Vladimir vs Aatrox Counter Pick

Crimson Pact makes Vladimir’s build unusual: every 30 points of bonus health grants ability power, and every point of ability power grants 1.6 bonus health. That loop is efficient against most opponents and awkward against Aatrox, whose Deathbringer Stance periodically deals bonus magic damage and heals him based on the target’s maximum health. A 43.4% Vladimir win rate over 461 games on patch 16.13.1 is the result.

• Aatrox opens with 38 armor and 650 health against 24 and 600, reaching 119.6 and 2,588 at level 18 to Vladimir’s 100.5 and 2,470.
• Umbral Dash heals him whenever he damages champions, competing directly with the sustain Transfusion is built to win.
• Infernal Chains damages targets that fail to leave the impact area quickly, shrinking the 450 against 175 range gap that would otherwise define the exchange.

Vladimir keeps two genuine outs. Sanguine Pool makes him untargetable for two seconds while slowing enemies standing on it, which answers the committed aggression of World Ender, and Hemoplague raises the damage affected enemies take before it detonates. His output is magic against Aatrox’s 32 magic resist, the higher of the two resistances Aatrox carries, and Aatrox also moves faster at 345 against 330. Neither pays mana, since Aatrox draws on his Blood Well and Vladimir on Crimson Rush. Difficulty reads 4 against 7. Kits: Vladimir, Aatrox.