Vi Season 13 Ultimate Jungle Guide – League of Legends (2024)

League of Legends’ Jungle meta is ever-changing; In one patch, there are assassins rising to prominence, while in another, the top laners are, for some reason, doing Jungling. However, one champion called Vi has survived the testament of time and patches, and she’s here to start some butt-kickin’.

However, Vi isn’t a pre-2015 champion, so her kit can feel a bit confusing when you’re mawing down hordes of Jungle minions!

So, in this guide, we will be showcasing an in-depth Jungle guide for Vi to ensure you’re always on track when it’s time for that Scuttle contest! Read more to find out how everything pieces together!

Also check out: Challenges guide for LoL

Table of Content
show

Vi Jungle Guide – Explainer

The Vi Season 13 Jungle clear guide has been written to be as new-player relevant as possible while still covering all those high-elo matches and strategies that distinguish a high-skilled Vi player from a low-skilled one.

There has been a rise in Vi’s pick popularity recently. But despite all of this, there aren’t many good Vi Jungle guides that go in-depth to explain how she – an absolute beast of a unit – is meant to be played.

Therefore, this guide has been created to shed a light on all of that, including the basics, to ensure this becomes your one-stop shop for everything Vi related. Please feel free to skip the sections you already know, and stick till the end to understand the As, Bs, and Cs when it comes to using R, Q, proper Jungle Pathing, and much more!

Getting Started: What Makes Vi So Good?

Now, as you all know, Vi is a teamfight-oriented bruiser that wants to go in without any means of escape. While she is pretty strong on her own, Vi flourishes the most by playing around her teammates.

Her kit is pretty Q-reliant, and she can be punished pretty hard for missing it. However, when you piece all of these factors together, and execute them in coherence, it would take a miracle (generally an alias for bad teammates) to lose a match.

Playing her is pretty rewarding; she teaches you how to teamfight properly. You can’t just run around feeling the adrenaline and leaving it all to your autos. She has defined cooldowns, a textbook playstyle, and most of her tools are timing-reliant.

Vi’s Ability Rundown

Here’s everything you need to know about Vi’s kit in order to understand how she fundamentally works, and what you – as the pilot – should do in order to maximize her potential:

Passive – Blast Shield

Vi’s passive, Blast Shield, allows her to charge a shield over time. The shield wil activate once you hit the target with an ability. The shield provides additional protection, and the amount of shield gained is based on a percentage of Vi’s maximum health.

This shield can be used to absorb damage, making Vi more durable in fights, and during her clear!

Q – Vault Breaker

Vi’s Q ability, Vault Breaker, allows her to charge her gauntlets and unleash a powerful punch that carries her forward. This ability deals damage to all enemies in her path and knocks them back. Additionally, enemies hit by this ability receive a stack of Denting Blows, Vi’s W passive.

This is the main ability in her kit, and it dictates her entire playstyle. Vi’s Q is targeted, making it hard to land it on moving targets.

Common Use Cases For Vault Breaker

Here’s how Vault Breaker is generally used:

Use the knock-back effect of Vault Breaker to disrupt enemy formation and start fights on your terms. This is not ideal use case though, but more on that later!
The dash provided by Vault Breaker can be used to quickly escape from danger.
Vault Breaker is a powerful tool for clearing Jungle camps quickly, and it also can use to push lanes in the early game, more on this later as well.
The long cooldown of Vault Breaker means you should use it strategically. Try to save it for crucial moments in fights, for gap closing and locking an enemy down.
Vault Breaker has a long range, but it’s a skill shot, so it’s important to be aware of the range and to aim it correctly to hit your target.
The channel time on Vi’s Q is no joke, so try to use the short, mid Q cast during clearing to maintain top-speed while still getting the same DPS out of Vi.

W – Denting Blows

Vi’s W, Denting Blows, causes Vi’s basic attacks and abilities to deal bonus physical damage to the target, and grants her attack speed. The amount of armor reduction and attack speed increase depends on the number of stacks of Denting Blows on the target.

This ability makes Vi a powerful duelist, capable of shredding through her opponent’s armor and increasing her attack speed to deal more damage. The armor reduction is applied before the bonus damage, so it increases the overall damage dealt to the target.

