Watching other Vladimir's, playing against them and finally tackling my own vlad build, I've noticed that current Vladimir's continue to use outdated guides. Vladimir, make no mistake, is NOT an AP monster, he's far more useful with high HP as the transfer of HP to AP in his passive is greater than AP to HP - so obviously that is a more efficient build path. If you're looking for a AP build where Vlad is up in the 500-600 AP at late game, don't look further please you'll be wasting your time :P.

I AM PROMOTING A SURVIVAL VLAD build, not AP; if you like AP go ahead, this is simply ALTERNATIVE

But for the record, my AP usually is higher than AP vlads because:
a) i get fed by them and i can't die with my high base hp.
b) my hp transfer to AP is more efficient.

in late games i have seen AP vlads with 200 AP and 1.9k hp, whereas i was sitting at 130 AP and 5k hp, which do you prefer?

Vladimir's Cons:
- He has his period for his sanguine pool.
- Even though he builds strong hp he does not absorb damage because half the time in a team fight he's in a period mess.
- IF playing AP vlad, its inefficient.
- Risky to play if not conservative because if he feeds and doesn't get farmed he's practically useless.

Vladimir's Pros:
- He has CC, health transfusion in burst damage form, AOE in both his E and ultimate.
- He can avoid Karthus's ult, his own ult and any channeled ult or ult in general that isnt a stunlock with his sanguine pool.
- He can bring himself back from the brink of death simply by transfusing for a good minute.

I have re-edited my build after more extensive experience and play and comment reading >>.
Mark of insights provides my early game magic penetration that increases my damage early game towards in my solo lanes. Seal of Fortitude provides raw base hp that buffs both my AP and obviously hp. Glyph of Potency increases early game AP which allows myself to increase my AP and hp (due to passive). Once again get two Quintessences of Fortitude for the extra 64+ hp, the other quintessence for beginning CD reduction.

I go with the 9/1/21 build. I use this mastery build because the CD reduction and recharge reduction in the utility tree makes Vlad's abilities much more spammable, which thank god is why hes so monstrous. With more CD in the offense tree and improved flash OR improved ignite, Vlad will be an aggressive early game mid or solo.

I have seen vlad's build into defense, and to be honest a defense tree vlad probably isn't bad, but we're looking for 1337. Vlad does not need defense for the main reason that his masteries can be better utilized elsewhere, other reasons include:

Armor and magic resist are nice but Vlad relies on his skills to get hp back, and being more tank towards enemies is unnecessary. Vlad can easily solo two people with higher base hp, rather than a addition to armor and magic resist.

Vlad could use dodge, but those 5 talents could be instead used for CD reduction or utility needs. Dodge isn't really worth its cost of talent points because Vlad does not build into Ninja Tabi - which fully utilizes the dodge talents. Dodge is also unnecessary because with higher CD reduction a Vlad can spam his sanguine pool rather than hope on the % chance of dodging a multitude of physical attacks.

Any beginner will think, oh hey, its HP increase of 60! that must be beneficial in early game! Sure its nice, but by wasting over 10 talent points into defense you already cannot get CD reduction of 6% in utility. Plus, this hp can be made up for in runes - easily.

This can be so diverse for Vlad but i will show my reasoning for the use of Ignite/Exhaust and flash, you can solo mid and or solo a lane (with a jungler in team) easily.


Flash:
Its very simple, and can be used defensively and offensively. Defensively because you can get out of a situation alive and return to transfuse the sh*t out of someone. Offensively because you can flash in and use sanguine pool, slow the enemy and wait for friends to catch up and join in on a rapefest.

For a second summoner spell I would choose exhaust or ignite depending on the enemy team selection (in ranked) and depending on if you feel aggressive or defensive. Ignite can help you get a first blood or early kill and exhaust can prevent you from giving first blood or an early kill.

WHY YOU DONT NEED OTHERS:
Clarity: Vlad doesn't have mana, caster does not equal mana.

Ghost: Vlad can use this to get away but sanguine pool already serves the best getaway tool.

Rally: This is a joke spell that hardly anyone i've seen uses, especially when Vlad does not require AD. If your looking for an AD vlad, I shall reference you to the auto-attack builds, it might serve a noob better anyhow.

Cleanse: It is a getaway or lock removal spell, and its a quick fix, but sanguine pool already serves as a lifesaver. If the enemy is CC aggressive then by all means get Cleanse.

Revive: It seems a bit redundant for a vampire to revive - and relatively counterintuitive.
(Please don't give me the nerdy **** about Vlad being a Hemo*** or whatever, i could care less, he could be called the Crimson AIDS and i could care less. VLAD IS A VAMPIRE, stfu RC (Riot Correct) people)

Exhaust: I've seen other builds which encourage exhaust and frankly you don't need a slow when you already have one. If you are seriously insecure and believe that exhaust will blind the enemy from your sheer idiocy (which it doesn't even do anymore) than you may as well get it for the magic resist reduction and slow. The only reason i would use it was to slow enemy carries from the other team in a team fight.

