.);
- cannot go over walls, although it can go through champion created terrain ('s ).
- Bonus damage from CANNOT critically strike.

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Silver Bolts:
Vayne tips her bolts with a rare metal, toxic to evil things. The third consecutive attack or ability against the same target deals 20/30/40/50/60 + 4/5/6/7/8 % of the target's maximum Health as bonus true damage.

- is great against high health targets (, , , etc.);
- Building more AS helps you proc faster;
- Using to proc gives you high burst damage.

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Condemn:
Vayne draws a heavy crossbow from her back, and fires a huge bolt at her target, dealing 45/80/115/150/185 (+0.5 bonus AD) physical damage and knocking them back. If they collide with terrain, they are impaled, dealing double damage and stunning them.

- can be used both offensively and defensively. Use it to knock enemy to the wall to secure a kill or to push him away from you if you are running away;
- applies one stack of to target;
- can be maxed first instead of if you are sure you can stun your enemies often and deal them massive burst damage.

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Final Hour:
Readying herself for an epic confrontation, Vayne gains 25/40/55 Attack Damage, stealth during Tumble, and triple the bonus Movement Speed from Night Hunter.

- Use just before team fight to increase your damage output;
- can be used to catch low health targets;
- Use + combo to confuse your enemies in team fights with your stealth;
- Bonus damage from allows you to buy more AS instead of AD;
- Due to its short cooldown, I suggest using when destroying turrets or attempting to kill Baron Nashor.

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Ability Sequence Explanation

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Flash:
Since doesn't have natural escape abilities, I'd say is a must! I just can't describe how useful this spell is. It will help you escape awkward situations, chase enemies and position yourself in team fights. If you are below level 12, can be a good alternative. It can also be used to chase or escape from enemies.

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Barrier:
My usual choice since Season 3. It provides nice protection from any damage dealt to you and it can be used to bait your enemies to attack you under turret when you are low health. I choose over just because is easily countered by healing reduction (, , etc.)

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Cleanse:
When you are playing against champions with hard CC (, , , , etc.) is maybe the best choice to consider. Alternatively, you can take to free space for another summoner's spell.

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Heal:
is similar to and can save you when you are low health. You can also support your team in team fights, but as I said earlier, it is easily countered by healing reduction.

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Ignite:
This spell is great when you are facing someone with high health regeneration or heal, cause it will reduce its potential and deal true damage over time to them. With you will make sure your enemy won't escape with 10 hp again!

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Exhaust:
I used to take this spell when I first started playing Vayne. And I loved it, because it helped me kill enemies easier, without being damaged hard. But, nowdays, except in rare cases, your support will take , so there will be no need for you take it. Still, it's completely viable.

Items for all situations

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Starting Items

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has become very popular starting item in season 3. It gives you nice mix of damage and sustain. Bonus AD will help you farm and poke easier, while health and passive will make you more durable in lane. It is generally better starting item when your support has healing abilities.

These are also good items to start with. increase you movement speed so you will be less vulnerable to early ganks. You will also catch your targets easier. Four s give you enough sustain to farm and survive trades with enemy ADC, especially if you don't have healer support.

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Core Items

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This S3 item has great synergy with Vayne. is great item to rush first as it gives decent amount of AD and lifesteal, and very much needed AS. Its passive works well against current health-stacking meta, while active can really help you to chase enemy faster and get back some of your health. If you prefer more raw damage take instead.

This is one of my favorite items for . It boosts your attack speed a lot, meaning you will proc even faster. Critical chance is always useful for any ADC. Movement speed and passive that enables you to run through units will significantly boost your mobility and chasing abilities. This item has great synergy with , if you choose to take it.

Although already has her own way of dealing with tanks and tanky characters, you still need armor penetration. is awesome item for that purpose because it gives you 40 bonus AD and 35% armor penetration. Combined with masteries it gives you total of 43% armor penetration. For example, if target has 150 armor you will ignore 64,5, which makes a big difference to your damage output.

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Want to push lane faster?

is good replacement for if you feel you need to push lanes faster. It gives you slightly less attack speed and critical chance, but you get a passive that causes your attacks to strike four additional targets when you reach 100 stacks. Since you will be constantly using and AAs during fights you will proc this passive often.

Enemies don't stack armor?

If your enemies don't stack a lot of armor and it is below 100, you can replace with . Your attacks will actually reduce targets armor so your whole team will deal more damage to them. Besides AD and armor penetration this item will give you more health and cooldown reduction, so you will use abilities more often.