It’s pretty good in 1v1 situations and is also good to use in team fights to focus down the enemy carries.

Common Use Cases For Denting Blows

Here’s how Denting Blows is generally used:

Use it to shred through the enemy’s armor and increase your damage output.
Denting Blows makes Vi a powerful duelist, capable of taking down most enemies in a one on one fight.
Denting Blows allows Vi to focus down the enemy carries, use it to increase your damage output in team fights.
Try to stack up Denting Blows as fast as possible on your target, as each stack increases the physical damage dealt and attack speed – more on this later!
Denting Blows is passive, so try to use it often to keep the stacks up and increase your damage output.
Denting Blows can be used to secure kills by increasing your damage output, especially when the target is low health.
Denting Blows only works on melee range, so make sure to be in range to use it and increase your damage output.

E – Relentless Force

Vi’s E ability, Relentless Force, causes her next basic attack to blast through her target, dealing damage to all enemies behind it. Relentless Force deals bonus physical damage to enemies hit and increases the range of Vi’s basic attack.

This ability can be used to clear Jungle camps quickly and also to hit multiple enemies in team fights, making Vi a powerful AOE damage dealer. It also can be used as a gap closer, to extend the duration of her Q, and to clear camps faster. Keep in mind that this ability has a short cooldown so use it efficiently.

Also read: Best Scaling Junglers in League of Legends

Common Use Cases For Relentless Force

Here’s how Relentless Force is generally used:

Use Vi’s E ability to blast through her target and to clear Jungle camps quickly.
Use it in team fights: Relentless Force allows Vi to hit multiple enemies in team fights, making her a deal decent AOE damage.
Use Relentless Force to hit fleeing enemies and secure kills.
Relentless Force has a short cooldown, so try to use it often to increase your damage output and clear camps faster.
Relentless Force only works on melee range, so make sure to be in range to use it and increase your damage output.

R – Cease and Desist

Vi’s ultimate ability, Cease and Desist, allows her to run down an enemy champion, knocking aside anyone in the way. When she reaches her target, she knocks it into the air, jumps after it, and slams it back into the ground.

Common Use Cases For Cease and Desist

Here’s how Cease and Desist is generally used:

This ability can be used to initiate fights and disrupt the enemy team’s formation, comes with a catch though, read more to know why!
Cease and Desist allows Vi to chase down fleeing enemies and secure kills.
Vi’s ultimate can be used to hit multiple enemies in team fights and deal damage to all around the target, also stunning them for a short duration.
Cease and Desist has a long cooldown, so use it strategically, try to save it for crucial moments in fights, such as when an enemy is low health, or when you need to initiate a fight.
Cease and Desist has a moderate range, so make sure to be in range to use it and initiate fights.
You can also use it to stick to an enemy in order to ensure a CC lockdown!

Vi’s Jungle Clear Paths

Vi can start from both redside and blueside. However, to reach optimal farming capacity, there’s a specific pattern you need to follow in order to ensure you’re never late to the fray!

With that said, here is the clear path for both sides:

Blue Start

Here’s the general farm order for a blue buff start:

Blue Buff -> Gromp -> Murk Wolves -> Mid Gank (Optional) -> Raptors -> Red Buff -> Scuttle Contest (Optional) -> Bot Gank (Conditional) -> Krugs

Step 1

Everything starts with Vi taking down the Blue Buff using Denting Blows at level one. This is the first camp that Vi should take as it will give her a strong early game lead. The Blue Buff will give Vi the mana and cooldown reduction she needs to clear camps and gank effectively. A leash is very important here as Vi is not that strong at level 1.

Step 2

After killing the Blue Buff, Vi proceeds to the Gromp camp. This camp is relatively easy to clear, and will grant Vi level two. At level two, Vi will unlock Relentless Force, which allows her to proc Denting Blows and clear high health targets more effectively.

Considering Blue Side is full of those, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone!

Step 3

Next, Vi will clear the Murk Wolves camp. This camp is also relatively easy to clear and will grant Vi level three.

