This guide is made to give you an insight of Vayne. It's meant for people who are having troubles with what to build, when to use skills, how to position in teamfights etc. However it doesn't mean you should follow this guide as there's no other ways to play Vayne. It's how I play Vayne, how I think she should be build - basically it's my opinions.

Inbefore you start flaming my skill sequence, item build, rune choice, mastery build and summoner spell choices. Read my explanations so you will know why I chose the following. There's a reason behind every choice I made. However, feel free to post constructive critism. Comments like "noob build" wont help you, me, or anyone else, so don't even bother posting comments like that. I'm open to taking suggestions, so share your opinions.

Pros:
- Really high damage
- Easy to last hit with, especially with Tumble
- Can stun or knockback an enemy with Condemn
- Great at chasing enemies
- Can become stealthed for a short duration

Cons:

- Squishy
- Relatively short range
- No real escaping abilities
- Really team dependant

The Greater Mark of Desolation and Greater Quint of Desolation are the runes I find most useful. They wont just help you early game, but mid and late game as well. Having 25 armor penetration at level 1 will leave your opponents in a very risky situation if they try to go for first blood. The Greater Seal of Armor and Greater Glyph of Magic Resist, are what I usually play with. I find them pretty useful because they make me a bit more tanky. I could've gone for attack damage or attack speed glyphs/seals, but I think the defensive runes benefits me more, considering you wont get much bonus from the aggresive glyphs and seals, compared to what you get from the marks and quintessences.

Vayne is a carry, and is supposed to deal a lot of damage, thus explaining the 21 mastery points in offense. The 9 points in utility is neccesary in my opinion. I could have placed them in defense, but that would give my opponents a level advantage if they had gone for utility. The increased exp by getting Awareness is more beneficial than a few armor and magic resist. I'd say you need at least 8 points in utility to get the exp boost, the last mastery point I placed in Utility Mastery , because I think it's way better than had placed the last point in defense for two extra magic resist/armor. The 15% extra time with buffs will benefit you way more, especially considering you will most likely be the one on your team getting the ]lizard buff (red).

I choose Perseverence over Good Hands , since the extra health and mana regeneration is better than saving a few seconds being dead. And if you know how to position in teamfights, you wont spend too much time being dead - unless your team is failing you, which would result in you loosing either way, no matter if you spent 10 seconds less being dead late game.

In offense I choose Alacrity over Sorcery and Archaic Knowledge . Although 15% magic penetration is a lot, Vayne deals physical damage only! Therefore you will benefit more from Alacrity , than from Sorcery and Archaic Knowledge . Furthermore Vayne spells already have quite low cooldowns, so I really don't see any reason to add more points than neccesary into sorcery.

Vayne's high damage comes from her Silver Bolts, which deals extra damage plus a percent of the targets hp as true damage. In the skill sequence I maxed W first, but don't asume that's the best. My skill sequence depends on who I'm laning with, against, and how they're playing.
Usually I either go for Tumble or Silver Bolts first though, in rare occasions I go for Condemn. I will be explaining Vayne's skills later in this guide.

Vayne is a champion who doesn't really have any escaping abilities. She has her Condemn, but that isn't enough in most cases. Flash is a must on Vayne, it's the only way you can get out of bad team fights. Vayne's movement speed isn't that high untill you get your phantom dancer, flashing over walls will in most cases be what saves you from team fights that went bad. Ghost is viable as well on her, but Flash is just a way better skill to escape with in my opinion. Exhaust is really good for Vayne, however you could go for Ghost instead if you're looking for more escaping abilities.
Exhaust is really good since it will make you able to get those three consecutive hits. Vaynes passive Night Hunter gives increased movement speed when chasing an enemy, but if the enemy already has great movement speed, you can't get those three consecutive hits with her. Even with Ghost you'll have hard time getting them, since your opponent could just as well pop his/her Ghost, or even use Flash. And if you Exhaust your opponent and he/she Exhaust you, you got the advantage. Since you can Tumble to close the gap between you.

Ignite isn't for you, you deal way more damage with your auto attacks, thus making Exhaust more beneficial. But if none on your team has ignite it might be a good idea to get it when facing people like Swain or Dr. Mundo

You should never pick summoner spells like Clairvoyance, Smite, Rally, Heal, Clarity, Fortify, Revive.
Some of the spell are good, they're just not meant for Vayne.
I didn't put Cleanse on that list, although you rarely see a Vayne with it, it's still viable when facing a team with a lot of CC.

This is probably the reason why most people are checking out guides. To find out what other people are building. You should always build to counter your enemy team, the build I present in this guide is just a standard build. I'll explain why I choose the following, hopefully making you understand what to build, and when to build it.

I always start out with Doran's Blade It's the best start item you can get, and it gives you a lot of power compared to its price. It makes you more tanky, gives you more damage and nevertheless it gives you lifesteal. The lifesteal from it isn't noticeable early game though, since you'll most likely be last hitting and you wont deal too much damage.

After I return to base I get Berserker's Greaves if possible, and a few Health Potion. Having health potions is always good, since it will make you more dominant in lane - since you can harras the opponent without having to worry about recalling.

