TFT Set 13: How to Play Vladimir Hero Augment – Crimson Pact

In TFT Set 13, Vladimir is a versatile magic fighter with a unique Hero Augment called Crimson Pact. This augment transforms Vladimir from a healer into a powerful damage dealer who boosts his allies' damage output. In this guide, we’ll explore how to make the most of Vladimir’s Crimson Pact augment and how to fit him into your team compositions effectively.

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The Crimson Pact augment provides Vladimir with the following enhancements:

• Gain a Vladimir: Instantly adds one Vladimir to your bench, which can help with upgrading him quickly.
• Increased Range: Vladimir’s range is extended by 3 hexes, giving him more flexibility to target backline enemies.
• Bonus Mana: Vladimir gains 5 bonus Mana with each attack, helping him charge his ability faster.
• Transformed Ability: Instead of healing, his ability now grants 6% bonus damage amplification, deals 80% more damage, and spreads additional damage to the two nearest enemies.

1. Positioning Vladimir on the Board

With Crimson Pact, Vladimir has increased range, which allows him to stay safe in the backline while targeting enemies further away. Place him where he can maximize his attack range and spread his ability’s amplified damage across multiple targets. His extended range also allows him to stay protected from direct threats, while he can effectively amplify the team’s damage output from a safe distance.

2. Itemization for Vladimir

To make Vladimir a powerful source of magic damage, build items that enhance his ability power and increase his survivability. Here are some ideal items:

• Rabadon’s Deathcap: This item amplifies Vladimir’s total ability power, making his transformed Crimson Pact ability deal even more damage.
• Spear of Shojin: With bonus Mana each attack, pairing this with Spear of Shojin helps Vladimir cast his ability frequently, maximizing his damage and bonus damage amplification.
• Morellonomicon: Provides bonus health and applies a burn effect on enemies hit by his ability, which spreads to additional targets due to Crimson Pact, weakening enemy frontline and backline alike.

3. Leveraging Vladimir’s Traits: Black Rose, Watcher, and Sorcerer

Vladimir’s traits, Black Rose, Watcher, and Sorcerer, provide significant flexibility and synergy. Here’s how each trait can boost Vladimir’s performance on the battlefield:

• Black Rose: This trait summons a powerful Sion, who grows stronger as more Black Rose units cast their abilities. With Sion on the field, Vladimir can benefit from having a resilient frontline, allowing him to focus on dealing damage from afar. Try to hit (3) or (5) Black Rose to summon and empower Sion, who adds durability and damage to the team.

• Watcher: Watcher champions gain damage reduction when their health is above 50%, which can make Vladimir and other Watcher allies more resilient. Running (2) or (4) Watchers increases Vladimir’s durability, allowing him to cast more often without being interrupted by enemy attacks.

• Sorcerer: This trait grants your team additional Ability Power, which further enhances Vladimir’s damage output. By activating Sorcerer traits with (2) or (4) Sorcerers, you can create a compounding effect, enabling Vladimir to cast powerful spells that maximize Crimson Pact’s bonus damage. Sorcerer also reduces enemies’ damage with high-tier activation, providing an excellent combination of offense and defense.

4. Utilizing the Crimson Pact Ability Transformation

With Crimson Pact, Vladimir’s ability loses its healing effect but gains powerful offensive effects:

• Damage Amplification: Every time he casts, Vladimir increases his team’s overall damage dealt to the target, making him invaluable for scaling up team damage over time.

• Increased Damage Spread: His ability now deals 80% bonus damage and applies damage to the two nearest enemies. This increased spread makes Vladimir highly effective against tightly packed formations, particularly backlines with multiple carries grouped together.

Vladimir’s Crimson Pact is most effective in team comps that amplify magic damage and provide a durable frontline. Here are some team compositions that synergize well:

1. Black Rose & Sorcerer Composition

• Core: Vladimir, Morgana, Cassiopeia, Elise, LeBlanc
• Strategy: This comp provides a powerful backline of magic casters with Sion as a summoned frontline tank. With Crimson Pact, Vladimir serves as a damage amplifier and secondary carry, while Sion draws enemy focus.

2. Watcher & Sorcerer Composition

• Core: Vladimir, Amumu, Vander, Swain, Zoe
• Strategy: Watcher provides durability for Vladimir and Sorcerer enhances the team’s magic damage. Swain and Zoe can provide crowd control, while Vladimir amplifies the damage for the entire team. This comp works well against teams with strong burst damage, as Watchers’ damage reduction improves team resilience.

3. Full Sorcerer Composition

• Core: Vladimir, Zyra, Nami, Zoe, LeBlanc
• Strategy: Go all-in on Sorcerers to maximize ability power. This comp focuses on magic burst, with Vladimir dealing amplified area damage to enemies in his range. The team benefits from the Sorcerer trait’s ability power boost, and Vladimir’s Crimson Pact works to further increase total team damage.

Crimson Pact converts Vladimir into a devastating area damage dealer who not only spreads damage but also amplifies the team’s output. This Hero Augment is ideal in compositions focused on high spell damage, especially when Vladimir can be kept in the backline where he can target key enemies from a safe distance. To maximize his impact, prioritize items that boost his ability power and mana generation, and pair him with durable units or a strong frontline to keep him protected.

With proper positioning and synergies, Vladimir can be a cornerstone of your team in TFT Set 13, helping you control the battlefield and push toward victory.

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Good luck to you! – Cheng