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Caitlyn & Vel'Koz vs Smolder & Braum

Bot Lane Matchup

Caitlyn vs Smolder (with Vel'Koz & Braum) BOT matchup tips: who wins, how to trade, wave control and common mistakes.

You

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Who Wins

Pre-6, you and Vel'Koz win the 2v2 clearly — your range advantage and Vel'Koz's poke allow you to consistently harass Smolder and Braum without them being able to retaliate effectively.
Post-6, you maintain the advantage as long as you respect Braum's R engage range and avoid standing in a line where Braum's R can hit both of you.

Your best pattern is to place traps in the brush and lane chokepoints to deny Braum's engage paths, then freely poke Smolder with headshot-empowered autos while Vel'Koz layers his poke on top.
When Braum attempts to Q in, Vel'Koz's E or Q can interrupt his approach, giving you time to reposition and punish with a headshot.

Maintain a slow push or slight freeze near your side of the lane to keep Smolder in a dangerous position where Braum cannot safely engage — a freeze forces Smolder to walk up for CS and exposes him to your headshot and Vel'Koz's poke.
Avoid hard shoving unless you plan to roam, as a pushed wave gives Braum safer engage angles near your tower.

Do not stand in a straight line with Vel'Koz — Braum's R travels in a line and hitting both of you simultaneously is a fight-winning play for them.
Always maintain lateral separation from your support to minimize the impact of Braum's R and to avoid being caught by a single Vel'Koz E knockup that chains into Braum's combo.

Created on 06/30/2026

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