Teleport: Vlad is a strong laner sure, and if you're content with being the loner in bottom lane that gets screamed at for pushing when the rest of the team is getting raped, then be my guest and get it. Vlad is a team player, all signs point to this, he cannot gank until he's fed like mad - and not fed by minions for you smart***es out there.

Smite: Really? Yeah lets give a demonic hero a spell granted by God, if your idiocy doesn't kill you, the irony will.

Clairvoyance: If you are very experienced with this spell, i would recommend it with the same basis as cleanse. Though whenever i see someone get Clairvoyant i think of them as either a professional ganker (Which vlad is not) or a complete sniveling insecure f*ck that feels the need to show areas of the map in order to protect yourself - mark my words: if anyone is that noob in the first place, people won't get out of their way to traverse multiple dimensional bushes that are revealed by Clairvoyance to gank you. Don't flatter yourself.

Ignite: This is a handy move against other Vlads or Hemo***s and it reduces their healing, and i recommend it strongly in place of either exhaust or flash, it would be my secondary favorite.

Fortify: Read Teleport.

This is a skill sequence I always use, with very little flexibility.

Transfusion: Bread and butter, Rice and soy-sauce, and if your from the land above maple syrup and ... maple leaves? This is harass gone wrong, its THE first move to get and will keep you alive in a lane and even bring you back from the brink of death. With proper CD reduction *cough this build* this move is under 1.8-9 seconds CD.

Sanguine Pool: Always get this next, it ensures your survival on so many levels. It allows you to freefall, dive, embrace, dryhump towers. Vlad is the BEST early game tower dive, probably because the tower does not acknowledge his presence as a bloody mess - period (No pun intended).

Tides of Blood: To be honest, I allocate so much of my brain power to harassing with Q and W that i forget there is an E. It wastes HP in early game, and it really isn't very cost efficient until you have a huge HP pool in mid-late game. Its not a bad move, but its simply overshadoweded by the usefulness of transfusion and Sanguine Pool.

Hemo***ue:
This move is ... not the greatest ult, but since Vlad is so OP in his Q and W its just a cherry on top. Hemo***ue can be spammed upon enemy encounter, don't be afraid to use it because the CD isn't too bad and its damage is so low early game that its not worth waiting to time the perfect kill while everyone else dies around you. Use it to scare, use it to make a team fight more insecure for enemies and use it to chase almost dead peoples.

My item build is why i beat other Vladimir's:

Get a regrowth pendant because of the HP stack you receive from your runes - though this will slow the rate you get Kindlegem it will increase the speed in which you get your Warmogs. This regrowth pendant will allow you to lane and hold out longer.

After getting the ruby crystal you can upgrade it two paths:
1. Upgrade the ruby crystal to the Kindle-gem, this is the beginning of your CD reduction and HP increase. Its probably the bread and butter item for early game.
2. Continue making your Warmogs with the addition of boots on the side. This is if you wish to become an HP monster earlier though i recommend CD reduction because transfusion is 6-7 seconds CD early game.

Boots are recommended at this point to increase your harass ability. This is where i differ from other Vladimir's, instead of getting the straightforward magic penetration or swift boots or ***boots or whatnot. I get the Ionian Boots of Lucidity, which allows for more CD reduction, which begins the Transfusion rapage. Any Vlad with these boots will most likely beat a vlad with magic pene boots.

After this you can continue your path like so:
1. If you went the kindlegem path you should upgrade it to a Spirit Visage, increasing your hp gain from your skills by 20%, which is enough to make you a crimson raper, even with magic pene boots.
2. Instead of survivability or utility get yourself a Giant belt and start your path to HP HOOD! Get your Warmogs as soon as possible.

From here on you get a Rylai's Sceptre, the Hp bonus of 500 is ridiculous along with a 'lil' AP on the side to boost you further up. Whats really key is the slowing of enemies via spells, now you can navigate around the map safer, and ganks are foreign to you.

At this point you have a Warmogs or a spirit visage, and before you get Rylai's make SURE to have at least one Warmogs and a spirit visage to build HP and increase the ability to heal yourself - before its too late.

After this you can go any path you want, i strongly recommend to continue building warmogs like mad until you have a crazy HP amount. Getting a Force of Nature will also make you something to reckon with when fighting bursts like Ryze or eve's. This regen also makes you so much stronger in solo and lanes.

Elixirs' are something i use consistently in mid and early game, spamming elixir of fortitude will increase my base hp and increase my AD for autoattacks in early game.