At level three, Vi will unlock Vault Breaker, which is the level three skill most Vi players unlock. Vault Breaker is a powerful ability that allows Vi to clear camps and gank effectively.

Step 4

After clearing the Gromp and Murk Wolves camps, Vi can choose to mid-gank if the opportunity arises. This is an optional step, and it will depend on the situation in the game. If the mid lane is pushed or the enemy mid laner is overextended, Vi can choose to gank and try to secure a kill.

Step 5

The next camp that Vi should take is the Raptors camp. This camp can be difficult to clear, but Vi’s Vault Breaker and Relentless Force will make it easier. It’s important to note that Vi is not a very efficient Jungler when it comes to camps like Raptors and Wolves, but with her abilities and proper timing, she can clear them effectively.

Step 6

After clearing the Raptors, Vi will proceed to the Red Buff camp. This camp is relatively easy to clear and will grant Vi a strong early-game lead. The Red Buff will give Vi the bonus damage and slow she needs to gank effectively.

Step 7

After clearing the Red Buff, Vi can choose to contest the Scuttle Crab. This is also an optional step, and it will depend on the situation in the game. If the enemy Jungler is also contesting the Scuttle, Vi can choose to duel them for control of the objective.

Step 8

Lastly, Vi can choose whether to gank a lane, invade the enemy’s Jungle, do Krugs, or recall and buy items. This step is conditional, and it will depend on the situation in the game.

If Vi sees an opportunity to gank a lane or invade the enemy’s Jungle, she can choose to do so. However, if she needs to recall and buy items, she can choose to do so as well.

Red Start

Here’s the general farm order for the red buff start:

Red Buff -> Raptors -> Murk Wolves -> Blue Buff -> Gromp -> Scuttle Contest (Optional) -> Top or Mid Gank (Conditional)

This Vi Jungle Clear is the second most popular route and most players run it when they’re trying to path to the same Scuttle as the enemy Jungler in order to duel them.

Step 1

Start with the Red Buff, and ask for a leash. Kite the camp towards your raptors, and make sure to unlock Denting Blows. The leash part is important since you don’t want to lose too much HP during the clear!

Step 2

After clearing the Red Buff, you want to path into the Raptors camp. With the help of Relentless Force, which you unlocked at level two, you can clear the Raptors camp with ease.

Step 3

Next, you want to path into the blue buff side of the Jungle to clear the Murk Wolves, Blue Buff, and Gromp. Clearing these camps will grant you level three and unlock Vault Breaker.

Step 4

After clearing these camps, you want to kill the Rift Scuttler and try to fight the enemy Jungler or gank/invade. This step is conditional, and it will depend on the situation in the game.

If the enemy Jungler is also contesting the Scuttle, you can choose to duel them for control of the objective. However, if you see an opportunity to gank a lane or invade the enemy’s Jungle, you can choose to do so.

Also read: Wave Management in LoL – The Ultimate Guide

Understanding Vi: Tips & Tricks

There are a lot of minor mistakes players make while playing Vi, be sure to cut down on these in order to have a better experience with her:

Essentials: Enable Line Missile Display

As discussed previously, Vi’s abilities are quite distance and timing reliant. Therefore, you need to have pre-defined guiding lines enabled to know how far her Q can go.

Here’s how you can enable Line Missle Display:

In your game, press esc and head to the settings.
From there, choose Interface, and scroll down until you find the Ability and Attack Display.
Lastly, check the Enable Line Missile Display box, and you’re good to go!

This might feel trivial in nature, but remember, your Q is your everything. Hence, it must hit; there’s no room for failure!

Don’t Use Q as an Enabler for R

It can’t be stressed how almost every low-elo player makes this error. Your initial combination starts with R (given you have it). Don’t get overtaken by the urge to slam dunk them before applying W’s third proc of armor shred.

This means your ideal combo should look like:

Q(hit) + Auto + E into instant R

The reason is quite simple: Your R deals a lot of damage right? Now the third proc of your E tends to apply 20% Armor Reduction for a split second. Currently, the Q(hit) + Auto + E combo is the fastest way of proccing the Armor Reduction.