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Situational Offensive Items

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Huge boost to your DPS.

is one of the core items on most AD carries. The boost to your damage it provides makes it a very common item on , too. It gives you a lot of bonus AD, as well as critical chance and increases your damage output significantly. The best thing about this items, cause of which it is so popular, is that increases damage of your critical strike to 250% of your normal AD, instead of 200%, which will make your AAs even deadlier. Combined with this item does miracles.

"Tons of Damage"

Not the best item to take, but also not bad. Trinity gives you a bit of everything, bonus AS, AD, MS, critical chance and a bit of mana, and two strong passives. Slow will help you kite and chase much easier, while Sheen has great synergy with . The biggest problem is item's price, but you could take it if you are ahead of your enemy. Would work better on bruiser-type Vayne, but still solid choice for last item, when you think you can survive without defensive item.

Need more AD?

Like I said earlier, if you want more raw AD instead of AS take instead of BotRK. This item was core on all ADCs back in S2 and can be still great choice to take. When fully stacked it gives you massive AD boost and lifesteal, increasing both your damage output and sustain in fights. The only reason I take BotRK over it is lack of AS bonus, as Vayne benefits from it more than other ADCs.

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Situational Defensive Items

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Unable to survive a fight?

This is great item to consider in most situations. It will provide you nice protection against balanced team, giving you both armor and magic resistance. Also, if you have a problem with staying alive during team fights, it will save your life, literally. Upon dying it will revive you with percent of your maximum health, and, trust me, this can turn tides in team fights and possibly bring you to victory.

Bye, bye enemy ADC!

is actually very useful item against enemy AD champions, especially AD carries. It can sometimes be a better pick than GA, cause it gives you armor, health and passive that reduces attack speed to any enemy that attacks you with AAs. This is very useful against other AD carries, since most of them rely on attack speed. Active is also useful for escaping.

Extra HP and more kiting power.

is great finishing item if you want pure HP and a bit of extra damage. Not only you will be more durable, but NONE will be able to escape from you. Passive slow from from FM combined with and will make you ultimate chaser. You will also be able to kite enemies and laugh in their face as they unsuccessfully try to reach you!

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Problem with Burst Mages?

If you are having trouble against Burst Mages, like , , an similar champions is strong pick, with spell shield it gives you every 30 seconds. Since these kind of mages deal burst damage, using specific combos, it will reduce their damage a lot. Additionally, bonus health and mana will make you more durable and allow using abilities more freely.

Being CC-ed to death?

is especially strong item against heavy CC teams. Playing against someone like or , who can completely disable you during fights, can be frustrating. But with you will be able to break any debuff that is used on you, and therefore save your life or destroy your enemies. Bonus AD will also increase your damage output.

More protection from Burst Mages.

If you want more offensive item that will save you from Burst Mages, you can choose over . You will have less health, but you will also have more AD and shield that gives you protection from magic damage. Passive will also increase you AD based on how low your health is.

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Boots / Enchantments

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These boots are usual pick for any AD carry. They help a lot early game, when you need early attack speed. They are even better for since she needs to proc those faster.

Against AP champions and reduced CC effects take . They are very useful against champions like , , etc. Alternatively, at very late game, after your build is fully complete, you can replace your boots with . This item is like three different boots combined since it gives you movement speed, attack speed, tenacity and cooldown reduction.

is good offensive choice to upgrade boots since it will increase you movement speed with every AA.
is good choice when you need to get to lane quickly after a recall, or if your base is under attack.

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Finished Build Examples

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Standard Vayne Build

Trinity Vayne Build

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Max Damage Build

Off-Tank Vayne Build

Gameplay and Lane Partners

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Early game

For Vayne, early game is all about farming. You will need to farm properly because Vayne is really item-dependent. However, it will be much harder if you are facing enemy like , , or any other ADC that has strong early game. Also, try not to push lane cause you will be much more vulnerable to ganks. If you are not able to farm minions, ask for help from your jungler to get early advantage. If you are having hard time you may want to take a couple of s early to increase your health and sustain.

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Mid - Late game

In mid game, with successful CS (creep score) and possibly a few kills, you should have your core items and hopefully another offensive item (at least part of it :) ). If you are doing well and your enemy team is weaker than yours, continue buying offensive items. However, if their ADC is fed and you are being focused a lot, buy . Also, against fed APC take one of magic resist items (if you are being CC-ed in team fights, I suggest taking to remove CC).
Always keep on eye important places on map, like Baron Nashor and Dragon and never leave your team.

