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Swain Build Guide by V1kt0r555

Middle [Patch 13.21] My Swain's Build (Mid/Top/Bot/Support Matchups)

Middle [Patch 13.21] My Swain's Build (Mid/Top/Bot/Support Matchups)

Updated on October 25, 2023
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League of Legends Build Guide Author V1kt0r555 Build Guide By V1kt0r555 36 5 71,583 Views 6 Comments
36 5 71,583 Views 6 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author V1kt0r555 Swain Build Guide By V1kt0r555 Updated on October 25, 2023
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Choose Champion Build:

  • LoL Champion: Swain
    Mid
  • LoL Champion: Swain
    Top
  • LoL Champion: Swain
    Bot
  • LoL Champion: Swain
    Support

Runes: Conqueror (Read Notes)

1 2 3 4 5
Precision
Conqueror
Presence of Mind
Legend: Tenacity
Last Stand

Resolve
Conditioning
Overgrowth
Bonus:

+10% Attack Speed
+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+10% Tenacity/Slow Resist

Spells:

1 2 3 4 5
Standard
LoL Summoner Spell: Flash

Flash

LoL Summoner Spell: Ghost

Ghost

Items

Starting Items
For rushing Archangel's Staff
If you want to snowball
Lost Chapter or Catalyst of Aeons rush
Against some hard matchups
Always take this
First Recall
If going for Liandry's Anguish
If going for Rod of Ages
Against hard AD Matchups
Against hard AP Matchups
Against healing champion
Control Ward
Boots Options
Against Hard AD Team
Against Hard AP/Heavy CC
Against slow CC Team
Core Items
Liandry's Anguish or Rod of Ages
For slowing enemies
For protection and avoiding some nasty situation
For more health and damage
Best for healing (also gives nice defensive stats)
Elixirs

Threats & Synergies

Threats Synergies
Extreme Major Even Minor Tiny
Show All
None Low Ok Strong Ideal
Extreme Threats
Ideal Synergies
Synergies
Ideal Strong Ok Low None

Champion Build Guide

[Patch 13.21] My Swain's Build (Mid/Top/Bot/Support Matchups)

By V1kt0r555
Introduction
Hello everyone and welcome to "My Swain's Build" guide that will be mainly focused on Mid lane but there will be also a guide for Top, Bot and a Support role as well. I am EUNE League of Legends player and my name in game is Hektor Ulmer (not my real life name, it's just what I added). My rank in other account was Diamond III, but I can't really remember my old account name because I took a break from the game for a several years but I really don't mind that and now I created new account to play for fun and not to be the best player in the game.


My favourite champion in game is Viktor. I play many roles but my best role is Mid and Top lane. I also play many champions like Veigar, Malzahar, Shen etc. but also Swain as well. From that being said, I am going to show you why Swain is really good champion to play and how he can be played by many roles. If you don't wanna read my guide and if you are only interested on items, that is fine for me because I created this guide for any players who mains Swain to get better in ranked or to play him just for fun. :)
Why play Swain?
Abilities





Swain - The Noxian Grand General
Ranged Mage Champion
Damage Type: Magic
Mid Lane: Strong
Top Lane: OK
Bot Lane: Good
Support Lane: Great
Difficulty to play: Normal

Swain is a tanky mage champion that has very strong sustain from his Ravenous Flock and can permamently gain some Health each time he hits an enemy champion with Vision of Empire and Nevermove. He is also a very great teamfigher thanks to his Demonic Ascension which does AoE damage who is close to him. When he has enough Health stacks and his build is fully completed, he will be very difficult to kill him and he will regain his Health massively if the enemy team doesn't get any antiheal items. Besides in Mid lane, he can also be played in many roles like Top, Bot or even as a Support lane but many players right now plays him as Support even thought he has received some mini rework a year ago. However, he has some weaknesses like damage based on max Health, can be outranged and antiheal can counter him pretty well. From my experience, let me show you everything you need to know and how to play Swain (this guide will focus much in Mid lane that other lanes so keep in mind).
Pros/Cons
Pros

+Strong sustain
+Can gain permament Health from his Ravenous Flock each time he hits champions with his abilities
+Good poke from his Death's Hand
+His Vision of Empire has very large range and can reveal enemies
+Has a good CC with his Nevermove
+Does absolute amazing job in teamfights due to his Demonic Ascension
+Very hard to kill Swain in late game due to his tankiness
+Can be played in many roles
+He has his crows or should I just say "Birds"

Swain has a very strong laning phase against many melees and against short ranged champions if he plays correctly. He has strong sustain and can gain permament Health from enemy champion each time he hits them with Vision of Empire and Nevermove. He is also very tanky, scales well in late game and does really well in teamfights thanks to his Demonic Ascension which he can be transformed as long as he is close to his enemy champions and can activate it to deal massive damage around him. And not to mention, you can see on hte terrain his crows when you get close to terrain and has funny jokes which is cool.
Cons

-Weak early game
-Short ranged champion
-Long ranged champions counters him
-Immobile
-Hard to land his Vision of Empire and Nevermove since it's easy to dodge it
-Antiheal, damage based on max Health and other things counters him
-Weak when behind
-Not many players plays him a lot especially in Mid lane






Unfortunately, Swain has many weaknesses. He is pretty weak early game and his abilities are easy to dodge it. He is a short ranged champion which he is countered by many long ranged champions. He is also immobile and antiheal, any damage that does based on max Health counters him hard and he isn't the best scaling champion in late game as there are many mages that outscales him like Azir, Cassiopeia, Viktor etc. Also, I don't see that many players plays him much even thought he has received mini rework a year ago.
Summoner Spells
FLASH
Flash is the most important spell in the game. It helps you from escaping nasty situations and also for chasing and killing enemies whenever you can't reach them. Always take this every game!
GHOST
Since Swain lacks of mobility, this spell is perfect to have it. It helps you to chase or escape from enemies and since you are short ranged champion, you should defenitely take it in almost every single game when you play in Mid or Bot lane.
TELEPORT
Teleport is very good summoner spell on Swain especially if you play in Top lane. It can be used to teleport on allied towers and it has a 360 seconds of cooldown. After 14 minutes, you can cast on allied minions, wards, towers and other allied constructs and has a 240 seconds of cooldown. Take it when you are playing in Top lane or against some champions where you don't have any kill pressure or if the enemy champion pushes your lane hard.

IGNITE
This is a summoner spell where you wanna play aggressive for having kill pressure against champions who has a weak early game or against a champions that heals a lot such as Sylas, Vladimir etc. It helps you to get an early kill and with your passive Ravenous Flock, you will gain your permament Health faster. If you like to play really aggressive, then Ignite is good to go.

EXHAUST
This spell helps a lot against champions that has burst damage or reliesing on autoattacking a lot such as Yasuo, Yone etc. Having Exhaust makes great 1 vs 1 dueling but you should take this Summoner Spell only if your ADC or Support doesn't have.
CLEANSE
If the enemy team has a lot of CC, then Cleanse is a must have. I usually take against heavy CC mid such as Annie, Lissandra or Zoe. It also removes Ignite damage but not healing reduction so keep in that mind.
HEAL
If you are playing in Bot Lane and your Support doesn't have any healings or you need in general like any other ADC-s. then take Heal. Keep in mind once you have used Heal, you will heal less from other sources for few minutes.
Runes

There are many type of Runes that can Swain use. So I am going to show you first important Rune page and explain every one them then I am going to show you other viable Runes as well:

Keystone

  • Conqueror is the best Keystone Rune for Swain. It scales really well from 20 minutes. Each time you hit an enemy champion, you will gain 1 stack meaning you will gain some Ability Power, After you have reached at maximum 12 stack, you will heal based on how much you have dealt damage to enemy champions. This really combines well with your Demonic Ascension.