Since Vi’s R deals Physical damage, the R will now deal increased damage due to the Armor Penetration, resulting in a near one-shot.

Here’s the damage difference:

R start / Q missed combo:

Q(hit) + Auto + E into R combo:

Aside from the bonus in the damage, the CC chain is also considerably longer with the latter combo!

Use Vi as a Teamfight Disrupter

The threat of Vi having her ultimate ability is pretty high. As an enemy unit, you wouldn’t want to be standing in her hit range. Naturally, you would want to be moving as far as possible

Now what ends up happening is that, by that threat alone, you’re able to move the enemies further away from each other – creating gaps in their team formation.

Now, what if they don’t move? Well, someone’s going to get deleted then. Therefore, you need to be the one deciding what your playstyle and goal should be.

If played correctly, Vi is strong enough to carry you through most games without breaking a sweat!

Jungle Clearing Tips

Vi is not the fastest Jungle Camp clearer in the game, but she isn’t the slowest either. Therefore, be sure to heed the following tips in order to clear your camps as soon as possible:

Tip #1 – Maximize Your Shield Uptime

You don’t want to be taking too much damage in the early stages of the game. A vulnerable Vi is susceptible to early invades, and it only gets harder to reclaim that lost HP and lead.

Similar story with your E: It’s your main source of AoE, don’t use it in the wrong directions or in situations where you don’t need it. The last thing you would want is to be on Raptors with a 6-second CD on your E.

Additionally, try to match your E with your passive. You’re pretty unhealthy at the start of the game, so having a shield at all times can be very beneficial to mitigate some of the disadvantages.

Tip #2 – Multi-enemy Camps are Not Your Friend

It goes without saying that Vi is more suited for single-target DPS. Therefore, camps like Raptors and Wolves are bound to give her a hard time.

As a silver lining, Wolves are still pretty stock standard to clear, but when it comes to Raptors, be ready to lose a lot of HP and time needlessly!

Tip #3 – You Don’t Need To Channel Your Entire Q

Let’s be realistic, the channel time on Vi’s Q is no joke, and while the travel distance is great and all, you generally don’t need that much when it comes to clearing camps. Plus, this large travel distance makes you walk back to the camp and waste time.

Therefore, it’s better to just use the short, instant to medium Q cast during clearing to maintain top speed while still getting the same DPS out of Vi. Do not try this while dashing through walls though, it can get pretty finicky!

Tip #4 – Plan Your Route and Timing

Knowing when to clear which camps can make a huge difference in Vi’s Jungle clearing speed. Plan your route in advance and try to hit camps when they respawn, this will allow you to maintain a steady flow of gold and experience.

Also, try to coordinate with your team to secure objectives like dragon and baron, Vi’s ultimate and E can be very useful for locking down enemy Junglers and securing those objectives.

Tip #5 – Use Smite Effectively

Smite is an essential tool for Jungle clearing and objective control. Make sure to use it on the big minions in camps to speed up clearing and secure objectives like dragon and baron. Additionally, you can use it to steal enemy camps and objectives as well.

Tip #6 – Be Aware of Your Mana

Vi’s abilities are mana-intensive, so it’s important to manage your mana effectively while clearing camps. Try to use your abilities in a smart and efficient way by taking advantage of Blue Buff’s timings.

This will help you to maintain a steady pace of clearing and avoid running out of mana in crucial moments.

Tip #7 – Watch Out for Counter Jungling

Vi can be vulnerable to enemy invades early on in the game, so it’s important to keep an eye on the enemy Jungler’s position and timing. Try to ward your Jungle and keep a map of the enemy Jungler’s movements to avoid getting caught out.

And also be ready for counter Jungling and try to steal enemy camps when you see an opportunity.

Vi’s Q – Everything You Need To Know!

Vi’s Q, Vault Breaker, is pretty simple in how it needs to function. You hit your Q, you win the skirmish, you miss it, and suddenly you’re not relevant anymore.

So how do you, as a Jungler, ensure you’re not holding your team back? Let us explain!

Damage Difference Between Short and Long-Range Qs:

When using Vault Breaker, it’s important to note that the damage dealt by the ability increases as the range increases. Hitting enemies at short range will deal more damage than hitting them at long range.