Some people like to get a few Doran's Blade, I'm not quite a fan of getting more than one. However I agree that it boosts your early game, making it easier for you to farm, harras, and makes you a bit more tanky. Doran's Blade gives awesome stats compared to its price, but I prefer being able to rush items as Bloodthirster.

After Berserker's Greaves I get a B. F. Sword and when possible I finish Bloodthirster. The reason why I go for an early Bloodthirster is that I'm quite experienced Vayne player, so I don't die often. (Might sound cocky, but I didn't make this guide to brag about how good I am) If you aren't that experienced you shouldn't go for Bloodthirster that early, since the reason why I get it, is because 100 damage is a lot, but if you die often you'll be paying for 60 damage only. The lifesteal from it is also quite good to help you sustain your hp at your lane. I like to get Bloodthirster since I tend to poke a lot with Vayne by tumbling and then autoattacking whereafter I fall back.

After Bloodthirster I go for a Phantom Dancer because it gives attack speed, movement speed, and crictical strike - which is all good for Vayne. After I go for Infinity Edge because of the extra damage and the 250% crictical damage. After you get your Infinity Edge you'll be hitting loads of damage.
The Berserker's Greaves, Bloodthirster, Phantom Dancer and Infinity Edge are my core items for Vayne. After getting those items I go for defensive items, DEPENDING on the enemy team. You don't want to buy magic resist if they're all AD. Banshee's Veil is a good defensive item, so is Guardian Angel. However if you're countering champions like Fiddlesticks who has three second fear, Quicksilver Sash is really a life saver.

NOTE: When facing champions like Jax, Udyr or any champion with a high dodge rate, going for a Sword of the Divine is a good idea. If you're going to get it, I'd suggest getting it after Bloodthirster, since you'll have damage by then, and the Sword of the Divine grants you attack speed as well.

If your facing a team with a bruiser like irelia or talon who's stacking up on armor. You might consider getting Last whisperer - switch it out with either Banshee's Veil or Guardian Angel. In most cases you should switch it out with Guardian Angel(Thanks to leaguesdf for this tip)

Vayne is totally viable in ranked games. To be honest it's where she shines the most in my opinion. Vayne, like any carry, is pretty much useless without a good team, and finding a good team when playing normal games can be pretty hard. I've seen a lot of people playing Vayne as mid or solo top, although she can play these lanes well, she's better at bottom with a support.
If you go mid with Vayne, the enemy would in most cases be an ap carry, which in pretty much no time could take you down, and if not take you down, get you to at least less than half your hp. Vayne is only viable in mid in very early game, but when the AP carry starts getting his skills maxed he'll be ****ting on you.
Since Vayne is so squishy I wouldn't recommed top either, since mostly a bruiser will be at top. And laning against someone like irelia, talon or nasus would easily take you down with some help from their jungler. I'm not saying vayne can't go top because she'll get zoned out, but there's other champions who need top lane more.

At bottom you can farm much easier, since you'll be with a support. If you're laning with a healer, don't be afraid of taking damage from the opponent - but don't take too much!
It's perfectly fine to take damage from the enemy carry if you manage to deal some damage to him as well. Afterall your support's job is to take care of you.
If you see a chance to Tumble in and pin your opponent to the wall, do it. But don't Tumble in just to push him away. If you manage to push your opponent to the wall you'll most likely be able to get your three consecutive hits, or to waste his Flash.

In teamfights you should like any other carry stand in the back, waiting for the fight to start. You should NEVER initiate a fight as Vayne. When you stand in the front of your team, the enemy team can easily focus you down, thus making you useless. You are your teams source of damage, therefore it's important that you stay alive. Focus on dealing so much damage as possible to the weakest champions on the enemy team, while staying safe. By staying safe I don't mean staying completely out of range, but by hugging your team.
In teamfights always try to save your Condemn for an enemy assasin or anyone who gets too close to you. If you by using Condemn can secure a kill by stunning the opponent, that's fine as well.

Final Hour has a relatively short cooldown. Don't be afraid of using it. Use it in teamfights whenever you have attatched yourself to a target. Don't use it just to attack once or twice. Final Hour has other purposes than just dealing damage though. If you are getting focused down, you should use Final Hour and Tumble immiediatly - this will 0stealth you for two seconds. It gives you a chance to escape. However use your stealth, since you'll most likely only be able to Tumble once, before you loose your stealth and the enemies has killed you. When your being chased run in one direction, and Tumble in another direction.
Sometimes hitting your opponent after tumbling will be a good idea. Tumble doesn't cool off until you hit a target - but attack with caution, it might not always be the right choice!

Farming is pretty selfexplationary as Vayne. You should get as many last hits as possible. Depending whether the enemy team has a jungler or not, push your lane. If your enemy team has no jungler, push your lane and deal as much damage to the enemy tower as possible. In most cases (if you're playing ranked games) the enemy team will have a jungler. In that case just get your last hits, and try to harras as much as possible.

If your having troubles at your lane, for example if you're playing against Caitlyn and Soraka, and they're harrasing you alot while you're at bottom with a non-support champ, rush Wriggle's Lantern. It will help you a lot when laning, you'll get more last hits with it, and you'll be able to sustain your health. Some people might think wriggles is a waste, but I strongly disagree. It wont just help you at your lane, but it also makes you able to do dragon much faster.