Tier 1

  • Presence of Mind increases your mana regeneration when you damage an enemy champion. This helps you to stay in your lane for much longer. When you get a takedown, you will restore 15% of your maximum mana.

Tier 2

  • Legend: Tenacity gives you stack of Tenacity when you get kill on minions, large monsters, epic monster takedown and every champion takedown. This Rune will help you to reduce CC time from enemy champions.

Tier 3

  • Last Stand increases your damage to enemy champions when your Health is low. It's great for Swain as he is hard to kill once you have some healings from your abilities and items.

Tier 1

  • Conditioning gives you free Armor and Magic Resist after 12 minutes plus Armor and Magic Resist by 3% from any sources. This Rune helps you to become very tanky in late game.

Tier 2

  • Overgrowth gives you some permament Health when enemy minion or monster dies nearby you. Once you have absorbed at least 120, you will gain an additional maximum Health. This is great for Swain since it combines well with your Ravenous Flock

For offense take attack speed. It will help you to last hit minions faster and also trade better against your opponent with auto attacks. You can take Adaptive if you want more damage or CDR to reduce your cooldowns on your abilities. For flex take Adaptive. It gives you more AP early. Or you can take either Armor or Magic Resist if you are up against hard matchups. For defense, take Magic Resist against AP matchups or Armor against AD matchups. If you are not sure who is going to be in your lane, then take Health.


There are other Runes for Resolve especially if you are against hard matchups and some assassins or if you need more healings and Tenacity:


Tier 1

  • Second Wind gives you healing when you have been damaged by enemy champion. This effect is increased based on your missing Health. It's good to take against some poke champions that can beat you hard.

Tier 1

  • Bone Plating gives you damage reduction from enemy spells or attacks for few seconds. It's good to take into some burst assassins.

Tier 2

  • Revitalize gives you heal and shield power. The lower your Health is, the more power you gain from heal and shields.

Tier 2

  • Unflinching gives you Tenacity and Slow Resist. This effect is increased based on your missing Health. This Rune is very effective against hard CC team.


There are other viable Runes for Swain. This is Rune Page of Sorcery:

Keystone

  • Phase Rush is another viable Keystone Rune for Swain. Since Swain lacks of mobility, this Rune will help you to chase, escape or even trade your opponent, This Rune should be taken if you are against some mobile champions or if the enemy team has a lot of slows that you can't reach them.

Tier 1

  • Manaflow Band is great for any mages. When fully stacked, you gain permamently 250 bonus mana and passive that restores 1% of missing mana every 5 seconds. Swain can have a little problems with mana early but with this, you whouldn't be worried.

Tier 2

  • Transcendence gives you cooldown reduction upon reaching levels. Having lower cooldowns means you can spam more abilities very often.

Tier 2

  • Gathering Storm is very good on scaling mages such as Swain. It's pretty weak early but later it will become much stronger and you will be able to deal much more damage.


This Rune Page is very underrated on Swain:

Keystone

  • Unsealed Spellbook is a Keystone Rune that you can swap one of your equipped Summoner Spells after 6 minutes in game. Each swap decreases your swap cooldown permamently by 25 seconds. This Keystone Rune is very underrated and many Pro players are using it.

Tier 1


Tier 2

  • Biscuit Delivery gives you free Biscuit every 2 minutes in game until 6 minutes. Consuming or selling increases your mana permamently by 40 each one.

Tier 2

  • Cosmic Insight gives you cooldown reduction from your Summoner Spells and Items which is really good as you can activate earlier than usual.


And finally, this Rune Page is for a Swain Support:

Keystone

  • Electrocute Each 3 abilities or attacks you hit an enemy champion, you will deal bonus damage. It's very good on early game when you are playing as Support.

Tier 1

  • Cheap Shot You will dead True damage on enemy champion with impaired movement or actions. It works well with your Nevermove.

Tier 2

  • Eyeball Collection Each enemy champion takedowns, you collect eyeballs for Ability Power. Once your collection is complete, you will gain an additional Ability Power.

Tier 2

  • Ultimate Hunter gives you permament cooldown on your ultimate on each champion takedown for the first time.
Abilities


Ravenous Flock (Passive)
RANGE: N/A
COST: N/A
COOLDOWN: N/A
INNATE: Swain collects soul fragments from Vision of Empire, Nevermove, and enemy champion deaths. Soul fragments restore 4 / 5.5 / 7 / 9% max health (based on level) and permanently grant Swain 12 max health.

Ravenous Flock (Passive)


Death's Hand (Q)
RANGE: 725
COST: 45/50/55/60/65
COOLDOWN: 7/6/5/4/3
Swain unleashes several bolts of eldritch power that pierce through enemies, dealing 65 / 85 / 105 / 125 / 145 (+40% of ability power) magic damage plus 15 / 25 / 35 / 45 / 55 (+10% of ability power) damage per bolt past the first damage. Enemies hit take more 125 / 185 / 245 / 305 / 365 (+80% of ability power) magic damage for each bolt they are struck by.

Death's Hand (Q)


Vision of Empire (W)
RANGE: 5500/6000/6500/7000/7500
COST: 60/65/70/75/80
COOLDOWN: 22/21/20/19/18
Swain opens a demon eye, revealing a location for 1.5 seconds, then deals 80 / 115 / 150 / 185 / 220 (+55% of ability power) magic damage and slows by 25 / 35 / 45 / 55 / 65% for 2.5 seconds. Champions hit grant Swain a Soul Fragment and are revealed for 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 seconds.

Vision of Empire (W)


Nevermove (E)
RANGE: 850
COST: 50
COOLDOWN: 10
Swain launches a wave of demonic power, dealing 35 / 70 / 105 / 140 / 175 (+25% of ability power) magic damage. The wave then returns, detonating on the first enemy hit dealing 35 / 45 / 55 / 65 / 75 (+25% of ability power) damage and rooting enemies in an area for 1.5 seconds. This ability has a shorter cooldown during Demonic Ascension.

Recast: Swain pulls the rooted champions over 290 units and collects a Soul Fragment from each of them. If the targets would be brought past Swain, they are instead knocked back the excess distance.

Nevermove (E)


Demonic Ascension (R)
RANGE: 650
COST: 100
COOLDOWN: 100/80/60
Swain frees the demon, dealing 20/40/60 (+10% of ability power) magic damage each second and restoring 15/27.5/40 (+18% of ability power) Health per target damaged. His Demonic Energy depletes over time and can be recharged indefinitely by dreaining enemy champions and is fully restored on champions takedowns.

Recast: After 2 seconds, Swain can cast Demonflare which deals 150/225/300 (+60% of ability power) and slows enemies by 60% for 1.5 seconds.

Demonic Ascension (R)
Skill Sequence


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
E
Q
W
Q
Q
R
Q
W
Q
W
R
W
W
E
E
R
E
E

At lvl 1, start with ability Nevermove. It's the most standard starting ability for Swain players. With this start, you will be able to trade your opponent for getting free Health and if your team wants to invade their enemy jungle at start, this ability will help you to catch an enemy. At lvl 2. put point on Death's Hand so you can clear minions easy and for poking your opponent. At lvl 3, put point on Vision of Empire. This ability helps you to reveal some area from large distance and you may have a chance to hit enemy champions to gain some permament Health. From lvl 4, max Death's Hand since it's the main ability to poke, then max Vision of Empire second to increase range, damage and reduce cooldown and finally max Nevermove since this ability has only 10 seconds of cooldown. Always put point at 6, 11 and 16 lvl Demonic Ascension since every player must max his ultimate as soon as possible.
Items

Starting Items:

DORAN'S RING
A standard item for most of the mages such as Swain. It gives you Aility Power, Health and a passive that restores mana when you damage and enemy champion. This is where I start in almost every single game and every player should start too.