Therefore, it’s important to try to hit enemies at short range in order to maximize the damage dealt.

Control and aiming:

Vi’s Q is a skill shot ability, which means that it’s important to aim it correctly in order to hit enemies. In order to control the ability better and increase the chances of hitting enemies, it’s recommended to click close to Vi’s character when using the ability.

This will allow you to control the ability better and increase the chances of hitting enemies.

Walking to Close Distance Before Using Q:

Before using Vault Breaker, it’s important to walk to close distance to the target in order to maximize the damage dealt. This will allow you to hit enemies at short range, dealing more damage and applying more stacks of Denting Blows.

Holding R after Q:

When using Vault Breaker, it’s important to be aware of the situation and the target you are hitting. Holding the R after Q is all about perception, whether you really need to or should you switch targets.

If the target is low health, it’s important to finish them off with Cease and Desist. However, if the target is not low health, it’s important to switch targets and hit another enemy with the ability in order to maximize the damage dealt, or to jump to a higher priority target!

Tips For Aiming Q With Vi

Here are some general tips to help you perfect your aim with your Q:

Practice makes perfect: The more you practice using Vi’s Q, the better you will become at aiming it. Take some time to practice using the ability in custom games or against bots to improve your aim.
Be aware of the enemy’s movement: Pay attention to the enemy’s movement, watch their movements, and try to predict where they will move next. This will help you to aim your ability in advance and increase the chances of hitting the enemy.
Use the terrain: Vi’s Q can be used to jump over walls and terrain. Take advantage of this by using the terrain to your advantage and aiming the ability at enemies who are behind walls or in chokepoints.
Use the indicator: Vi’s Q has an indicator that shows the area that will be affected by the ability. Use this indicator to aim for the ability more accurately.
Use it in conjunction with other abilities: Vi’s Q can be used in conjunction with other abilities to increase the chances of hitting the enemy.
Play around with the settings: Experiment with the game settings to find the perfect sensitivity and reticule size for your play style.

Best Vi Jungle Build

Once you’re done understanding Vi’s kit, it’s time to understand how to build and spec on her. So on that note, here’s an in-depth rune and itemization guide!

Vi’s Itemization Options

Here’s what you will be building on Vi in order to maintain your DPS and utility:

Starter Items

Vi initially starts with Mosstomper as her Jungle companion. You don’t need to opt for Control Wards here considering the potion act as nice insurance against invades and making split-second decisions.

Having said that, your green pet can help you by granting a nice shield that keeps you tanky throughout the game – given you manage to stack it.

Also read: Best Hybrid Junglers in League of Legends

Mythic and Core Items

Radiant Virtue: This item is extremely nice on Vi considering it lets you Trancend once you’ve dumped your entire combo on a target. It not only helps you survive after committing everything through the max health bonus, but also grants you ability haste. Add the healing per second as icing on the top, and you become one tanky menace that’s not only hard to deal with but is tanky enough to disrupt the flow of the battle!
Boots of Lucidity: You will be plenty tanky with your items, but one thing you absolutely lack is the leeway to fire off your abilities knowing they will come back up pretty soon. Considering a little ability haste has never hurt anyone, Boots of Lucidity is your go-to on Vi. However, do remember that you might want to go Mercury Treads or Plated Steelcaps, given the situation calls it. Don’t make this recommendation your be all end all!
Chempunk Chainsword: You’re the only one allowed to heal, don’t give the enemies that luxury. Plus, since you’re supposed to be locking down carries in teamfights, you might as well make it so there’s no realistic way for them to survive due to the grievous wounds. In addition, the added stats, and the low cost is always a plus, considering it get increasingly tough to obtain gold if you’re not snowballing.

Remaining Build Options

Here are the remaining build options for VI on the fourth, fifth, and sixth item slots!

