Vex Gameplay Guide – Mastering the Gloomist in League of Legends

Vex, the Gloomist, is a mid lane control mage in League of Legends who thrives on shutting down mobile champions and delivering high-burst combos. Her kit blends poke, waveclear, and crowd control with assassin-like finishing power. Whether you’re climbing solo queue or learning how to counter mobility-heavy teams, this Vex guide will cover her abilities, combos, itemization, laning, mid-to-late game strategy, and matchup tips so you can dominate with this shadowy yordle.

Understanding Vex’s Abilities

Passive: Doom ‘n Gloom

Vex’s passive has two parts. Doom periodically empowers her next basic ability to fear enemies. Gloom is applied to enemies when they dash or are hit by certain abilities; damaging a Gloomed enemy detonates it, dealing bonus damage and refunding cooldown. Mastering passive timing separates good Vex players from great ones, as her impact in fights often depends on landing fear at the right moment.

Q: Mistral Bolt

A fast-moving projectile that damages all enemies it passes through. This is Vex’s primary poke, waveclear, and damage tool. The speed and thin hitbox make it rewarding for skilled players who can land consistent shots.

W: Personal Space

An AOE shield and damage ability. The shield scales with AP and allows Vex to trade aggressively. It’s also key for surviving dives and negating poke in lane.

E: Looming Darkness

A delayed AOE skillshot that slows and applies Gloom to enemies hit. It has excellent range and serves as her main zoning and initiation tool. It also sets up guaranteed Q hits.

R: Shadow Surge

Vex sends her shadow forward, marking and damaging the first enemy hit. If the target dies after being hit, or if Vex recasts on them, she can dash and reset the cooldown. This ultimate gives her assassin-like potential, allowing her to chase down multiple targets and snowball teamfights.

Early Game – Safe Control and Harassment

Vex’s early game revolves around safe waveclear and punishing enemies who play aggressively. She doesn’t have the strongest level 1, but once she unlocks her full kit at level 3, her trade pattern becomes oppressive. Use E to zone opponents and follow with Q for consistent poke. If Doom is active, hold your fear to disengage against all-ins or to punish an enemy jungler’s gank attempt.

Personal Space (W) makes trading efficient—wait until your opponent commits, then shield the damage while retaliating. Against melee champions, her passive fear keeps them from diving too deep.

Always manage mana carefully. Spamming abilities recklessly can leave you dry when the enemy jungler arrives. A good rhythm is to use E + Q for wave control while holding W for defensive purposes.

Mid Game – Roaming and Pick Potential

Once Vex unlocks her ultimate, she becomes a potent roamer and skirmisher. Shadow Surge enables her to cover long distances quickly and punish immobile or low-health targets. Look for opportunities to roam bot lane after pushing mid wave—her fear and burst damage often guarantee kills that snowball your ADC.

In mid game team skirmishes, patience is key. Instead of diving immediately, let your frontline or jungler engage first. Once enemies blow mobility spells, use E → Q to poke them down. Then cast R to finish off squishies or chase fleeing targets. The reset mechanic allows Vex to chain ultimates and swing entire fights.

Objective control also suits Vex. Her zoning tools force enemies to respect choke points around Dragon and Baron. A well-placed E can prevent enemies from safely entering, while her ultimate punishes anyone who overextends.

Late Game – Teamfight Execution

In the late game, Vex’s role is twofold: provide consistent poke and act as an anti-carry assassin. She thrives in teamfights where multiple enemies dash into combat. Each time they engage, they trigger Gloom, allowing Vex to detonate for huge bursts of damage.

Positioning is critical. Unlike hyper-mobile assassins, Vex cannot easily escape once she dives in. Use your ultimate wisely—if you miss, your presence in fights is severely diminished. Wait for key cooldowns like enemy flashes or dashes to be used, then unleash Shadow Surge to pick them off.

Her synergy with engage-heavy teammates shines here. Champions like Malphite, Sejuani, or Leona can lock down enemies, letting Vex layer fear and burst damage effortlessly.

Combos and Mechanics

• Basic Poke: E → Q. Guaranteed Q hit if timed properly.
• Trade Combo: E → Q → W. Use W after taking damage to maximize shield value.
• All-In Combo: R → E → Q → W. If the target survives, recast R to chase or finish.
• Fear Timing: Hold Doom-enhanced abilities to interrupt dashes or key engages.
• Teamfight Reset: R into backline, secure a kill, then recast R to reposition and chain abilities.

Runes for Vex

Primary Tree – Domination: Electrocute is the most popular keystone, amplifying her burst combo. Taste of Blood offers sustain, while Eyeball Collection and Ultimate Hunter scale her damage and reduce R’s cooldown.

Secondary Tree – Sorcery: Manaflow Band and Transcendence provide much-needed mana and cooldown reduction. Alternatively, Inspiration with Biscuit Delivery offers stronger laning sustain.

Best Vex Item Builds

Core Mythics: Luden’s Tempest is ideal for burst-oriented playstyles. Alternatively, Everfrost adds utility with extra CC, letting you guarantee full combos on dashing enemies.

Core Items: Shadowflame synergizes with her ability to burst through shields. Rabadon’s Deathcap massively amplifies her AP scaling, while Void Staff ensures effectiveness against tanky enemies with MR.

Defensive Items: Zhonya’s Hourglass is essential against assassins or dive-heavy comps. Banshee’s Veil helps against pick-heavy champions.

Situational Items: Morellonomicon provides Grievous Wounds, Cosmic Drive offers mobility and CDR, and Horizon Focus increases long-range poke damage.

Team Composition Synergies

Vex works best with engage-heavy champions who force enemies into clumped fights. Tank junglers like Jarvan IV, Vi, or Zac synergize well, locking targets in place for her combos. Supports such as Leona, Rell, or Nautilus also create perfect opportunities for her fear and burst.

She struggles in compositions lacking engage. If your team relies solely on poke or split-push strategies, Vex may struggle to find ultimate angles. She also dislikes playing into heavy sustain comps if her team lacks anti-heal.

Matchup Tips

Against Assassins: Time your fear to interrupt their gap closers. Zhonya’s is mandatory to survive champions like Zed or Talon. Hug your tower until you have enough items to fight back.

Against Control Mages: Push with E + Q combos and look for roams. Many control mages outrange her, so patience and roaming impact are essential to win.

Against Mobile Carries: Champions like Yasuo, Irelia, or Katarina play into Vex’s passive. Punish every dash with Gloom detonations and hold your fear to shut down their engages.

Tips for Climbing with Vex

• Track Doom’s cooldown carefully and align it with enemy gap closers.
• Roam with R whenever your wave is pushed—her impact bot lane can decide games.
• Play patiently in teamfights; missing R too early can waste your entire presence.
• Combine E slow with Q for guaranteed poke damage.
• Never overcommit without Zhonya’s or support nearby—Vex is strong but punishable if isolated.

Closing Thoughts

Vex is an excellent champion for punishing mobile meta picks and influencing teamfights with impactful CC and burst. While immobile herself, her unique anti-dash mechanics and ultimate resets make her one of the few control mages who can function like an assassin. By mastering her passive timing, ultimate usage, and wave control, you can climb the ladder and carry games as the Gloomist. This Vex gameplay guide gives you the knowledge to maximize her potential and frustrate enemies who rely too much on mobility.