TEAR OF THE GODDESS
This is also a good start for Swain especially for those who wants to build early Archangel's Staff. Swain has mana problems early on if he spams a lot and can quickly leave the lane. With this start, you won't have much problems with mana early than usual.

DARK SEAL
If you wanna to snowball or thinking that you have an easy opponent, you can go for this item since it gives you more Ability Power for each takedown and you can later upgrade to Mejai's Soulstealer. Obviously, you should start this only if you think you can really snowball hard or you can buy this Item when first recall.

SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL
If you are planning to rush early Lost Chapter or Catalyst of Aeons and don't wanna waste your gold like Doran's Ring, then this is good start. I prefer to start with this if you can't kill your opponent in lane and you wanna rush your Mythic Item fast.

DORAN'S SHIELD
This is an unusual starting item for Swain. Many players don't build this as a mage or even as an assassin player. This item helps you to give you better sustain especially if you have Rune Second Wind. It's very good starting item to start against some hard poke matchups like Azir, Cassiopeia, Viktor etc. This is an item where you should start into difficult matchups so you can survive your early laning phase.

SPELLTHIEF'S EDGE
If you are playing as a Swain Support, then always start with this Support item. This item gives you gold generation and each time you hit an enemy champions and tower with attacks or abilities, you will gain 20 gold. Once you have earned at least 500 gold, this item will be upgraded into Frostfang.

STEALTH WARD
You must ALWAYS start with Stealth Ward. It reveals surrounding area so you can see on the map if the enemy junglers comes to gank you or if enemy mid laners goes roaming. Later after the enemy or your tower in mid lane is destroyed you can keep it or you can buy Farsight Alteration or Oracle Lens depending what the enemy team comp looks like.


First Recall:

LOST CHAPTER
If you are planning to build Liandry's Torment, then buy Lost Chapter if you have enough gold. It gives nice early powers for any mages.

CATALYST OF AEONS
If you are planning to build Rod of Ages, then buy Catalyst of Aeons. Unlike Lost Chapter, it doesn't give you Ability Power and Ability Haste but it gives you nice Health stats to increase your tankiness a bit.

SEEKER'S ARMGUARD
If you are facing against AD assassins especially against harder matchups, then get it to survive their burst. This will help you to reduce their physical damage.

VERDANT BARRIER
If you are facing against AP burst, then this item will help you to survive. Not many Swain players buys this item but it's actually good against heavy AP team especially if they have tons of CC.

OBLIVION ORB
If you are against some champions that heals a lot, then you can buy this as a first item. It helps you to trade them better and it's good against heavy healing team.

CONTROL WARD
Buy this often when you are going to recall. It will help you to reveal location and invisible wards so you can clean them. This also reveals invisible champions such as Twitch. Put it in the bush near enemy red buff, players often don't see there. As a Support player, you should always buy this at least 1 when recall everytime.


Boots:

SORCERER'S SHOES
Standard boots for Swain. It gives you flat Magic Penetration which is good for Mid game. Buy these boots in almost every single game.

PLATED STEELCAPS
If you are up against AD opponent or if the enemy team deals only physical damage, then these boots are good to buy.

MERCURY'S TREADS
If the enemy team has a lot of CC and deals a lot of magic damage, then these boots are must buy.

BOOTS OF SWIFTNESS
These boots are quite underrated and it's very good against team that has tons of slows. Since Swain lacks of mobility and can be pretty much kited easily, these boots will help you to chase, escape and even going faster into objectives and teamfights as well.

IONIAN BOOTS OF LUCIDITY
Quite good for CDR. With these boots, you will be able to spam your abilities a lot. Also, reduces your cooldown on your Summoner Spells.


Core Items:

LIANDRY'S ANGUISH
This is the 1st Mythic Item choice for Swain. It gives you very good power and you set enemies on fire to deal damage based on their bonus Health. This Mythic Item is very good into tanky team or if you want in general DoT.

ROD OF AGES
This is the 2nt Mythic Item choice for Swain. Unlike Liandry's Torment, it doesn't give you Ability Haste but instead, it gives you really good amount of Health. It also scales slowly into late game each 1 minute up to 10 minutes and also insta lvl up once it's fully scaled. This is considered the best Mythic Item for Swain so you should buy this if the enemy team doesn't have any tanks and you want to scale well in late game.

RYLAI'S CRYSTAL SCEPTER
This item is extremely good on Swain. This is due to your Demonic Ascension which deals AoE damage and you will be able to perma slow your enemies around making them very hard to escape from you. You should buy this as a 3rd or 4th item depending on their enemy team.

ZHONYA'S HOURGLASS
Very good item on Swain especially if you are facing against AD champion especially if they are assassins. This item will save you a lot especially against some ultimates such as Fizz Chum the Waters or Zed's Death Mark. You should activate your Zhonya's Hourglass when your Demonic Ascension is activated and your Health is low so you can bait enemies when they tried their best to kill you.

DEMONIC EMBRACE
A very strong Item on Swain. Not only gives you Ability Power and Health, but also DoT based on their max Health. It's very good combination if you have Liandry's Torment which you can make your enemy tanks useless.

SPIRIT VISAGE
A very poverful Item on Swain which should be yours as a last Item (unless if you play as Support). It isn't offensive Item but this Item gives you really nice defensive stats and also has a passive that increases your healings ans shieldings received by 25%. Once you have that Item, you will heal like a maniac and you will be almost unstoppable in late game.

SHARD OF TRUE ICE
If you are playing as a Support, then always keep this Item in your inventory as you will place your wards a lot. It is a must have on every single Support no matter how longer you will play the game.


Situational Items:


Mythic Items:

HEARTSTEEL
If you want to stack your Health more permamently, then this Mythic Item can make you even more tankier. The more you managed to damage your enemy champions, the more you will deal damage and gain Health. I would take this if you play in Top Lane or if you play ARAM.

JAK'SHO, THE PROTEAN
This Mythic Item will give you nice resistances and you will be able to gain more resistances the more enemy champions are close to you. Like Heartsteel, you should only buy this when you are in Top Lane.

RIFTMAKER
This Myhic Item gives you nice offensive stats and you will be able to deal True damage from Item's passive when your stack is full.


Offensive Items:

MORELLONOMICON
This item is good if their enemy has a lot of healings or if you are facing against healing champions such as Sylas, Vladimir etc. This item now gives Magic Penetration after some changes which makes this item even more stronger against healing champions.

SERAPH'S EMBRACE
This Item is good for those who wants to stack their mana in late game. It combines really well together with Rod of Ages which makes you much more tankier thanks to their passive.

RABADON'S DEATHCAP
The most powerful Item for any mages. If you are really fed and you need more damage in late game, then you can buy this as a last Item. However, it is no need as Swain can still do enough damage without this Item.

VOID STAFF
Very good item for any mages. This Item will help you to ignore their Magic Resist as you will deal even more damage to bruisers or tanks. Consider buying this Item if you feel you don't do damage to their enemies.

BANSHEE'S VEIL
This item grants you a spell shield that blocks champions ability which can help you to avoid some deadly CC. It's not the best Item for Swain however, it can come in handy if you need both damage and Magic Resist.

MEJAI'S SOULSTEALER
If you snowball hard in your lane and your Dark Seal is fully stacked, then you can buy this Item and obliterate your enemy team.

