Protect the scaling economy

0:00–~14:00, or until the first tower and lane assignments change

From spawn through the first objective cycle, prioritize CS, experience, and health-efficient Q trades. Use E only when its health payment improves the wave or creates a real trade, because repeated costs can remove your lane permission. If you can crash safely, recall before the next map move; if you are behind, collect the wave near your side and stop contesting space that costs more health than it returns. Transition when the first tower or roughly 14:00 changes lane assignments: move from isolated income toward timed wave crashes and objective preparation.

Lane

Lane for health and resource, not a coin-flip kill

If the first waves are contestable and your Q can repeatedly reach the opponent without exposing you to an all-in, use short Q trades while keeping the wave state favorable; if the enemy wave is larger or the opposing jungler is unseen while you are pushed, take only safe last hits and preserve health for the next reset. Your resource and Crimson Rush timing make repeated, controlled contact more valuable than a forced early duel.

With Vladimir

• If Vladimir has a wave to crash before the next objective, help him secure that reset rather than starting a random river fight. Once he arrives healthy with Hemoplague available, create a clear front line so he can enter the fight's middle without being the first target.
• If you can provide reliable crowd control or peel, use it when Vladimir is inside the enemy formation and the enemy turns on him. He benefits from time to cycle Q and E, while Sanguine Pool is more valuable when it answers a real burst or disengage tool.
• If Vladimir is behind, give him safe side-wave access before grouping for a forced fight. A visible 4v4 hold, a caught wave, or an uncontested structure is more useful than asking him to face-check a river where his health economy cannot compensate for missing information.
• If Vladimir is ahead and Hemoplague is ready, play around the next 60–90-second objective setup: push nearby waves, sweep approaches, and let his threat occupy space. Do not begin an isolated engage while he is still catching the wave or walking from base.
• If Vladimir uses Sanguine Pool defensively, avoid abandoning him during the remaining fight. Keep the enemy's follow-up controlled so he can re-emerge and continue dealing damage instead of forcing him to spend the ability only to escape.
• If the team wins a fight with Vladimir's plague and sustained damage, immediately bank the result in a tower, objective, or pushed wave. A kill count without conversion gives the enemy time to reset while Vladimir's health and cooldown advantages disappear.