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Playing Against Swain
SupportPatch 16.2.1
What They Do
Swain is a mid-range drain-tank mage who thrives in extended brawls. He uses to pick targets, to stack permanent health, and to become an unkillable raid boss in teamfights. He is weak against burst and being kited.
Abilities (What to Watch For)
| Ability | What You'll See | What It Means For You |
|---|---|---|
| Red soul fragments flying toward Swain | Swain gains permanent Max HP and heals whenever he hits or pulls someone with . Buy healing reduction (Grevious Wounds) early to counter this. | |
| Five red bolts fired in a cone | Shotgun mechanic. It deals more damage the closer you are. If you are a melee support, do not hug him or you will eat all five bolts for massive damage. | |
| A giant red eye appearing on the ground | Huge range scout/slow. It grants a stack if it hits you. It has a long delay (1.5s), so unless you are CC'd, you should never be hit by this. | |
| A red wave that travels out and then returns | The root ONLY happens on the return trip. It roots the first enemy hit. Stand behind your minions on the return path so they take the root instead of you. | |
| Swain grows large with a red aura around him | He drains health from everyone nearby. This lasts INDEFINITELY as long as he is draining a champion. If he activates it, your team must either burst him instantly or disengage entirely. |
Respect
- !The Return→It's easy to dodge the outward wave, but the return trip is what roots and allows him to pull you into a full blast.
- !Level 6 All-in→Swain goes from a poke mage to a tank that cannot be killed without focus fire once he has .
- !Bush Control→If Swain lands from a bush where you lack vision, you won't have time to react to the return path root.
- !Long-range Snipes→He can use this from mid-lane to slow you or stop your recall. Always stay moving even if he isn't in your lane.
Punish
- +is on cooldown (10s early)→This is his only reliable way to peel or start a trade. When he misses , jump on him immediately; he is squishy and immobile.
- +Pre-6 Laning→Before , he has no sustain other than occasional procs. Heavy poke or a hard engage at level 2-3 can force him out of lane.
- +Low Mana→Swain's costs significant mana early. If his blue bar is below 20%, he cannot complete a full trade or sustain his ultimate.
- +Empty zone→If he ults and you walk out of the circle, his transformation will end quickly. Force the disengage, wait for it to drop, then re-engage.
Laning Tips
- •Dodge by walking forward or diagonally, never straight back into the return path.
- •Stand behind minions when his is returning to ensure the minion takes the root.
- •Rush Executioner's Calling or Oblivion Orb. If you don't have anti-heal by his level 6, you cannot win the 2v2.
- •Do not stand on top of your ADC. pierces through targets and can root both of you if you're clumped.
- •Pick champions with high displacement (Janna, Alistar) to knock him away when he uses .
- •His reveals you. Do not try to hide in bushes to drop aggro if the eye has already spotted you.
Teamfight Warning
- ⚠Never group up in tight corridors (jungle paths). One can root the whole team, leading to a massive drain.
- ⚠If he uses Demonflare (the explosion), he is looking to burst/slow you. Use Zhonya's or flash the nova.
- ⚠During , his cooldown is significantly reduced. Expect a root every few seconds.
- ⚠Don't be a 'battery.' If you are a tank but can't kill him, move away so he can't heal off you to stay in longer.
- ⚠Focus the Swain ONLY if your team can 100-0 him. If you poke him slowly during , he will just out-heal your damage.
AI-generated counterplay guide • Patch 16.2.1 • Cached