SHADOWFLAME
This item is situational if the enemy team has tons on shields and you want to deal more damage. Not personaly good item but you can go for it if you are building Luden's Tempest.

COSMIC DRIVE
Gives you great Cooldown REduction, Ability Power and Movement Speed and a passive when you deal damage to enemy champions with basic attacks or abilities 3 times, you will gain bonus Movement Speed and AP. It combines really well together if you have Keystone Rune Phase Rush.


Defensive Items:

GARGOYLE STONEPLATE
This Item is very good situational Item on Swain. It gives you nice defensive stats and also increases your resistances when the enemy champions deald damage to you and you can activate to gain a shield. The more Health you have, the more shield you will gain.

FROZEN HEART
A situational Armor Item that can help you if you are against full AD team and can reduce their Attack Speed when you get close to them.

RANDUIN'S OMEN
Good Armor Item especially if the enemy team does ridicilous amount of critical damage. It also has active that you can slow your enemies nearby.

THORNMAIL
This antiheal Armor is very good on tanky champions. It's very effective against champions who has tons of lifesteal and you will have much easier time to deal with.

FORCE OF NATURE
Very strong Magic Resist Item on tanks. It has a passive that when you take damage from enemy champions, you gain stack of Steadfast and at max 6 stack, you will gain bonus Movement Speed and you will take reduce Magic Damage from enemy champions.

ABYSSAL MASK
Another good defensive Item that has passive that reduces enemy champion's Magic Resist and you will gain Magic Resist for each enemy champion is close to you.

VIGILANT WARDSTONE
If you play as Support and you want to your Control Ward's non stop, then this Item will help you to carry Control Ward's.
Early Game
In early game, your goal is to farm as much as you can and trade your opponent well. Depending on matchup, you can either play aggressively, focusing on poking your enemy down and getting much kills as you can or playing passively, focusing on last hitting minions and avoiding trading your opponent especially if you are into some difficult matchups. If you are against melee opponent, your job is to poke him hard. Try to use your Nevermove first, if you manage to hit enemy champion, don't use recast, instead, use Vision of Empire since it has a long cast time when you managed to root your enemy, then use your recast from Nevermove so you can gain your permament Health twice. Some enemies who is very mobile and will always play at maximum distance like any long ranged champions is very difficult to land skillshots so be patients and wait for them to use their abilities on minions or if they are getting to close to you especially if they make a mistake.

Always put Stealth Ward somewhere. Enemy jungler will always come to gank you even if you are not pushing and you are near your tower. If you see that your jungler is fighting the enemy jungler, quickly come to help but make sure that he is winning the fight and he is healthy. If you get a takedown, you will gain strength and you might win your lane. Buy often Control Ward's as it will help you to reveal Stealth Ward's and it will stay permament until it's destroyed. If you are not behind and your opponent isn't ahead, then you can try to roam other lanes or take objectives like Dragon or Rift Herald. If your team has managed to destroy at least one Dragon, you will gain small buff but that doesn't mean you will still win the lane. Keep farming and try to get some kills so you can get your Items faster.
Mid Game
In the Mid game, this is where you become stronger and tankier if not behind. Swain is a naturally tanky mage that usually builds many Health tanky AP Items. This is due to your Ravenous Flock since you gain permament Health and your sustain is much stronger. Always keep an eye on enemy champion's Items. If they have any antiheal Items or any Item that does damage based on max Health, you should be very careful how to deal with them. Swain is really immobile champion without any spell like Ghost and enemy champion will find a way to kite you and prevent your Demonic Ascension to regain your Health and you will eventually go back to human form. When in teamfights, try to focus on immobile champion so you can catch him with Nevermove and ping on the enemy champion so that your allies can kill him.

In the meantime, after you have Mythic Item, your next Items should be completed: Rylai's Crystal Scepter and Zhonya's Hourglass as these Items are very important for Swain. With those Items, you will be able to perma slow your enemies and you will manage to avoid some deadly CC with your Zhonya's Hourglass but make sure to use it on correct time and dont's screw this up. When another teamfight starts, do your best to not get kited. If you miss your Nevermove, you will likely be vulnerable. Some champions has a high mobility and can very easily escape from your Demonic Ascension and other your abilities even with your right build. Fights will happen a lot and you should group and work as a team to win this game. Make sure to always take down objectives such as dragons and place wards in bushes or near at dragon and baron.
Late Game
In the late game, this is where Swain becomes unbelievablely tanky mage champion and possibly one of the tankiest champions from any mages. He still scales pretty well in late game but not like many other scaling mages. You want to always stick with your team and always be prepared for a teamfight and for objective. If your team doesn't have any tanks, then you should go first as you will be able to tank enough damage and your allies will poke them when you go first on engage. Don't retreat like a coward, fight until your death and focus on very most important target who is really fed. If your team needs to claim soul from dragon or you need to take Baron or Elder Dragon, then be always prepared if you are not all behind and your team is almost all dead. If you manage to take any of these objectives, then you will completely destroy their enemy team.

When your team is split pushing, you can either split push with them or zone your enemies while tanking their damage since you are really tanky. Don't throw this whole game for any reason. If you do that, you will start to lose the game and you will completely regreat it. If you are near the end of game and another teamfight starts, be all prepared and focus first on ADC and Support since they will always stick each other. It will be wise to kill a Support especially if that champions has tons of healings and has tons of utility. If your team has managed to kill them both, then you will likely win the teamfight and the game as well. Don't get hard CC-ed and kited and don't let them kill your target who does a lot of damage.

Keep in mind, your Nevermove can interrupt any chanelling abilites such as Katarina's Death Lotus or Nunu & Willump's Absolute Zero. Always pay attention on the map if any of the enemy champions side pushes lanes. If that happens, make sure that one of your allies stops him before he can destroy your Nexus. The less towers you have, the more enemies will have an easier time to side push your lanes. Always play smart, don't throw and you will win the game if you have a lot of patients.
Tips and Tricks

There are many Tips and Tricks for Swain that most new players doesn't know about this and that a lot of Pro players are using it. So I am going to show you a video that will help you a lot (this video is not mine but if you have already watched it or you know from others, then it's up to you):

How to farm and freeze

Farming


Farming is the most important thing in the game. You have to make sure to always last hit minions when they are close to death. Simply use your basic attack to last hit minions. When under your turret, make sure to wait for your turret to hit them before last hitting them. Don't always use your abilities to hit minions unless if you are going to clear them fast. Always last hit Large Cannon minion as they give much gold and more experience.


What does freezing mean?


Freezing is a technique that lets you deny your opponent exp and cs. Freezing a lane means that you kite/tank the minions without letting your tower hit the creeps. Always make sure that enemy minions beats yours. If you are keep doing this, you are completely safe from ganks while your opponent will be afraid of ganks and will eventually lost a lot of exp and cs.

I do not recommended to freeze against harder matchups unless if you are very far ahead. If you want to freeze, make sure the enemy pushed you under the tower. In this way, enemy will be vulnerable to ganks. Freezing will force the enemy laner to overextend for farm and will keep you safe since you will be close to the turret. The downside is that you won't be applying any pressure, leaving your opponent free to roam. If you are very far ahead and you are freezing by not pushing, enemy will be in your kill range and he will loss a lot of exp and cs leaving him behind. This is a great way to snowball to lead unless if you have other objectives such as dragons, towers etc.
Warding in every role

Warding in League of Legends is incredibly important for every role and every game you play. It is a necessity for everyone to know when to ward, where to ward and how to become better at warding.

