How to Counter Vex

How to Counter Vex

Vex is the latest champion to hit Summoners Rift. She is a depressive AP Mage who has lots of self peel, damage and utility. When playing against Vex, you need to ensure that you play around her cooldowns and constantly watch your positioning. If you can do these things, you will make laning against her a lot easier.

In this guide, we will discuss 4 tips and tricks to counter Vex. We will also recommend 5 champions you can pick into Vex to make the laning phase easier against her. These champions vary in difficulty and experience, but if you’re able to choose one of these champions against her, you will have a much easier time overall.

Please note, we will be adding champion matchups when more data is available to us, and our challenger coaches have had more time to master the matchups.

If you’re interested in learning how to play as Vex, check out Vex’s Champion Page. You’ll find their latest builds, runes, combos and much, much more. Check out our How to Play Vex guide too! Sign up to Mobalytics for more tips to improve your climb!

Here are the things we will be covering in this guide:

• Watch your Positioning
• Beware of Her W
• Lookout for Her Ultimate
• Beware of her Ultimate Interaction
• 5 Champions That Counter Vex
  1. Vladimir
  2. Fizz
  3. Vel’koz
  4. Xerath
  5. Diana

1. Watch your Positioning

Vex has multiple abilities that she can use to clear the minion wave with. These are her Q and her E. After Vex’s first back, she will have enough gold for her first component item, which will help her quickly push the minion wave.

After her first back, avoid standing in line with the minions and inside the minion wave to force her to choose between pushing the wave with her abilities and harassing you. If she uses them on you, you will have the push advantage. The same advice applies to a lot of champions with AOE abilities and sound wave clear.

2. Beware of Her W

Vex’s W offers her extra damage and a shield. It is a very versatile tool that could mean the difference between life and death. It would be highly beneficial if you could bait it out before committing to a trade with her.

Try and bait out this ability before using abilities that deal a lot of burst damage as the shield will offer her protection.

When playing as a melee champion, bait this out beforehand if you can because this ability deals AOE damage to targets who are really close to her. By baiting this out first, she will not have a shield to block damage and not be as effective at trading back with you.

You can bait this ability out first by trying to harass her with low cooldown and low-cost abilities and then abuse the long cooldown to play aggressively. Another method for melee champions is to run forward, and “fake” an all-in.

3. Lookout for Her Ultimate

Let’s keep this one really brief, when recalling, it is pretty easy to just go shopping or tab out from the game. Unfortunately, Vex has a really long ranged Ultimate that can allow her to snipe and subsequently all-in any champion it lands on.

Try and watch your positioning and hers when recalling so you can see if she throws her Ultimate to catch you out. If you can, try and recall out of vision and near your tower to make it harder for her to snipe you with her Ultimate.

4. Beware of her Ultimate Interaction

Vex’s Ultimate has some interesting interactions. When using abilities that allow you to move across the map, she can actually follow you with her Ultimate. This also includes spells like Teleport.

When laning against her, take care of using any of these spells in clear view of her as she will be able to join you on your journey across the map. If you can, try to use the fog of war to your advantage, or delay using these spells until you can use them safely.

5 Champions That Counter Vex

The best champions that counter Vex are Vladimir, Fizz, Vel’koz, Xerath and Diana. You can find all the matchup tips we use in this guide on the Mobalytics App. For plus members, you can get specific matchup tips for the champion you’re playing versus the enemy laner at your fingertips while you load into the game. We have tens of thousands of different, highly specific matchups curated by our challenger level players to help you lane against the enemy champion.

1. Vex vs Vladimir

Vladimir can counter Vex due to his sustain in lane. He can out sustain her with his Q, and escape trades with his W. Furthermore, Vladimir has a lot of burst damage which can help him out trade her.

4 tips to counter Vex as Vladimir

• Your W is a massive counter to Vex if you use it at the right time. A good time will be when she tries to use her Ultimate R on you. Another good time will be when Vex’s Passive is filled, and you need to avoid the fear.
• Keep harassing her with your Q as you will need it to survive the lane. The lane will be hard as Vex’s Q has a large hitbox and deals a lot of damage as the game progresses.
• Focus on scaling up and take fights near places where you can use your E effectively. Be very careful about your positioning in the lane, as your E can be blocked by minions.
• Your Ultimate R should give you a massive edge as the game progresses. Make sure that you use it in clumped fights and blow enemies up easily.