Black Cleaver: This item allows her to shred through her enemies’ armor, making her even more deadly in team fights. The passive, which stacks up to five times, allows her to hit harder and harder with each basic attack and ability, making her a real threat to squishy targets. Additionally, the health and CDR it grants make her even more tanky and able to use her abilities more frequently.
Death’s Dance: This item is a great addition to Vi’s build as it allows her to sustain through fights and survive longer. The passive allows her to convert a percentage of damage taken into a shield and the active lets her heal over time making her a real pain to take down. Additionally, the AD and CDR it grants make her hit harder and use her abilities more frequently.
Maw of Malmortius: This item is also great for Vi as it gives her extra MR and a shield that activates when her health drops low. The shield is particularly useful in team fights as it allows Vi to survive longer and continue to deal damage. Additionally, the AD it grants makes her hit harder, and the unique passive which grants her bonus magic damage on her next basic attack after damaging an enemy champion with the ability makes her a real threat to squishy targets.
Guardian Angel: GA allows her to revive after death, giving her an extra chance to make a play or escape. The added AD and Armor it grants makes her hit harder and survive longer. The revive passive makes her a real pain to take down and a great asset to her team in teamfights. The ability to revive is really obnoxious, and it ensures you’re not going on a path of no return.
Sterak’s Gage: This item gives her a large amount of additional health and a shield that activates when she takes a certain amount of damage. The shield is particularly useful in team fights as it allows Vi to survive longer and continue to deal damage. The passive AD makes her hit harder, and the unique passive which grants her bonus AD based on her total health makes her a real tanky menace that is hard to deal with. This item is particularly useful if you are playing against a team with strong AD champions.

Vi’s Runes

Vi, being an aggressive jungler, tends to delve into the Domination tree to pick the runes that enhance her early-game damage and ganking potential. Here’s what you will be expecting to go on her regardless of the patch:

Hail of Blades Path – Primary:

The Hail of Blades rune path is a popular choice for Vi as it provides her with additional attack speed and damage, which allows her to clear camps and gank lanes more efficiently.

Sudden Impact: This rune grants Vi increased damage on her next basic attack or ability hit after using an ability, which is particularly useful for Vi as it allows her to deal more damage in her ganks and in team fights.
Eyeball Collection: This rune grants Vi bonus adaptive force and additional vision, which is particularly useful for Vi as it allows her to have more control over the map and to spot potential ganking opportunities.
Relentless Hunter: This rune grants Vi additional movement speed and out-of-combat movement speed, which is particularly useful for Vi as it allows her to move around the map quickly and to gank lanes more efficiently.

Precision – Secondary:

The Precision rune path is another popular secondary choice for Vi as it provides her with added sustain and allows her to come back stronger after getting kills.

Triumph: This allows Vi to gain a portion of health after killing an enemy or having an assist in the kill. Considering you’d be playing at the edge for most of the fights, Triumph can work miracles on Vi. Plus, the added gold doesn’t hurt anyone!
Legend: Alacrity: This rune grants Vi increased attack speed, which is particularly useful for Vi as it allows her to clear camps and gank lanes more efficiently.

Jungling Tips for Vi

Here is a brief rundown of everything we’ve covered so far regarding Vi’s Jungling:

Start at the Red or Blue buff and clear the camps in a specific order.
Use your Q, to clear camps quickly and efficiently.
Take advantage of Vi’s passive, “Blast Shield,” which grants bonus armor and magic resistance after using an ability.
Gank lanes when they are pushed or when your team can catch up.
Pay attention to the minimap and look for opportunities to take objectives such as dragon or herald.
Use your ultimate to initiate fights and lock down key targets.
Use your E to deal bonus damage to minions and monsters, which will help you clear camps faster.
Keep an eye on your health and mana, and use potions and blue buff to sustain in the jungle.
Communicate with your team and coordinate ganks and objective control.
Practice and learn the jungle camps respawn timings to optimize your clearing and ganking.

Takeaway

To summarize everything, your Q is the main part of your kit, and its timing is the most important deciding factor. Try to use it before you ult the enemy, and consider switching targets if a high-priority carry is in the teamfight.

Lastly, try to be more aware of your surroundings, and remember; League of Legends does not have to be so textbook. Being creative in sticky situations is what differentiates good from bad, so make sure to have lots of fun playing Vi; Good luck!

You should also check out our Seraphine season 13 jungle guide for LoL.