Without any vision control, you will find it difficult to survive the early game, win the mid game and close out the late game. When you understand the fundamentals of warding and how you can use it to your advantage, it can really help you win more.

Every player has to start (unless if they play as a jungler) with Stealth Ward. This ward is very important to reveal small area around. You can either place it if you think the enemy team is going to invade or you can place it later once around 3 minutes. Once you have first recall, you should buy at least 1 or 2 Control Wards. This ward will always stay until it's destroyed and it will reveal any invicible units and Stealth Wards as well. I have added wards in this new Mobafire map and you can see notes by using your mouse on Ward Icons and you will see other Maps with every role as well:

This is the 1st Map on Mid Lane:



This is the 2nd Map on Top lane:



And this is the 3rd Map where you will play either as ADC or as Support. As a Suppor make sure to always buy Control Wards everytime when you recall:

Roaming (Mid lane)

Roaming is very impactful for a mid laner because it is the center lane on the map. You are always a threat to help out top or bot lane. Mid laners are also usually the closest to their jungler, and as such can make plays on the map together.

It is important to first tend to your minion wave before you roam. Ideally, you will get the minion wave pushed into the enemy turret and then look to roam. You can still roam if you clear the minion wave after the enemy mid clears theirs, but you will have lost tempo on your map movement.

You also need to be aware of the situation on the map you are moving toward. Your allies should have enough health and mana to support you in your gank. It is also helpful if your allies can communicate to you what summoner spells the enemies still have available.

You must be sure that you have a safe path to the lane you want to roam on. The enemy jungler can block your path if you do not have sufficient wards or information on the junglers whereabouts.

Every champion in Mid lane can roam even those who is immobile. As a Swain player, he isn't the best chmpion at roaming. You can do it if you have pushed your wave and your Bot lane is being punished. Make sure that you are healthy enough and you have a lot of mana to use your abilities. If the enemy Bot lane is retreating and you are going to roam, that means they know you are going to help your Bot lane because the enemy player must have placed their wards somewhere. In other words, let me show you which way is the best to roam (I drawed this myself. The white is simple way to roam, the blue when you are on the blue side and the red when you are on the red side. It maybe looks it hard to see lines but that is how it is. Don't blame me for this. I thin I will draw better agains soon. XD):



White Lines: This is the simple way to roam. Going on the river and roaming either on Bot or Top way is the fastest way to roam.

Blue Lines: If you are on the blue side, there are some ways to roam. If you are planning to roam on Bot lane, you can do it by going on river, then heading near Blue buff on the red side and then going into bushes. Once you reach there and if the enemy Bot lane is near their tower, you can come to help your Bot lane to get the kills. If you are going on Top lane, first go to riven then go between the baron and Red buff on the red side and then go in the bushes. Be prepared if the enemy doesn't know you are there so you can help your Top laner to get the kill.

Red Lines: If you are on the red side, if you are going to roam on Bot lane, you can go between Red buff on the blue side and dragon and once you reach in the bushes, be quick to get there or else the enemy will retreat near the tower. Or if they are near their tower and they are low, you can try to get the kills. If going on Top lane, first go to the river and then go left where is there near blue buff on the blue side and then head to the bushes. Once you have reached there, if the enemy is completely low, help your Top laner to kill the enemy.
Playing from behind

So everybody is asking what to do when your enemy is ahead and you are behind. Well, if you are behind, don't worry about it, the game isn't just over yet and it isn't so early to surrender. Keep your mental up. Playing from behind is something you got to learn. This extends to both in lane and out of lane gameplay. If your team is ahead and you're behind, then there is a high chance to win the game. For example, if Bot lane is very ahead and they have destroyed their enemy tower, they will likely to be fed and the enemy team will try hard to destroy them so just pray if they are good players. If you and all your team is behind, then there is a very little chance to comeback as it will be very hard to stop them unless if the enemy is completely throwing the game.


Your general focus should be on farming and avoiding fights. Also avoid roaming and utilize lane wards so you can warn your team when your opponent goes somewhere. Do not follow their roams. Even if you do get there in time, your impact will be severely limited due to being behind. Also, build defensive items to survive if you are behind. This will help you to prevent them to busrt you down quickly. It will not work every single game but at least it will give you a bit advantage.


As a Swain player, it is difficult to come back when behind. He is very immobile and can be easily kited since he struggles against long ranged champions and some mobile champions counters him as well. I had often bad games when I messed up or when the enemies from other lanes camps my lane and there was nothing I could do even if I ward somewhere properly. League of Legends is just a game and there is no reason to be angry. If you keep being toxic in game, you will be much worse in the future games and you won't probably climb up high in Ranked games. And besides, you cannot win every single game even if you are doing your best. Sometimes, the enemy team is just plays better than you so you just have to accept it. It's just a game.
Matchups in Mid lane

Swain has a lot of decent and good matchups especially against some melee and short ranged champions if you play correctly. However, he struggles against long ranged champion who can completely outranged him and some very mobile champions where you will have a hard time to land your skillshots. I am going to show you every matchup in every role. I will first do in Mid lane and explain every champion how to deal with, then in Top lane, after that in Bot lane and lastly as Support. Keep in mind that these matchups are in my opinion which of them are easy to deal with and which of them are hard to deal with so you will be able to see difficulties just like my other guides (I will not add starting Items in Top lane, Bot lane and as Support as you will always start with Doran's Ring and with Spellthief's Edge when played as Support):


Difficulty: Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard or Very Hard

Recommended Runes: This will describe which runes you should use against champions. Some of the champions will have 2 or even more options but it's up to you which you will use

Which Summoner Spell you should use: This will describe what summoner spell you should use before the game starts

Which Item you should start: This will describe what item you should buy first when the game starts

Which Rune Keystone they use: This will describe which rune keystone are they using

Which Summoner Spell they use: This will describe which summoner spell are they using (I will not put Flash as a main summoner spell on matchups since everyone is using it so I will just add only what secondary summoner spell are they using). However, some players will use both summoner spells like Ignite and Teleport instead of Flash for killing pressure

Which Item do they start: This will describe which item have they started with

Their usual full build: This will describe what players have their full build when they have bought items (This is just in my opinion. Many players have their different full build what do they like or what is strong in the current meta)

I added a quick matchup tier list so you can see every champion what I added in each difficulty that there are in my opinion but every player have their opinions as well. Just like mentioned earlier, these matchup difficulties and other things from every lane are in my opinion:



AHRI

AKALI

AKSHAN

ANIVIA

ANNIE

AURELION SOL

AZIR

BRAND

CASSIOPEIA

CHO'GATH

CORKI

DIANA

EKKO

FIZZ

GALIO

GANGPLANK

GRAGAS

GRAVES

HEIMERDINGER

IRELIA

JAYCE

KARMA

KARTHUS

KASSADIN

KATARINA

KAYLE

KENNEN

KOG'MAW

LEBLANC

LISSANDRA

LUCIAN

LULU

LUX

MALPHITE

MALZAHAR

MORDEKAISER

MORGANA

NAAFIRI

NEEKO

ORIANNA

PANTHEON

PYKE

QIYANA

RUMBLE

RYZE

SERAPHINE

SWAIN

SYLAS

SYNDRA

TALIYAH

TALON

TRISTANA

TRYNDAMERE

TWISTED FATE

TWITCH

VARUS

VEIGAR

VEL'KOZ

VEX

VIKTOR

VLADIMIR

XERATH

YASUO

YONE

ZAC

ZED

ZIGGS

ZILEAN

ZOE

ZYRA
Matchups in Top lane

This chapter will show you all possible matchups for Top lane. Keep in mind I will not add starting Items or some other things like I added in Mid lane:



