MacroMind matchup data: real ranked games, not opinions
Smolder vs Vladimir
Smolder vs Vladimir in Mid: who wins more often?
Across 252 ranked games in Mid, Smolder beats Vladimir in 47% of them.
Global ranked sample: games from every region and every rank pooled together, not one server's stats. Data runs through patch 26.12; curves updated 2026-08-07.
By 15 minutes the median game has Smolder behind by 378 gold.
Smolder at 15:00
- Gold: -378
- CS: -7
- XP: -644
Typical gap to Vladimir, from 249 games that reached 15:00.
Does Smolder counter Vladimir?
Even on the count: Smolder lands at 47% over 252 games. Neither pick wins the lane alone, so take the side you play better and use the rows below to see which early spots swing this one, then play your first ten minutes around them.
Your Smolder game plan against Vladimir
With a gold lead at 10:00, Smolder wins 58% of 98 games in this matchup. Behind at the same mark, the rate drops to 40% over 153.
| The spot | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Ahead in gold at 10:00 | 58% | 98 |
| Behind in gold at 10:00 | 40% | 153 |
| First blood | 55% | 100 |
| +kills at 10:00 | 49% | 63 |
| +CS at 10:00 | 54% | 100 |
| 0 deaths at 10:00 | 56% | 68 |
In the median game here, the first death comes near 6:36 and level 6 lands around 5:27. Until your spike is online, treat the all-in window with respect.
Smolder in Mid: the items that actually get built
Into Vladimir specifically, Smolder finishes Essence Reaver first most often: 41.7% over 108 games of this matchup.
The most-finished Smolder core is Essence Reaver, Spear of Shojin, Rapid Firecannon: 51.5% across 1,128 games when all three got done. All matchups, patches 26.1-26.12.
Most games start Doran's Blade + Health Potion; the first finished item is usually Essence Reaver (6,293 games).
Skill plan: Smolder players max Q first and take Q at level 1.