Team fights

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When it comes to choosing best support for Vayne you should know something. Vayne is an aggressive AD Carry, and as such she needs an aggressive support who can help her get kills easily. Here are TOP SIX supports for Vayne:

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is great support to go with Vayne. He is quite tanky and has a lot of CC, stun with and knock back with , which can help you land easier or push your enemy under your turret. He can also heal you if you take some damage.

is an excellent laning partner because he, like , has some pretty nice CC. He can pull enemies to you to land easier and knock them up for a short duration. His ultimate will silence enemies so they cannot away from you. The only thing lacks is some kind of heal.

is the Queen of CC. Like , she lacks healing spell, but she makes it up with her CC. Her "triple-stun combo" will completely shut down enemy ADC and with her slow from her will make sure they won't run away after stun ends. Also, her will make you deal more damage to enemies afflicted by it.

In my opinion, is the best support for Vayne. His AS/MS buff will grant you all necessary AS for early-mid game and make you melt your enemies with . He also has pretty strong slow with and he will reduce enemy ADC's AS with his , which also deals huge damage. Laning with also allows you to start with + two s for increased early game damage, and also allows you to rush AD items instead of AS.

is overall great support with number of pretty buffs and CC. She can heal you, she can buff your AD and MS, and she can also stun your enemy or reduce their damage output and MS. She will also give you some nice armor and magic resist to help you take even less damage from your enemy.

The newest support in the league, , can be a great bot lane partner. He has something like 's pull to help you land those s. He can pull or push your enemies away, he can shield you and make you escape from scary situations in a second, and his ultimate will drastically reduce enemy's MS.

Vayne VS Other Champions

As you all know, the game is more than just a laning phase. Vayne, like any other champion, is strong against certain champions like she is weak against others. Here is the list of champions who Vayne counters, and those who counter Vayne.

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Vayne is generally strong against:

High-health champions, mainly tanks/bruisers like: Garen, Alistar, Cho'Gath, Dr. Mundo, Volibear and similar champions, due to Silver Bolts.
Champions with mainly skill-shot abilities like: Ezreal, Lux, Syndra, Zyra and others, as she can easily dodge them with proper use of Tumble.

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Vayne is generally weak against:

Champions who has strong CC and/or some form of AS debuff like: Malphite, Nunu & Willump, Lee Sin, Lulu, Leona and similar champions.
Burst assassins and champions with some form of invulnerability like: Kassadin, Fiora, LeBlanc, Zed and others, since she is really squishy.

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Vayne VS ADCs

Ashe

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: Easy - MediumspacePost-6: Medium

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Usual Build

is rather easy to lane against. However, you should not fight her at lvl 1, as she has guaranteed critical strike which, combined with her will leave you almost at 50% health immediately. Also, her poke in lane can hurt you if you get caught. After she reaches level 6 she becomes a bit harder, since she can easily stun you with her ultimate. Anyway, her kit provides her more utility, but less damage, so you will be able to defeat her in 1 vs 1 situation.
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Tips:

Stay behind minions in lane and avoid her Volley;
Do not try to fight her at level 1;
Cleanse/ Mercurial Scimitar is recommended when facing her;
Try to avoid her ult with your Tumble;
Ask for support with hard CC.

Usual Build

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Caitlyn

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: Very HardspacePost-6: Very Hard

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Usual Build

is Vayne's worst nightmare. She has longer range at lvl 1 than any other ADC. Any good will not let you farm properly. Her s are very annoying since they cost her nothing and do enormous damage at early levels. Her traps are deadly if you get caught and her will finish you off if you try to run away with low health. However, if you manage to survive and not feed her, and you have good CS, your late game will be much more stronger than her.
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Tips:

Avoid her when passive is up;
Dodge Piltover Peacemaker with Tumble;
Ask for support who can heal you, but still has some form of CC;
Ask your jungler or mid to babysit your lane.

Usual Build

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Corki

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: MediumspacePost-6: Medium

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Usual Build

Laning against isn't too difficult, but not easy either. At early stages he has advantage with his which reduces your armor, so he can deal more damage to you. Also, he has a good poke with and he can quickly escape from you with . At lvl 6 he has also a high burst potential, so try to avoid his as much as you can. However, his falls off a bit late game, where you start to shine.
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Tips:

Try to avoid Gatling Gun since it reduces your armor;
Stay behind minions to avoid Missile Barrage;
Ask for support with hard CC.

