I recently got vlad, and i have looked at guides that all claim he is viable. I just played a game vs a Riven, whom couldnt touch me i would poke her all day while farming from a distance, and when she would try to jump me i would just pool away. I started cloth 5 and sold 2 potions at like lvl 15 for wards.

Im pretty sure the player was just playing her on free week cus i also play her and she could have been more agressive.

The reason i ask is i was just looking in forms and alot of people say he shouldnt even be played as a top laner. In my experiance he dosnt have as much burst as a mid laner so his place is probably best at top lane.

Any more experianced vlad players got some input cus if i can keep playing like i have with him hes going to become one of my main top laners along with singed and irelia.

Tbh vladimir is good at top if you stack your tides of blood and transfusion when it's low on cool down. Going against people like irelia,singed,jayce that can get close to you with cc and long range you should avoid because you'll have some trouble farming while they zone you out and harass you. People like jax and Darius you should be able to kill with full stacks on E and with a gank they're pretty much dead. What I usually build is boot+3 pots > hextech revolver > magic pen boots > rylais > deathcap > will of ancients > zhonyas hourglass

When do i start stacking my e because it seems to hurt more then it helps early on. Late game i understand completly

Vladimir's a fantastic top lane, and usually okay mid if his opponent isn't a shutdown mage like Leblanc.

Tides of Blood is great to build stacks after you've got level 3 Transfusion, if you're trying to go for champion kills. The damage to yourself is minimal compared to the damage you'll deal to them. It's risky, but if you don't like taking that risk then after you have Revolver you can spam it almost freely.

as a top vlad only really works against champs without gap closers or range. their charge has a shorter cd than pool, and throwing 20% of your hp isn't exactly a great escape regardless.
mid he's a safe but unimpressive choice lane wise.

I think he's fallen out of favor because the whole "aoe ult spam" strat that he's a big part of isn't as popular.
seems (to me, anyway) that strong lane and poke or mobility are the big players right now, and he just doesnt fit in.

it seems if you know how to use him he should be amazing i mean what other champ has invincablity while they can slow and damage someone else (zontas not included)

I play an odd vlad, depending i run %health and scaling health, rush hextech into warmogs into mask into rylais

or against say a riven, run Boots + 3 pots, movespeed quints and 9-0-21 masteries, to beat lanes like that you need movespeed to get away from their gap closers. he's viable in AoE teams