Vi, the Piltover Enforcer, is a versatile and aggressive jungler in League of Legends. Known for her powerful initiation and strong burst damage, she excels at disrupting enemy backlines and securing key picks. This guide will walk you through the intricacies of playing Vi, from understanding her strengths and weaknesses to mastering her mechanics and strategies.

But why listen to me when you can take tips from a professional with a 58%-win rate on the Champion on stage? We sat down with Dignitas’ jungler, Mingyi ‘Spica’ Lu to help you start punching first and asking questions later!

Understanding Vi's Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Spica: "Vi is best when you play against a lot of squishies. Your ultimate is a point-and-click CC knock up that can’t be avoided. You press R on them and they get one-shot."

1. Strong Initiation: Vi's ultimate ability, Assault and Battery, allows her to lock down key targets with a point-and-click crowd control (CC) that cannot be avoided.

2. Burst Damage: Vi's kit is designed to deal significant burst damage, particularly against squishy and immobile champions. Her Denting Blows (W) and Vault Breaker (Q) provide the necessary tools to quickly eliminate targets.

3. High Mobility: Vi's Vault Breaker (Q) allows her to dash over walls and close the gap on enemies, making her an excellent ganker who can bypass traditional vision points.

Weaknesses

1. Reliant on Team Coordination: Without proper follow-up from your team, Vi's engage can be risky.

Spica: "I think Vi right now is not the best for solo queue because you’re really reliant on your teammates to follow up."

2. Vulnerable to Tanky Champions: Vi struggles against tanky opponents due to her reliance on burst damage.

Spica: "Vi is pretty useless against tanky champions."

3. Slow Farming Speed: Vi's farming speed is not the fastest, which can be a disadvantage in a meta where farming is crucial.

Spica:"The meta is very farm-heavy. Vi farms really slowly and loses a lot of 1v1s, so she’s definitely not a meta pick right now"

4. Countered by Spell Shields: Champions like Morgana can be particularly troublesome for Vi due to her Black Shield.

Spica: "When I play against Vi, I pick Morgana because she’s really annoying for Vi to play against with the Black Shield."

Runes and Masteries

Spica: “A lot of people go Conqueror, but when I have been playing her, I really enjoy going Hail of Blades. You can really burst someone quickly for like half of their health.”

Primary: Domination

Keystone: Hail of Blades - Vi is a Champion designed to burst down squishy targets and Hail of Blades helps proc her passive and deal tremendous damage.
Sudden Impact: Grants bonus lethality and magic penetration after using dash abilities, further amplifying Vi's damage output.
Eyeball Collection: Gain adaptive power with each stack.
Relentless Hunter: Offers stacking movement speed throughout the game to help Vi traverse the map and look for picks!

Secondary: Precision

Triumph: Restores health and grants bonus gold on takedowns, enhancing Vi's survivability during skirmishes.
Legend: Alacrity: Provides stacking attack speed for extra burst damage.

Recommended Rune Setup

Skill Order

1. Q - Vault Breaker: Max this ability first for increased damage, lower cooldown, and greater mobility. It is Vi's primary tool for engaging and escaping.

2. E - Excessive Force: Max this second for additional wave clear and damage during skirmishes.

3. W - Denting Blows: Max this last, as it provides passive attack speed and armor shredding, which are valuable but not as crucial early on.

4. R - Assault and Battery: Level this ability at every opportunity (levels 6, 11, and 16) for increased damage and reduced cooldown on Vi's ultimate.

Core Items

Standard Build

1. Sundered Sky: A core item for Vi, providing damage, healing, and a bit of HP bulk.

2. Black Cleaver: Offers cooldown reduction, health, and armor penetration, synergizing well with Vi's playstyle.

Optional Items

1. Eclipse: For a riskier, full lethality build, Eclipse can be an option. Spica describes this as "the for-fun build" that allows you to "one-shot enemies."

2. Guardian Angel: Provides survivability with its passive revive and additional attack damage.

3. Sterak's Gage: Grants a shield when taking significant damage, boosting Vi's durability in fights.

4. Thornmail or Randuin's Omen: Consider these defensive items if facing heavy physical damage or critical strike champions.

Early Game Strategy

Farming and Pathing

Efficient jungle pathing is crucial for Vi, especially given her slower farming speed compared to other junglers. The goal is to reach level 6 as quickly as possible to unlock Vi's ultimate, which greatly enhances her ganking potential.

Spica: "Vi in the current meta wants to farm. It’s all about farming to level six and then using your ultimate to make an impact."

