Overview
Marksman Vanguard is one of the most popular comps in the game right now and for good reason -- it has a very stable Level 8 board and can still cap out for wins in good spots. It's also a simple board with a simple game plan, and it allows people to slam Guinsoo's Rageblade early (which everyone seems to love).
When to Play
You hit Kog'Maw, Kindred, and Vanguards (or any front line)
You have bows and swords and don't know what else to play
How to Play
This is a comp that follows a standard leveling curve, which you can read more in depth about here.
Stage | Level |
|---|---|
2-1 | Buy XP to hit Level 4 |
2-5 | Level 5 |
3-2 | Level 6 |
4-1 | Level 7 |
4-2 | Level 8 + Roll until stable* |
5-2 | Level 9 |
5-5 | Level 9 (if not earlier) |
6-1 | Level 9 (if neither of previous timings worked) |
While Guinsoo's is good to have on Aphelios, it's not absolutely mandatory -- what's more important is having some form of Sunder and Anti-healing.
Otherwise your goal is to have 3 items on your tank (Leona or more likely Jarvan on Stage 4) and 3 items on your carry (if you have attack speed items, they go on Aphelios, whereas AD items go on Xayah).
Early game, Kog'Maw + Skarner is your best bet for win streaking.
It's really hard to lose early and then play this comp from low health -- it's difficult to hit everything on Stage 4, which means you will lose some fights. You want to generally avoid this comp from bad openers, especially when it's contested.
At level 9, you can add Aurora and look to throw in a Zac or Kobuko. If you hit Zac on level 8, you can usually play him early, especially if you don't hit Leona. With Aurora in, you can also drop Sylas for Braum.
Best Items
Aphelios | Xayah |
|---|---|
Leona | Jarvan IV |
|---|---|
Win Conditions
Triple combat augment and hitting everything with some HP to spare
Pushing level 9 for Aurora 2 and being able to throw in a good unit like Zac or Kobuko
3-starring one of your 4-cost units if you are uncontested
