Yorick should focus on building graves and setting up Maiden to apply sustained side-lane pressure against Vladimir.
Manage lane pressure by preparing ghouls and using (E) to mark Vladimir, forcing him to respect your setup rather than allowing a calm scaling lane.
This is a splitpush versus scaling matchup where Yorick aims to deny Vladimir a passive lane and force him to respond to side pressure.
Trading pattern
Initiate trades by first preparing graves, then landing (E) to send ghouls onto Vladimir and follow up with (W) to trap him if possible.
Punish Vladimir when his (W) untargetability is down and he cannot escape your cage or ghouls.
Avoid trading when graves or Maiden are unavailable or when (E) misses, as Yorick's threat and damage drop significantly.
Danger windows
Vladimir's empowered (Q) trade windows are dangerous; avoid extended trades when it is ready.
Be cautious when (W) untargetability is available, as it negates your cage and damage temporarily.
After Vladimir uses (W), look for short trade or wave pressure opportunities before it returns, but respect his (R) cooldown.
Early game
Use early levels to safely prepare graves and avoid fighting without ghouls or (E) marks.
Avoid engaging Vladimir without graves ready, as Yorick's early agency is low and Vladimir can sustain short trades with (Q).
Focus on wave control that allows you to set up ghouls before committing to trades or tower pressure.
Power spikes
At level 6, (R) summons Maiden, greatly increasing side-lane pressure; protect Maiden to force Vladimir to respond.
Yorick's prepared ghoul setup combined with (E) marking creates strong pressure; use this to control the wave and punish Vladimir's weak early waveclear.
Respect Vladimir's level 6 (R) burst window and empowered (Q) trades by avoiding all-ins during these times.
Win conditions
Win by consistently setting up graves and landing (E) to send ghouls, then trapping Vladimir with (W) to force him off the wave.
Keep Maiden alive to maintain sustained tower pressure and force Vladimir or his team to respond to side-lane threats.
Deny Vladimir a calm scaling lane by applying pressure before his item spikes and using your splitpush identity to control objectives.
Tip: For Yorick vs Vladimir, read overview, trading pattern, and danger windows first for a fast Top lane check.
