MacroMind matchup data: real ranked games, not opinions
Vladimir vs Smolder
How often does Vladimir beat Smolder in Top?
Vladimir into Smolder in Top: 64% observed win rate across 78 ranked games.
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 Vladimir ahead by 858 gold.
Vladimir at 15:00
- Gold: +858
- CS: +15
- XP: +1,116
Typical gap to Smolder, from 78 games that reached 15:00.
Does Vladimir counter Smolder?
The count says yes: across 78 ranked Top games into Smolder, Vladimir takes 64%. That edge is worth playing for. Check the rows below to see how much a gold lead at 10:00 adds, and what a bad start costs Vladimir.
Beating Smolder: the Vladimir game plan
| The spot | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Ahead in gold at 10:00 | 74% | 50 |
| First blood | 64% | 50 |
| +kills at 10:00 | 70% | 43 |
| +CS at 10:00 | 70% | 47 |
Someone usually dies here around 8:32 in the median game, and level 6 lands near 5:22. Until your spike is online, respect the all-in.
Vladimir's Top build, with receipts
The most-finished Vladimir core is Hextech Rocketbelt, Riftmaker, Rabadon's Deathcap: 58.7% across 1,376 games when all three got done. All matchups, patches 26.1-26.12.
Most games start Doran's Ring + Health Potion + Health Potion; the first finished item is usually Hextech Rocketbelt (5,947 games).
Skill plan: Vladimir players max Q first and take Q at level 1.