AATROX

AKALI

AKSHAN

CAMILLE

CASSIOPEIA

CHO'GATH

DARIUS

DR. MUNDO

FIORA

GANGPLANK

GAREN

GNAR

GRAGAS

GRAVES

GWEN

HEIMERDINGER

ILLAOI

IRELIA

JAX

JAYCE

K'SANTE

KALISTA

KARMA

KAYLE

KAYN

KENNEN

KLED

LILLIA

LUCIAN

MALPHITE

MAOKAI

MORDEKAISER

NASUS

NEEKO

OLAF

ORNN

PANTHEON

POPPY

QUINN

RENEKTON

RENGAR

RIVEN

RUMBLE

RYZE

SEJUANI

SETT

SHEN

SHYVANA

SINGED

SION

SKARNER

SYLAS

TAHM KENCH

TEEMO

TRUNDLE

TRYNDAMERE

UDYR

URGOT

VAYNE

VIEGO

VLADIMIR

VOLIBEAR

WARWICK

WUKONG

YASUO

YONE

YORICK

ZAC
Matchups in Bot lane

Just like other lanes, you will see all possible matchups against ADC champions:



APHELIOS

ASHE

BRAND

CAITLYN

CASSIOPEIA

DRAVEN

EZREAL

JHIN

JINX

KAI'SA

KALISTA

KARTHUS

KOG'MAW

LUCIAN

MISS FORTUNE

NILAH

SAMIRA

SENNA

SERAPHINE

SIVIR

TRISTANA

TWITCH

VARUS

VAYNE

VEIGAR

XAYAH

YASUO

ZERI

ZIGGS
Matchups as Support

And finally, these are all possible Support Matchups (I will just only add for only enemy Supports which Rune Keystone, Summoner Spells do they use and which Item do they start). Some of them can appear really rare. Some players can play any champion as Support but those you see I added, there won't be probably new in future as there is no point:



ALISTAR

AMUMU

ANIVIA

ANNIE

ASHE

BARD

BLITZCRANK

BRAND

BRAUM

FIDDLESTICKS

GALIO

HEIMERDINGER

JANNA

KARMA

LEBLANC

LEONA

LULU

LUX

MAOKAI

MILIO

MISS FORTUNE

MORGANA

NAMI

NAUTILUS

NEEKO

PANTHEON

PYKE

RAKAN

RELL

RENATA GLASC

SENNA

SERAPHINE

SETT

SHACO

SONA

SORAKA

TAHM KENCH

TARIC

THRESH

TWITCH

VEIGAR

VEL'KOZ

VEX

XERATH

YUUMI

ZAC

ZIGGS

ZILEAN

ZOE

ZYRA
Synergies with Support as Swain Bot

There are many champions that synergies well with Swain. However, I've decided to do synergy with Supports as a Bot laner and after that, synergy with ADC-s as a Swain Support. I will first add synergies with every possible Supports and explaining them a bit why they are good or why not.

Good
Alistar is perhaps one of the best tank Support that has the best engage in game. He will be able to tank a lot of damage from enemies, can heal from his passive Triumphant Roar and has tons of knock ups from his Pulverize and Headbutt. He can also ignore CC with his Unbreakable Will and will take reduced damage. The downsides is that he can be easily punished and True damage is very good against him. He synergies OK with Swain as you can catch enemy with Nevermove and he will be able to knock your enemy and knock him under your tower.

Strong
Amumu has been seen played quite a lot as Support. He is tanky, has a strong CC with Bandage Toss and his ultimate Curse of the Sad Mummy is perhaps one of the best CC ultimates in the game. He synergies well with Swain as you can easily catch enemy with []nevermove]] if Amumu hits an enemy with Bandage Toss and post 6, their ultimates are very deadly in teamfights.

Strong
Yea, this may be funny but Anivia Support is a thing. She can perma zone enemies with Flash Frost and deal a lot of damage with Frostbite. She can aslo block enemy path with Crystallize and once she is lvl 6, she can perma push with Glacial Storm. And not to mention, her egg passive Rebirth can revive her again if she isn't destroyed. Overall, Anivia Support is ridicilous strong and if you play together with her, you can be both strong if you play right.

Bad
In general, I really don't like to have Annie as Support. She has a good CC from her passive and good damage, but she is too squishy and can be heavily outranged. In my opinion, it's not good Support to have with Swain.

Bad
Ashe Support has been nerfed recently and now she is much playlable as an ADC (thank god, I really hate Support Ashe). And honestly, I don't like to have Ashe Support in my team. Yes, she has a lot of slows, high stun duration from her ultimate but she is super immobile and can be easily focused in teamfights and be killed. This is why she is bad Support now with Swain.

Bad
Bard is good roaming Support that has good CC, healings and his ultimate can make everyone invulnerable including towers. However, it is bad to have with Swain as he will just non stop roam and he will almost never be in your lane as you will be punished a lot of time and force to lose your tower.

Strong
Blitzcrank is great synergy with Swain. He is one of the best inviding champions due to his Rocket Grab. If he manages to grab someone, that target is dead. Also, he is quite tanky, has knock up from his Power Fist and his ultimate Static Field has such chort cooldown and does good amount of damage. Swain and Blitzcrank do work well together as they have really good amount of CC and they are both tanky.

Good
Brand has a huge damage potential and a good stun from his Sear. His ultimate Pyroclasm can bounce enemies to enemies and does really well into tanks. However, he is squishy and immobile and the enemy team will likely buy a lot of Magic Resist Items to counter your burst.

Good
Tanky, has a lot of CC and can block enemy projectiles with Unbreakable. He isn't popular Support right now and certainly, he isn't the best combo with Swain.

Very Bad
I like to have Fiddlesticks as a Jungler, but having him as Support, not a chance. In lane, he is super squishy and his abilities can be easily interrupted and cleansed. Many Fiddelsticks player will roam making your lane insta lose. If Support player wants to play Fiddlesticks as Support, tell him to play other normal Support.

Good
Tanky, can taunt enemies with Shield of Durand, can knock enemies with Justice Punch and can come from large distance with Hero's Entrance. The downsides is that he can be easily punished if he misses his abilities and doesn't do well against full AD team.

Strong
Heimerdinger helps you to prevent enemies pushing their lane thanks to his Turrets. He can zone enemies really well and it's very hard to get close to him and you. However, if he ever makes any mistake, that means insta dead for him. Overall, really good and ridicilous strong Support to have.

Strong
Janna has a strong CC, shield that can negate damage with Eye of the Storm and her ultimate Monsoon can knock enemies away and heal your allies. With her, you will have an easier time to catch your enemies with your abilities and engage them since she gives free Movement Speed from her passive.

Strong
Very strong Support laner. She has a great poke from her Inner Flame, can root enemy with Focused Resolve and can give shield with Inspire. Not to mention, she has free ultimate in the beggining which makes her really strong early game champion. Great to have her together with Swain.

Bad
It's really bad to have her as Support. I don't know why some players plays her as Support. She can do a lot of damage in early game but she will quickly fall off if you don't get ahead early. And the enemy players will build a lot of Magic Resist Items and she will be pretty much useless later on.

Strong
Very tanky Support that can engage really well and can tank a lot of damage due to her Eclipse. She has a very strong Solar Flare that can stun in center and Swain can easily engage them to get a kill. Really lovely Support.

Strong
Lulu has a great poke from her Glitterlance, can give buffs to allies or debuffs to enemies with Whimsy and can give shield to allies with Help, Pix!. Her ultimate Wild Growth gives huge Health buff and can knock up enemies nearby which is very good for Swain. Very good Support to have.

