How to win lane as Sylas against Vladimir · 49.8% win rate over 761 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Only Q available — chip poke at max range and deny his Transfusion last-hits; no combo yet so never step into his E poke for free. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | W online means extended trades now favour you if he has no pool — probe with E1 shield to absorb his counter, but don't blow E2 into an open pool cooldown. |
| Level 3 | Sylas | Full kit: E2 chain stuns him long enough to land Q slow then W burst; your E1 shield absorbs the Transfusion counter-hit and the trade is net positive. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | Pool is your only meaningful cooldown to track; weave passive autos on his step-ups and bank small HP leads — they cash out the moment Hijack arrives. |
| Level 6 | Sylas | Hemoplague stolen on the first all-in flips the damage math; the burst-heal from W at low HP health plus the nuke damage kills him before pool saves him. |
| First item | Even / skill | Riftmaker omnivamp stacks through W chains and keeps you healthy enough to threaten a second engage even if the first trades even. |
| Two+ items | Vladimir | His Q-heal at two items outpaces your W regen; Sanguine Pool eats every E2 commit and resets the fight — play for stolen-R flanks in teamfights, not solo kills. |
This lane is decided by one cooldown: Sanguine Pool. Level 1 you have Q only — chip his step-ups and avoid extended auto-trades since his Crimson Rush passive lets him heal back anything short of a full combo. Level 2 W comes online and turns your autos into a sustain engine, but he has no pool yet so don't over-extend. Level 3 is your first real moment — E1 dash eats his E poke on the shield, then E2 chain lands the stun; follow immediately with Q slow and W burst before he can react. If he pools that first E2, back off, wait 26 seconds, and do it again.
The full Sylas vs Vladimir 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.
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Playing the other side? Vladimir vs Sylas guide →
All Sylas top lane matchups →
Also played in: Mid Lane