Optimal Jungle Route

Red Buff Start: Begin at the Red Buff for the bonus health regeneration and additional damage, which aids in faster clear speeds and more effective early ganks.
Raptors: After Red Buff, move to Raptors. Use Excessive Force (E) to hit multiple targets at once, speeding up the clear.
Wolves: Transition to Wolves, utilizing Vault Breaker (Q) and Excessive Force (E) for a quick clear.
Blue Buff: Head to the Blue Buff next. This grants cooldown reduction and mana regeneration, allowing you to spam abilities more freely.
Gromp: After Blue Buff, clear Gromp. The health regeneration from the Blue Buff will help sustain you through this camp.
Scuttle Crab: Prioritize the nearby Scuttle Crab if it’s available. Securing Scuttle provides vision and additional experience, which is vital for reaching level 6 quickly.
Krugs and Back: If you’re still healthy, proceed to Krugs, then recall to purchase items and heal up. Alternatively, look for a gank opportunity if nearby lanes are overextended.

Early Ganking Opportunities

Vi's early game ganking potential is solid, especially if you can capitalize on enemy mispositioning. Utilize Vault Breaker (Q) to engage from unexpected angles, such as over walls or through unwarded areas. Look for the following opportunities:

Overextended Lanes: Focus on lanes where enemies are pushing without vision or are overextended. Vi's Vault Breaker (Q) can close the distance quickly, setting up for a potent gank.
Squishy and Immobile Targets: Target lanes with squishy and immobile champions, as Vi can burst them down efficiently. "Vi is best when you play against a lot of squishies," as Spica notes.
Prioritize Level 6 Ganks: While Vi can gank effectively pre-6, her ultimate, Assault and Battery (R), significantly increases her gank potential. Aim to hit level 6 as soon as possible to maximize your impact.

Efficient Farming

While ganking is essential, maintaining farm efficiency is equally important. Given Vi's slower farming speed, proper resource management and prioritization are key.

Ability Management: Use Excessive Force (E) to clear camps quickly and efficiently. Vault Breaker (Q) can be used for mobility between camps but be mindful of its cooldown when planning ganks.
Counter-Jungling: If you spot the enemy jungler on the opposite side of the map, consider invading to steal camps. This denies the enemy experience and gold while potentially setting them behind.
Adapt to Enemy Jungler: Keep track of the enemy jungler’s position and adapt your pathing accordingly. If you know their location, you can either counter-gank or safely farm without fear of being invaded.

Mid Game Strategy

The mid game is where Vi truly shines, thanks to her powerful initiation and ability to disrupt enemy backlines. With your ultimate, Assault and Battery, unlocked and core items coming online, you can exert significant influence on the game by securing objectives, forcing skirmishes, and creating picks.

Objective Control

Vi's strengths make her an ideal champion for controlling key objectives like Dragons and the Rift Herald. Securing these objectives provides global advantages for your team and can help swing the game in your favor.

Dragon Control

Timing and Vision: Use the downtime between respawns to establish vision around the Dragon pit. Place control wards and sweep for enemy vision to prepare for the Dragon spawn.
Engage and Zone: Vi's ultimate, Assault and Battery, allows you to engage or zone key enemy champions away from the Dragon. Look to initiate on high-priority targets that threaten your team’s ability to secure the Dragon.
Team Coordination: Communicate with your team to collapse on the Dragon. Ensure your laners are ready to follow up on your engages, maximizing your chances of securing the objective.

Rift Herald and Towers

Utilize Rift Herald: Secure the Rift Herald to create pressure on enemy towers. The Herald’s charge deals significant damage to structures, opening up the map and providing your team with additional gold and map control.
Rotations and Pressure: After securing the Herald, rotate with your team to a lane with a weakened tower. Use the Herald to apply pressure and potentially secure a tower or force a fight.

Teamfighting

Vi excels in teamfights by initiating on high-value targets and disrupting the enemy formation. Your goal is to create opportunities for your team to capitalize on.

Initiation and Disruption

Spica: "Vi is best when you play against a lot of squishies."

1. Target Selection: Identify and engage on key enemy carries or squishy champions. Use Assault and Battery to lock them down, preventing them from outputting damage or using their abilities effectively.

2. Combos and Mechanics: Master the Q-Flash combo to catch opponents off guard. Start charging Vault Breaker (Q), then Flash to extend its range and ensure you connect with your target.

3. Positioning and Zoning: After initiating, position yourself to zone out other threats or peel for your carries. Vi's disruptive nature makes her a valuable asset in protecting allies and preventing enemies from reaching your backline.

Avoid Overcommitting

Spica: "When you’re behind as Vi, you just don’t want to look for 5v5s. Instead, look for picks, pockets of vision, and 2v2s with your strongest ally."