Good
Lux has a strong poke, good CC from Light Binding and can give small shield to allies. The downides is she is very squishy and missing her abilities can make lose the lane or even the game.

Very Strong
Maokai synergies extremely well with Swain. Not only he is very tanky but also he has tons of CC that can Swain easily catch enemies since you both have root abilities. His Sapling Toss is one of the most annoying abilities in the game and does ridicilous amount of damage especially if they are inside the bushes. His ultimate Nature's Grasp is one of the best teamfighting abilities in the game and you will manage to engage on them with your abilities. In my opinion, they are the best duo to have in Bot Lane.

Strong
The new Support has arrive and he now became so frustrating to play against and many player right now ban him in draft modes. He has a lot of utility, healings, shields, CC and his ultimate Breath of Life can remove any CC even suppression. He can make your lane really happy if he plays well.

Very Bad
Yes, I had few games with her and even when I have played other ADC-s as well and I found out that this is the worst Support to have it. So don't even think about it playing with her. Either tell him to play other normal Support ot dodge the game.

Strong
Has a strong gank setup with Dark Binding, can ignore any CC with Black Shield and does a lot of damage. She ca definitely help you to win lane especially if the enemy Support has strong CC which Morgana can counter it.

Strong
Strong poke, strong CC, great healings and her ultimate Tidal Wave is the best in lane and in teamfights. She is fairly squishy so be careful how you will play in lane with your Support.

Strong
Very tanky, can catch enemy with Dredge Line, has a shield, slow and can knock up enemies with Depth Charge. Just like other tanky Supports, it's great to have him when you play Swain.

Very Bad
No one plays her as Support. Probably only who mains her. So don't play her together if she insta lock Neeko Support.

Good
Very strong lane bully that has good CC with Shield Vault and can block damage with Aegis Assault. He can also roam well with Grand Starfall or even come to your lane fast. Good to have him but the downsides he can be somehow easily punished and doesn't scale well in late game.

Very Strong
Another very strong Support to have. He can like other Supports, can invade with Bone Skewer, can roam a lot, has good CC, deals a lot of damage in the early/mid game and can execute low Health champions with Death from Below. Not to mention, he gives free gold to his allies whenever he gets enough kills with his ultimate. Very strong Support to have to dominate your lane but the downsides is he is squishy and falls off hard in late game.

Strong
Strong Support. Has a free shield from his passive, can easily engage and knock up enemies with Grand Entrance, can jump to allies to give them shield with Battle Dance and his ultimate The Quickness gives him bonus Movement Speed and can charm enemies.

Strong
Pretty underrated Support to have. She is quite tanky and has tons of CC that can make enemy team suffer if played well.

Strong
Amazing Support. She can pull enemy with Handshake, can give ally buff from Bailout and also saving them from death if they get takedown and has a good poke and shield from Loyalty Program. Her ultimate Hostile Takeover is very deadly and can make enemies go beserk.

Very Strong
I think Senna is very strong Support with Swain as she builds AD items and scales extremely well in late game. Altough, she is squishy and weak early, she must play carefuly to win the lane. She has strong poke and heal, can root enemies with Last Embrace, can make your team into the wraith and her ultimate Dawning Shadow can heal, deal damage and has unlimited range.

Strong
Has a very strong annoying poke, can give shield and haste and her ultimate can charm enemies if she manages to hit. I usually hate this champion in general but it's very good to have her as Support.

Very Bad
Sett in general is very bad as Support. He has no gap closer, he is easily kited and missing his pull can make him easily punished. Once again, very bad Support.

Good
One of the most hated champions in the game. This clown can be played in every role. No joke. But as Support, he can place his boxes to fear enemies and can avoid many abilities with Deceive. His ultimate Hallucinate will give him clone that can explode and spawn small boxes to fear. Depends how Shaco plays, it can be either good or bad.

Strong
Good poke, good heal and has strong CC ultimate which make enemies dance. She is quite squishy and one mistake she makes, she is dead.

Very Strong
One of the easiest Supports to play and have her in team. She has tons of healings, can poke hard and can silence and root enemies with Equinox. Her ultimate is one of the best healings abilities in the game which she can heal every your ally. She is very strong with Swain because she can just heal you over and over and follow you behind when you engage on the enemy team.

Strong
Tanky, has strong shield, can knock up enemies with Abyssal Dive and can either save ally or catch enemy champion with Devour. Strong Support but he isn't played much as Support.

Very Bad
Taric in general is not good Support with AP champions as he is only good with AD champions. Don't pick Swain if you see Taric Support.

Strong
Like many tanky Supports, Thresh can catch enemy with Death Sentence, can give lantern to pull you back, has tons of CC especially from his The Box. Very good Support.

Very Bad
I really don't understand why everyone plays this disgusting champion in every role. I really hate to have Twitch as Support and I must admit it's very bad because he will just roam and he will never come to your lane. He will just make your lane lost and probably lose the game. This is why I hate it and why he is very bad.

Bad
He is just too immobile, squishy and his only CC is from his Event Horizon. Doesn't have any utility but at least he can deal damage especially in late game.

Good
He has strong long ranged pokes, good knock up CC and can deal True damage from his passive. Overall, not really great to have him since he is very squishy and immobile.

Very Bad
She isn't good at Support. She only does well in Mid lane. That's it. I am not going to add anymore since almost no one plays her as Support.

Good
Just like Vel'Koz, has good long ranged pokes and can use his ultimate from very large distance. Overall, not great Support.

Very Strong
She was used to be one of the most frustrated champions to play against. But now she has receive rework and she isn't strong right now. However in my opinion, she does really well togehter with Swain as she can be avoided getting poked since she will just hop on you all day and spam her abilities on enemies and heal you and give buffs. In late game, you will dominate in teamfights if you are not behind as you both have insane healings.

Good
Usually, Zac has been seen played as Support. He is tanky, hard to kill due to his passive from his Cell Division and has tons of CC. His ultimate Let's Bounce! is super strong in teamfights and can make enemy team hell. The downsides for him is that he can be easily punished and any anitheal and damage based on max Health counters him hard.

Bad
Ziggs as Support is bad to have him. He might have a good long ranged pokes from his abilities but he will eventually run out of mana quickly early. Also, enemy players will build more Magic Resist Items early and you won't be able to do much damage later on.

Strong
Can drop bombs to enemies, can buff or debuff Movement Speed and can give another life chance with Chronoshift. Weak early but scales well in late game and he can make you very happy in teamfights.

Very Bad
Please, for the love of God, don't play together with Zoe Support. Just don't!

Strong
She can help you to push your lane thanks to her plants, can root enemies and does a lot of damage once she has completed Mythic Item. Her ultimate Stranglethorns can knock up enemies making her good teamfighter. Strong Support but squishy and immobile.
Synergies with ADC as Swain Support

Now this will show you which ADC is the best and which is the worst to play with as Swain Support. Just like from above, you will see explainations.

Bad
Aphelios is perhaps one of the most difficult ADC to play with. He does scales well in late game but the huge problem is that many players doesn't know how to play him and a lot of players makes a lot of mistakes. This is why I don't like to have him as ADC.

Very Strong
Ashe is finally being played as ADC and she work really well with Swain. Her slows can help you to catch your enemies and her ultimate has a very strong gank setup and has large CC duration based how long travels. She also scales well in late game and can kite enemies hard. With her together, you can definitely win the lane if you play right.

Good
Brand is usually played as ADC instead in Mid lane since he has a lot of counter due to his immobility. He does a lot of damage and his DoT is really disgusting once he gets few items. Not the best duo to have since enemies will play smart and buy a lot of Magic Resist Items.

