I picked up Vladimir during the champion sale having played him a lot during his free week a while back. I did really well with him and enjoyed the concept of his health being used as a cost with two abilities to balance that out and found his kit unique and fun to use. I bought him not even a week ago and won my first game with him, which I think was a great start, but now that I think about it, it was really only because the enemy team let me freefarm in top lane. I just played a 3v3 with him and, although being the second most fed champion on the map and building through the enemy team's counterbuild, I could hardly see myself doing enough damage to them in reflection to what they were doing to me. I was allowed to freefarm a lane in that game, too, which should've put me well ahead of the enemy team, but Vladimir felt more like a nuisance to them rather than a threat.

Why did they need to nerf his Tides of Blood in September? According to lolking his winrate is approximately 46% which, from how I see it, comes mainly from the utility he brings into teamfights rather than his lone ability as a champion. I honestly don't understand the logic behind it.

Is it possible to revert the nerf, Riot? Or, at least, balance out his sustain with a way to do more damage to his opponent? I feel that if the enemy isn't at 30% health I'm reluctant to go for a kill fearing they'd get away from the low damage that comes from my R>E>Q, especially once they build the slightest amount of magic resist. Sure, I have infinite sustain to stay in lane, but if mid-late game I'm unkillable but can't do anything but ult the enemy team, what's the point of using Vladimir when there's so many better alternatives?

It's a small change but would be nice.

I don't. I think he's fine! He snowballs very hard and becomes nigh-unkillable and very powerful late game.

Vladimir is a problematic champion to buff. You buff him even just a very tiny bit and he's all of a sudden OP. He needs a slight mechanics rework but I don't want that to happen because I like him how he is now.

EDIT: I thought it might be worthwhile to note that I play lots of Vlad.

i love vlad, think hes fine atm

Just you

He's somewhat niche, he used to be borderline OP when they buffed quite a few aspects of his kit. He's not UP, just that you need to know when to pick him, and when to not bother. High lockdown comps or multiple gap closers are when you'd be better off with someone else.

wasn't picked once at mlg dallas

I think he's fine but I think he's highly overrated in competitive games (coincidentally why you didn't see him at MLG Dallas at all, people are catching on).

I think he's subpar except in certain situations, and it's far too easy to counter him in top lane which is for some reason his more popular lane.