2. Vex vs Fizz

Fizz is quite like Vladimir. He too has an ability that can dodge incoming damage and prevent Vex from killing him. Unfortunately, Vex does have her W to protect her from some of his melee damage, but Fizz should have no problems killing her.

4 tips to counter Vex as Fizz

• Use your E carefully in this lane as it can save you a lot of trouble and pain. Once Vex gets her Ultimate R, make sure that you keep your W for when she targets you with it.
• If Vex manages to hit you with her Ultimate R, use your Ultimate R on her as soon as you see her dashing towards you. It will be a death sentence for her and will get her killed.
• Keep track of her Passive (the bar below her health bar). Avoid trading when it is filled up, as she will fear you, and you can end up being stuck in a CC combo.
• When fighting in closed spaces, be very careful and try to impact multiple targets at once with your Ultimate R and W. You can easily burst down 3 people at once and win the fight.

3. Vex vs Vel’Koz

Vel’koz can keep Vex pushed in thanks to his long-ranged abilities. He can also stay very far from her, which reduces all-ins.

4 tips to counter Vex as Vel’Koz

• Keep poking Vex with your Q as much as you can in the laning phase while making sure that you dodge her Q when possible. Your goal is to utilize your range advantage to poke Vex out of the lane.
• Vex’s Ultimate R is a dash, which means you can interrupt it with your E. If you use it correctly, you will stop her in her tracks and easily win the fight.
• You’re really immobile, so make sure that you don’t let Vex come too close to you, especially when her Passive is ready. If you get feared, escaping will become egregiously tricky.
• Chokepoint fights should be taken as much as possible but make sure that you keep track of Vex’s Ultimate R. When using your Ultimate R, you will be rooted, which means that you will get hit by Vex’s Ultimate R.

4. Vex vs Xerath

Xerath also has the range advantage in this matchup. He can keep her pushed in and unable to roam. Xerath can also farm from afar, poke from afar and stay so far back it makes it impossible for Vex to deal damage to him.

4 tips to counter Vex as Xerath

• Use your range advantage and keep poking Vex with your Q and W. That being said, only use your Q when Vex’s Q is down, else you will get hit by it.
• Your Ultimate R can change the tide of a fight when appropriately used. Be very careful, though, as you will be rooted and can be easy picking for Vex’s Ultimate R.
• Your E will be pretty hard to land in the lane but is a perfect choice to stop Vex if she has hit you with her Ultimate R and is dashing towards you. She will be arrested immediately, and you can blow her up with your team.
• Keep shoving the wave in and roam when you can. Your Ultimate R should be really beneficial for the side lanes after they have finished a skirmish/duel.

5. Vex vs Diana

As long as Diana plays around Vex’s abilities and the fear she has, Diana should win this matchup. Just don’t let Vex poke you down with her basic attacks and abilities and you’ll win this matchup easily. Your all-in potential is way higher than hers.

4 tips to counter Vex as Diana

• Poke Vex down in the lane with your Q but conserve your mana early on. You don’t want to run out of mana before you get your first back off, as you won’t farm efficiently.
• Since you’re melee, you should be having a tough time dealing with Vex. Use your W correctly to mitigate whatever damage you can and make sure that you return damage when possible.
• Play around the fog of war and make sure that you can catch multiple enemies offguard frequently. This way, you will be able to singlehandedly carry the game before Vex gets all her items.
• A defensive item will really be great for you, especially during team fights. Try not to trade when Vex’s Passive is ready, as you will get feared, and your all-in combo will be in shambles.

Conclusion

Vex hit Summoners Rift on patch 11.19. What do you think of her? Is she a great champion, super strong, or incredibly weak? Let us know your thoughts.

For more tips and tricks to counter Vex, check out Vex’s champion page on Mobalytics!

If you have any questions or want to learn more, check out PicklePants’s stream.

Watch live video from PicklePantsLOL on www.twitch.tv