Does Cleanse Work on Vladimir’s Ultimate in League of Legends?

The short answer is no, Cleanse does not work on Vladimir’s ultimate, Hemoplague. Cleanse is designed to remove or reduce the duration of crowd control (CC) effects, such as stuns, snares, and slows. Vladimir’s ultimate, while powerful, applies a debuff that amplifies damage taken by the target after a delay, and then deals damage based on that amplified damage. Since it doesn’t directly impair your character’s control or movement, Cleanse has no effect.

Understanding Cleanse and Debuffs in League of Legends

Cleanse is a summoner spell that provides immediate relief from many common forms of crowd control. However, its functionality is limited to specific types of impairments. It’s essential to understand the difference between crowd control and other types of debuffs to use Cleanse effectively. Crowd control directly restricts a champion’s ability to act, like being stunned by a Veigar cage or rooted by a Lux snare.

Debuffs, on the other hand, are a broader category that encompasses effects like damage over time, reduced attack speed, or amplified damage taken – like with Vlad’s ultimate. Cleanse is not designed to remove these types of debuffs. This distinction is crucial for understanding why Cleanse is ineffective against Hemoplague.

Why Cleanse Doesn’t Work on Vladimir’s Hemoplague

Vladimir’s ultimate works by applying a debuff that causes enemies to take increased damage from all sources for a duration and then deals damage based on the damage taken during that period. This effect doesn’t directly hinder your ability to move, attack, or cast spells. It simply makes you more vulnerable to damage. Therefore, since Cleanse only removes CC that impairs your control, it will not remove or mitigate Hemoplague.

You might be thinking, “But Hemoplague reduces healing!”. Grievous Wounds effects also reduce healing, and Cleanse specifically does not remove those either. The key distinction is that Hemoplague is applying a buff that changes certain gameplay variables of the target.

Alternatives to Cleanse Against Vladimir

While Cleanse won’t help against Hemoplague, there are other strategies and items that can be effective:

• Reducing Damage: Building magic resistance and armor can mitigate the damage amplification from Hemoplague. Items like Banshee’s Veil and Edge of Night can provide spell shields to block some of Vladimir’s abilities.
• Healing and Shielding: Increasing your team’s healing output with champions like Soraka or Sona can offset the damage from Hemoplague. Shielding champions like Lulu and Janna can also protect you from burst damage.
• Positioning and Avoidance: Staying out of Vladimir’s range and avoiding being grouped together can minimize the impact of his ultimate on your team.
• Quick Silver Sash (QSS): QSS removes debuffs, but only specific ones. It removes most debuffs that restrict control, but not all, and will not remove Hemoplague.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Cleanse and Vladimir

1. Can Cleanse remove Ignite?

No, Cleanse will not remove Ignite. Ignite is a damage-over-time effect and is not considered a crowd control effect.

2. Can Cleanse remove Grievous Wounds?

No, Cleanse does not remove Grievous Wounds. Grievous Wounds is a debuff that reduces healing effectiveness.

3. Does Cleanse work on Suppression?

No, Cleanse does not work on Suppression. Suppression is a powerful form of crowd control that locks a champion in place and prevents them from taking any actions. Only Quicksilver Sash (QSS) or certain champion abilities can remove Suppression.

4. Does Cleanse remove Knock-ups?

No, Cleanse does not remove knock-ups. Knock-ups are a type of crowd control that lift a champion into the air, preventing them from taking any actions.

5. Does Cleanse work on Knock-backs?

No, Cleanse does not work on knock-backs. Knock-backs are a type of crowd control that pushes a champion away from a certain location, preventing them from taking any actions.

6. Can Cleanse remove Silence?

Yes, Cleanse can remove Silence. Silence prevents a champion from casting spells.

7. Does Cleanse remove Taunt?

Yes, Cleanse can remove Taunt. Taunt forces a champion to attack the taunting champion.

8. Can Cleanse remove Charm?

Yes, Cleanse can remove Charm. Charm forces a champion to walk towards the charming champion.

9. Does Cleanse remove Fear?

Yes, Cleanse can remove Fear. Fear causes a champion to run uncontrollably away from the source of the fear.

10. Can Cleanse remove Slow?

Yes, Cleanse can remove Slow, but with a caveat. Cleanse will remove the slow effect and also grant a brief period of slow resistance.

11. Does Cleanse remove Stun?

Yes, Cleanse can remove Stun. Stun completely disables a champion, preventing them from moving or taking any actions.

12. What is the duration of the CC reduction after using Cleanse?

Cleanse grants a 65% reduction to the duration of incoming crowd control effects for 3 seconds after it’s used. This means that if you are hit by another crowd control ability within those 3 seconds, its duration will be significantly reduced.

13. Is Cleanse a good summoner spell to take against heavy CC compositions?

Yes, Cleanse is a valuable summoner spell against compositions with a lot of crowd control. It allows you to remove or reduce the duration of key CC abilities, enabling you to escape dangerous situations or continue dealing damage.

14. Does Cleanse remove Poppy’s ultimate?

No, Cleanse does not remove Poppy’s ultimate displacement. Similar to knock-ups and knock-backs, Cleanse has no effect on displacement abilities like Poppy’s ultimate.

15. Can Cleanse remove Mordekaiser’s Realm of Death?

No, Cleanse cannot remove Mordekaiser’s Realm of Death. His ultimate is a zone and is considered displacement.

Conclusion

While Cleanse is a useful summoner spell for removing or reducing the duration of many crowd control effects in League of Legends, it’s ineffective against Vladimir’s ultimate, Hemoplague. Understanding the limitations of Cleanse and exploring alternative strategies is essential for successfully countering Vladimir and other champions with unique debuffs. Remember that effective counterplay often involves a combination of itemization, positioning, and champion selection. To continue learning and improving your gameplay strategies, consider exploring resources such as the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org, where educators and researchers delve into the educational aspects of gaming.