1. Know When to Disengage: While Vi's initiation is strong, overcommitting without proper follow-up can be detrimental. Ensure your team is ready to engage alongside you, and be prepared to disengage if the fight turns unfavorable.

2. Adapt to Situations: If behind, avoid full 5v5 engagements and look for picks instead.

Synergy Combos: Taliyah

Vision Control

Maintaining vision control is crucial for setting up successful fights and securing objectives. Use Vi's mobility to manage vision effectively and deny enemy vision.

Vision Management

Control Wards and Sweepers: Consistently purchase control wards and use the Oracle Lens (sweeper) to clear enemy vision. Controlling vision around key objectives and chokepoints provides your team with valuable information and opportunities for picks.
Establish Forward Vision: Use Vi’s mobility to establish forward vision in the enemy jungle. This allows your team to spot enemy rotations, track the enemy jungler, and create opportunities for picks.
Deny Enemy Vision: Vi's ability to clear wards safely and efficiently helps deny the enemy team’s vision, creating openings for surprise engages and securing objectives.

Late Game Strategy

As the game progresses into the late game, Vi's role shifts towards being a key initiator and team fight disruptor. The late game is characterized by high-stakes engagements where a single pick or fight can determine the outcome of the match. To maximize Vi's effectiveness during this phase, focus on strategic positioning, decisive target selection, and smart play around objectives.

Initiating Fights

Target Priority: In the late game, target selection is crucial. Focus on the enemy carries or squishy targets that pose the greatest threat to your team. Use Assault and Battery (R) to initiate on these high-value targets, disrupting their positioning and preventing them from dealing damage.
Q-Flash Combo: Master the Q-Flash combo to catch opponents off guard. This maneuver allows you to quickly close the gap and secure a critical engage, which can be the difference between winning or losing a team fight.
Timing and Coordination: Coordinate with your team before engaging. Ensure your allies are in position to follow up on your initiation, providing the necessary damage and crowd control to secure kills and win the fight.

Coordinated Diving Partner: Kai'Sa

Disruption and Peeling

Zoning and Peeling: After initiating, focus on zoning out other enemy threats or peeling for your carries. Vi's disruptive nature can protect your allies from assassins and divers, ensuring your team’s sustained damage dealers remain alive and effective.
Adapt to Fight Dynamics: Be flexible and adapt to the flow of the fight. If the initial engage does not result in a quick kill, reposition to support your team by peeling or disrupting the enemy backline.

Objective Control

Objectives become increasingly important in the late game, providing powerful buffs that can sway the game in your favor.

Securing Baron and Elder Dragon

Vision and Setup: Establish vision control around Baron Nashor and the Elder Dragon well in advance of their spawn timers. Use control wards to deny enemy vision and sweep key areas to prevent flanks and surprise engages.
Pressure and Picks: Use Vi’s kit to create pressure and look for picks around objectives. A single pick in the late game can secure an objective uncontested, granting your team a significant advantage.
Decisive Calls: Make decisive calls regarding when to engage, disengage, or secure an objective. Communicate with your team to ensure everyone is on the same page and ready to execute the plan.

Vision Control and Map Awareness

Maintaining vision and map awareness is crucial in the late game to prevent ambushes and capitalize on enemy mistakes.

Vision Denial: Continue to prioritize vision denial using control wards and sweepers. Denying enemy vision around objectives and key areas can create opportunities for successful engages and picks.

Map Awareness: Pay attention to enemy movements and adapt your positioning accordingly. Use Vi’s mobility to quickly respond to threats or capitalize on opportunities across the map.
Flanking and Ambushes: Look for opportunities to flank or ambush the enemy team. Vi’s ability to engage from unexpected angles can catch opponents off guard and secure a favorable fight.

Counterplay and Adaptation

Counter Picks

When facing Vi, consider champions like Morgana, who can negate her engages with Black Shield.

Adaptation

Vi's versatility allows her to adapt to different team compositions and scenarios. When behind, focus on pick plays and smaller skirmishes. Pairing with champions like Taliyah can create powerful pick potential.

Spica: "Vi and Taliyah are a really strong pairing in competitive games."

Conclusion

Vi is a dynamic jungler with the potential to carry games through strong initiation and burst damage. By understanding her strengths and weaknesses, optimizing your build and rune choices, and mastering her mechanics, you can effectively dominate the Rift as Vi. Whether you choose a standard build or opt for the riskier Lethality path, remember that successful Vi gameplay relies on strategic decision-making, vision control, and team coordination. As Spica aptly puts it, "Vi as a Champion is less about mechanics and more about knowing how to play the game."

We’d like to thank Spica for taking the time to sit down with us to share his insights on Vi, the Piltover Enforcer!

If you’d like to hear and see more of Spica, check out his socials:

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