Usual Build

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Draven

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: Medium - HardspacePost-6: Medium - Hard

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Usual Build

is another strong pick against Vayne. You should not try to trade with him early, cause his and will make your health bar disappear in a second. Also, with he has big advantage over you in early stages of the game. His ultimate is easy to dodge with your and it shouldn't be a big threat to you. A proper use of is vital in deciding who will win the fight.
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Tips:

Do not try to trade with him early;
Push him with Condemn so he cannot catch his axes;
Ask for support with hard CC;
Ask for help from your mid or jungler.

Usual Build

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Ezreal

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: Easy - MediumspacePost-6: Easy - Medium

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Usual Build

is one of the easiest, if not the easiest enemy to lane against. His cannot go through minions and you are safe as long you stand behind them. no longer reduces your AS and is now kind of useless against you. Your damage output will be high enough when you reach lvl 6, and his is easy to dodge with . However, it might be tricky to catch him since he has built-in flash with .
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Tips:

You can avoid his abilities with Tumble easily, since three of them are skill-shots;
Having support with hard CC is suggested, so you can finish him before he can flash away;
Poke him early with Tumble.

Usual Build

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Graves

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: MediumspacePost-6: Hard

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Usual Build

can be very tough enemy. He is naturally tanky, thanks to his passive, so your attacks will be less effective against him early. He also has strong poke with his + combo. At lvl 6 he becomes even scarier and his combo combined with his ultimate will burst you down in a second.
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Tips:

Stay on safe distance to avoid his Buckshot;
When he attempts to use his combo, try to Tumble aside to avoid it;
Avoid Smoke Screen cause it reduces your vision, making you vulnerable to ganks.

Usual Build

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Kog'Maw

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: MediumspacePost-6: Medium

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Usual Build

is a hyper-carry, just like you. You both have a bit weaker early game, but godlike late game, so I'd say you have equal chances. Who will win the lane highly depends on supports. However, he will be able to poke you safer, since he can increase his range with . Also, avoid being by since it reduces your armor. At lvl 6 your stealth will be useless if you get hit by .
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Tips:

Poke him while Bio-Arcane Barrage is on CD;
He is very weak to CC;
He can still damage you hard with his passive so try to avoid it.

Usual Build

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Miss Fortune

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: HardspacePost-6: Hard

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Usual Build

is one of the strongest ADCs early game, and as such she can be real problem to Vayne. You are not completely safe, even behind minions cause can bounce off them and deal more damage to you. She can also reduce every healing effect on you (, lifesteal, etc.) and has built in AS steroid. At lvl 6 be careful of stuns/snares as she could use her ult on you for full duration. You need to play carefully till late game, since falls off a bit then.
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Tips:

Try not to be last behind your minions, as she can hit you with Double Up;
Healing effects will be reduced cause of her Impure Shots;
Her ultimate is channeled, so try to save Condemn to interrupt it.
She has no dashes/blinks besides Flash; take advantage of that.

Usual Build

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Quinn

tag team
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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: HardspacePost-6: Hard

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Usual Build

is a type of ADC with strong early game. She can totally wreck you up with her blind, if you get hit by it. Do not try to trade with her early and always keep on eye if you are marked with . She has also built-in vision which makes her less vulnerable to ganks. At lvl 6 she has huge AS buff as Valor, and she can finish you off easily with if you are low on health. However, her late game is weaker than yours so try to play passively and farm safe.
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Tips:

Use Tumble to dodge Blinding Assault;
Stay away if you are marked with Harrier;
You have slightly bigger range. Use it to poke her;
Ask for support with both healing abilities and CC.

Usual Build

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Sivir

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: MediumspacePost-6: Medium

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Usual Build

Despite some popular thoughts, I think is not that easy for Vayne. It's just that isn't used too often and most people do not know how to play her. In early stages of the match her burst is higher than yours and skilled will play smart and use every opportunity to poke you with Q+W combo. This is something that shouldn't be underestimated. She can also negate your with perfectly timed and avoid damage and knock-back. However, her damage will be significantly reduced if you dodge her , and your late game will be better than hers.
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Tips:

Dodge Boomerang Blade, as it deals decent amount of damage;
Try to use Condemn after she uses Spell Shield;
Be aware of her Ricochet as it hits 5 additional targets;
Put pressure on her after she uses Boomerang Blade.

