Vayne is the ultimate late-game tank killer. W deals %max HP true damage every 3 autos — no armor or MR can stop it. She's weak early but becomes the strongest 1v1 champion in the game at full build.
Abilities
Skills Overview
P
Night Hunter
Passive
Vayne ruthlessly hunts evil-doers, gaining Move Speed when moving toward nearby enemy champions.
Night Hunter: bonus MS toward enemies. You're faster running at people.
Q
Tumble
Tumble · AA Reset · Stealth (R)
Vayne tumbles, maneuvering to carefully place her next shot. Her next attack deals bonus damage.
CD: 6/5/4/3/2 · Cost: 30
Q tumbles and empowers next auto. During R, Q also gives 1 second of invisibility.
W
Silver Bolts
Passive · %HP True Damage
Vayne tips her bolts with a rare metal, toxic to evil things. The third consecutive attack or ability against the same target deals a percentage of the target's max health as bonus true damage.
CD: 0 · Cost: 0
W passive: every 3rd auto deals %max HP TRUE DAMAGE. This cannot be reduced by armor.
E
Condemn
Knockback · Stun (wall)
Vayne draws a heavy crossbow from her back, and fires a huge bolt at her target, knocking them back and dealing damage. If they collide with terrain, they are impaled, dealing bonus damage and stunning them.
CD: 20/18/16/14/12 · Cost: 90
E knocks a target back. If they hit a wall, they're STUNNED for 1.5 seconds. Condemn into walls.
R
Final Hour
Stealth · AD Buff · Q Invis
Readying herself for an epic confrontation, Vayne gains increased Attack Damage, Invisibility during Tumble, reduced Tumble cooldown, and more bonus Move Speed from Night Hunter
CD: 100/85/70 · Cost: 80
R gives bonus AD, Q invisibility, and tripled passive MS. Your ultimate steroid.
Skill Leveling Order — Max Q first, then W, then E · R at 6 / 11 / 16
| Level | Q | W | E | R | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take Q — tumble | ||||
| 2 | Take W — %HP | ||||
| 3 | Take E — condemn | ||||
| 4 | Level Q | ||||
| 5 | Level Q | ||||
| 6 | R — Final Hour | ||||
| 7 | Level Q | ||||
| 8 | Level W | ||||
| 9 | Q maxed ✓ | ||||
| 10 | Level W | ||||
| 11 | R rank 2 | ||||
| 12 | Level W | ||||
| 13 | Level W | ||||
| 14 | W maxed ✓ | ||||
| 15 | Level E | ||||
| 16 | R rank 3 | ||||
| 17 | Level E | ||||
| 18 | E maxed ✓ |
Itemization
Recommended Builds
Core Build
Kraken Slayer
True damage stacks with W true damage.
3100g
Berserker's Greaves
AS for faster W procs.
1100g
Phantom Dancer
AS + MS for kiting.
2600g
Infinity Edge
Crit multiplier.
3400g
Situational
Blade of the Ruined King
%HP on-hit stacks with W.
3200g
Maw of Malmortius
Magic shield.
2800g
Guardian Angel
Revive.
3200g
Kraken → PD → IE. W true damage + Kraken true damage = tanks die instantly.
Runes
Precision Primary
Lethal Tempo
Stacking AS for faster W procs.
Triumph
Heal on takedown.
Legend: Alacrity
AS.
Coup de Grace
Execute.
Domination Secondary
Taste of Blood
Sustain.
Treasure Hunter
Gold.
Shards
Attack Speed · Adaptive Force · Health
Gameplay
How to Play Vayne
01
Early Game
Farm Safely, Survive
- You're WEAK early. Farm and don't trade against most ADCs.
- Q tumble for short trades: auto → Q → auto → back off.
- E condemn into walls for a 1.5s stun. Look for wall stun opportunities.
- Play safe. You need items. Every death delays your power spike.
- Short range (550) means respect longer-range ADCs.
02
Mid Game
R + Q Outplays
- R gives Q invisibility. R → Q → invis → reposition → auto. Outplay potential.
- W procs deal 12-14% max HP TRUE DAMAGE. 3 autos on a tank = 40% of their HP.
- Condemn (E) into walls sets up kills. Look for wall positions in fights.
- You're starting to scale. 2 items = you can duel anyone 1v1.
- R + Q kiting is your core mechanic. Q invis every 2-3 seconds.
03
Late Game
Unstoppable Tank Killer
- You're the strongest 1v1 champion in the game. Nobody beats Vayne 1v1 at full build.
- W %HP true damage kills tanks in 5 seconds. No itemization counters it.
- R → Q invis kiting is untouchable. Enemies can't target what they can't see.
- E condemn is self-peel AND engage. Stun assassins against walls.
- Position behind your team. With R + Q invis, you're the hardest ADC to kill.
Teamfighting
How to Teamfight as Vayne
Vayne kites with Q tumble (invisible during R) and melts tanks with W true damage.
1
Position — Behind Frontline
Safety
01
Stay behind your team.
02
Activate R for bonus AD + Q invis.
03
Wait for enemy cooldowns.
550 range is SHORT. Don't walk up alone. Wait for your team to engage.
2
DPS — W True Damage
Tank shredding
01
Auto → Q tumble → auto → auto (W proc).
02
14% max HP true damage every 3 hits.
03
Q invis repositions you between procs.
3
Outplay — E Condemn
Self-peel
01
E condemn divers into walls. 1.5s stun.
02
E knocks assassins away even without wall.
03
Q invis dodges targeted abilities.
During R, every Q gives 1 second of invisibility. In a 10-second R, you can go invisible 4-5 times. Enemies literally can't target you.
Tips & Tricks
Advanced Mechanics & Hidden Tech
Advanced mechanics for Vayne.
Basic
W True Damage
Every 3rd auto deals %max HP TRUE damage. No armor or MR reduces it. This is why Vayne kills tanks.
Intermediate
E Wall Stun
E knocks enemies back. If they hit terrain, they're stunned 1.5s. Always look for wall condemn angles.
Basic
Weak Early
You're one of the weakest early ADCs. Farm, don't fight. You outscale everyone.
Advanced
R + Q Invis
During R, Q gives 1 second of invisibility. Use it to dodge abilities, reposition, and make yourself untargetable.
Intermediate
Short Range
550 range is short for an ADC. Respect 650 range Caitlyn. Don't walk up against her.
Advanced
1v1 Queen
At full build, you beat every champion 1v1. W true damage + Q kiting + E condemn = unbeatable.
Matchups
Counters & Matchups
Vayne struggles against lane bullies who punish her weak early game. She excels against tanks and in late-game 1v1s.
Click any matchup to expand tips & how to play against them
Loses Against
100 range advantage. She bullies you every CS.
Farm under tower. Outscale at 3 items.
Draven kills you in 3 autos.
Don't trade. Farm safely. You win at 3 items.
MF Q bounce + autos bully your short range.
Dodge Q bounces. Farm safely.
Wins Against
Both scale. You have mobility, he doesn't.
Equal farm. You win fights with E condemn + Q kiting.
You outscale. E condemn dodges her R.
Farm equally. You're stronger at 3 items.
You outscale Sivir easily.
Farm and outscale.