How to win lane as Smolder against Vayne · 55.08% win rate over 4,223 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | No poke and no waveclear from Vayne, but her Tumble auto-reset all-in keeps L1 a skill check. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | Neither of you spikes at 2; a good Vayne Tumble trade balances your Q poke. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | Level 3 is even — your Q chip versus her Condemn all-in threat cancel out. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | Through 4-5 it stays skill-based: you farm and poke, she looks for a Tumble catch. |
| Level 6 | Smolder | At 6 your ult and stacked Q out-trade Vayne's un-scaled three-shot pattern. |
| First item | Smolder | Your first-item plus stacks spike lands while Vayne is still one item from relevance. |
| Two+ items | Smolder | Your stack lead lets you delete Vayne before her late-game Silver Bolts carry. |
Vayne has no poke and no waveclear, so at levels 1-2 the lane is a skill check: you want to CS freely and land Q pokes, but a sharp Vayne can Tumble-auto onto you when you overstep, so trade on your terms and keep your support's CC in mind for her all-in.
The full Smolder vs Vayne report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.
Become a Founding Member — $1.99/month →🔒 Secure checkout · 💰 7-day money-back guarantee · ✋ Cancel anytime
Early Access price — $3.99/month for new members after launch.
Playing the other side? Vayne vs Smolder guide →
All Smolder bot lane (adc) matchups →