Usual Build

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Tristana

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: MediumspacePost-6: Medium

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Usual Build

Like Kog'Maw and Vayne, is a hyper-carry. During laning phase do not stay near minions who are already dead, since her makes them deal additional damage around when they die. Also be careful when she uses on you, as it slows and makes you more vulnerable to ganks. She also has built-in AS steroid and healing reduction debuff. When she reaches lvl 6, be careful. If you are pushing too hard she could use W+R combo and knock you back to enemy turret or prevent you from escaping ganks. In late game she has highest range from all ADCs.
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Tips:

Stay away from friendly minions who are nearly dead;
Ask for support with hard CC;
If you are having trouble in lane ask for help from jungler or mid.

Usual Build

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Twitch

expunge

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: MediumspacePost-6: Medium

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Usual Build

is another hyper-carry. IMO, you have a slight advantage in lane cause your range is bigger than his. He can be tricky to catch due to his stealh, but can also catch you unprepared. Also, be careful of since he can slow you and add multiple stack of , so his expunge will deal a lot of damage. At lvl 6 he has massive range and AD steroid, and makes his AAs pass through target and hit multiple enemies. I'd say this lane depends on players' skills.
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Tips:

Do not underestimate expunge if you have multiple stacks of Deadly Venom;
Buy Oracle's Elixir or Vision Ward to counter his stealth;
Put pressure on him while Ambush is on CD;
Ask for support with hard CC.

Usual Build

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Varus

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Difficulty:
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Pre-6: MediumspacePost-6: Medium - Hard

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Usual Build

can be annoying opponent. He has slightly bigger range than yours and has better early game. can hurt you a lot if you get hit, but you should have no problem avoiding it thanks to . Same could be said for , since it deals decent damage and reduces healing effects. gives Varus more damage on AAs and can deal quite a burst combined with other skills. At lvl 6 he becomes a bigger threat cause of his 2 second snare. If you get caught by it, Varus has few extra 'safe' attacks due to his AA range. However, with proper positioning and right support it is still winnable lane.
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Tips:

Use Tumble to dodge Piercing Arrow or Hail of Arrows;
Healing is less effective if you get hit by Hail of Arrows;
You may want to max Condemn second instead of Silver Bolts;
Ask for support with hard CC.

Usual Build

Summary

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Well, that would be all I had in this guide. Hope you like it, and if you do, make sure to vote and leave a comment. Also, if you didn't like something about it, feel free to inform me about that and help me improve my existing and future guides. I apologize if you find any typing/grammar/spelling mistakes, but my native language isn't English.

Also, if you already haven't, please check my other guides: For Diana and Skarner

I'd like to thank jhoijhoi for her AWESOME guide that helped me understand basics of guide designing! And, of course, I'd like to thank YOU for reading this guide.

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PUBLISHED ON - 05/02/2013

Change Notes

True Damage, True Carry ~ S3 Vayne Guide

True Damage, True Carry ~ S3 Vayne Guide

Recommended Items

Spells:

Barrier

Flash

Items

Ability Order

Night Hunter (PASSIVE)

Tumble (Q)

Silver Bolts (W)

Condemn (E)

Final Hour (R)

NEW GUIDE

Runes

Runes

Runes

Introduction - Let us hunt those who have fallen to darkness

For those who are interested in lore.

"Not all shadows are to be feared. At least, if Vayne has her way".

Pros and Cons

Masteries and Runes

Explanation

Runes

Abilities and Summoner's Spells

Night Hunter:

Tumble:

Silver Bolts:

Condemn:

Final Hour:

Flash:

Barrier:

Cleanse:

Heal:

Ignite:

Exhaust:

Items for all situations

Starting Items

Core Items

Want to push lane faster?

Enemies don't stack armor?

Situational Offensive Items

Huge boost to your DPS.

"Tons of Damage"

Need more AD?

Situational Defensive Items

Unable to survive a fight?

Bye, bye enemy ADC!

Extra HP and more kiting power.

Problem with Burst Mages?

Being CC-ed to death?

More protection from Burst Mages.

Boots / Enchantments

Finished Build Examples

Gameplay and Lane Partners

Early game

Mid - Late game

Vayne VS Other Champions

Vayne is generally strong against:

Vayne is generally weak against:

Vayne VS ADCs

Ashe

Tips:

Caitlyn

Tips:

Corki

Tips:

Draven

Tips:

Ezreal

Tips:

Graves

Tips:

Kog'Maw

Tips:

Miss Fortune

Tips:

Quinn

Tips:

Sivir