Strong
Caitlyn is a lane bully with her highest auto attack range in the early game. She can easily punish most ADC players, can place her Yordle Snap Trap and can finish off low Health player with Ace in the Hole. Really good synergy since you both have root abilities and you can zone off enemies.

Strong
She is rarely played in Bot lane but she is very strong especially once she gets few Items. If she manages to hit her with Noxious Blast, she can easily engage and possibly kill the target. Her only weakness is long ranged champions.

Good
Strong lane bully that can dominate lane hard if played right. However, if he doesn't snowball or he doesn't know how to catch axes, the lane might be over for both of you.

Good
Can always keep distance and poke enemies with Mystic Shot. Can also escape or engage with Arcane Shift and can often get kills from his Trueshot Barrage. Depends how he play, it can be good or bad to have him.

Strong
Very good ADC that can easily poke out enemies and can place his Captive Audience. His ultimate Curtain Call is very deadly and can just shot from far away.

Strong
Can clear minions fast with Switcheroo!, can root enemies with Flame Chompers! and can often get kills with Super Mega Death Rocket!. She scales extremely well in late game and they do well together as you can engage on enemies first and she can poke from large distance.

Strong
Good poke, mobility and scale really well in late game. She has no CC and can be easily bullied in lane. Overall, great ADC.

Good
High mobility, can reveal some area with Sentinel and her ultimate can teleport you to knock their enemies. Good ADC but not the best.

Good
Can farm from distance, can deal damage who is nearby and he can just press R to deal damage to all enemies. The downsides is that if you play duo, enemies will stack a lot of Magic Resist Items.

Bad
He is very immobile and very weak early and doesn't have any hard CC. If you fall behind, you will likely lose the game. You don't offer him much in early game. Bad ADC to have him.

Good
Very strong lane bully if he plays right. However, he has no CC, doesn't scale well in late game and can be easily outranged. Overall, you can still dominate your lane early if played correctly.

Strong
She is a lane bully that she can destroy almost any ADC if played right. She has a lot of slows and her ultimate Bullet Time does disgusting amount of damage whoever is inside of her range. If you both dominate the lane, you can snowball hard.

Strong
Very mobile and strong engage. She can give you more exp in lane and her Jubilant Veil can make both of you invulnerable to auto attacks or even avoid some attacks that applies on hit. And her ultimate Apotheosis is such strong ability that can make players cry. If you both dominate your lane, you can both carry the game.

Strong
Very powerful ADC that can go either ranged or melee. She can block projectiles with Blade Whirl and her ultimate Inferno Trigger does stupid amount of damage which she can cast every 5 seconds if she gets an S rank from her passive Daredevil Impulse. This duo works well as you both have insane healings and AoE damage.

Bad
It's bad to have Senna as ADC because she will gain much less souls from his passive as she gains more when enemy champions last hits it. I wouldn't go Swain if Senna goes ADC since she is also weak and very squishy.

Bad
She is maybe good at ADC but she doesn't to well with Swain Support since the enemies will buy a lot of Magic Resist and dominate the game.

Good
She can push hard, can block some abilities with Spell Shield and scales well in late game. However, she has no CC and a lot of ADC can counter her hard.

Very Strong
She is extremely strong champion right now and works really well with Swain. She can easily engage with Rocket Jump if you manage to root enemy champion and get a kill. If she gets few kills, she will start to snowball and carry the game. Not to mention, she also pushes hard thanks to her Explosive Charge which she can also use it on towers. Extremely good ADC to have her right now.

Very Bad
I found this to be very bad. Twitch has no mobility, he is weak early and many ADC who can engage on him can make him suffer which he cannot lane anymore. I suggest to pick other strong Support who works well with Twitch.

Good
Can poke from distance and can root enemies with Chain of Corruption. He is very immobile and can be easily killed. Not very strong champion to play with.

Strong
Weak early but she gets extreme powerspike once she is lvl 6. You should both play carefully until you are lvl 6 and after that, you can dominate the lane and carry the game. Quite good duo to play in Bot lane.

Good
He can farm from safe distance and his cage has a very long stun duration. However, he is very squishy and immobile and a lot of players will buy a lot of Magic Resist Items to counter you both.

Strong
Has good pokes from her feathers and can avoid some deadly abilities with her Featherstorm. Good ADC to have her.

Good
Depends how Yasuo plays it can be really bad or really good player. He is very mobile and can block enemy projectiles with Wind Wall. He can activate Last Breath if you pull enemies with your Nevermove which it does work.

Good
Good infinite poke, very mobile and scaling. If you survive your early laning phase, you can carry the game.

Good
Can poke from distance, can place mines and also pushes really hard. He can destroy low HP tower with Satchel Charge. The downsides is that his abilities can be easily avoided and players will buy a lot of Magic Resist Items against both of you.
What to ban?

There are a lot of good champion to ban if you are going to play Swain. I am going to show you which champions you should ban in every role and explaining them why is good to ban:


Mid Lane:

Cassiopeia
She is an extremely hard matchup for Swain. You can't trade against her because if you do, she will outtrade you and kite you good. You are very immobile and she gains bonus Movement Speed from her abilities and can just perma slow preventing you from escaping. Not to mention, she can completely negate your healings which makes you complete hell. Only way to win against her is a lot of help from your jungle. This is why she is very good champion to ban her.

Sylas
If you don't permaban this prisoner, the he will be just happy as ever because even if he is played as a Jungler, your Ultimate is very good for him as he can just steal it to destroy your entire team and he will be almost unkillable. In lane, he can completely dominate you and you can't do much against him. This is why he is a good permaban.

Viktor
His trades are much better than you even in the early game. He completely outranges you and if you ever engage on him even if you root him, he will place his trap and keep kiting you before you can do anything back. He also scales much better than you no matter how tanky you are. Many long ranged champions counters Swain and there are many good champions to ban them but Viktor is just better champion to ban.


Top Lane:

Aatrox
Aatrox is a lane bully that can dominate almost every single champion in Top lane. He is very good against immobile champions and Swain is one of them. It's very hard to dodge his skillshots and he can just make you recall everytime when you are close to death or even die. He also has tons of lifesteal making him really difficult to kill especially post 6. You don't like to face this Darkin? Then ban him.

Irelia
Very broken champion. Either in Top or Mid lane, she can dominate you and it's very hard to land skillshots because she is so mobile that she can spam her abilties non stop. If she manages to freeze your lane, you cannot play the game. This is why some Pro players bans her to avoid her.

Kled
Not really popular champion right now but he can absolutely dominate your lane if he plays right. He will just engage on you and even tower dive you if he has his pet up. It's also very hard to kill even when he is on foot as he can just regain his pet again and gain eve more power. He is very less banned in Top lane but feel free to ban him if you don't like him.


Bot Lane:

Caitlyn
Outranges you, outpokes you and you can never engage on her because she will just use her abilities to escape and keep kiting you. What's worse is that if she has strong Support that increases her range, you will suffer a lot. This is why she is a good ban as Swain struggles against long ranged pokes.

Vayne
Vayne is very good against champions who stacks a lot of Health and Swain is one of them. She is weak early but she gets powerspike after lvl 6 and it's hard to land your skillshots due to her mobility. You will never be able to fight her 1 vs 1 even if you are fed as she can always come back to game. This is why she is good and must ban when you play Swain Bot.


Support Lane:

Morgana
She is very frustrating to play against her. She can easily trap you with root and can ignore your CC with her Black Shield. She can also stun your enemies with her ultimate. A lot of players still ban her due to her distusting abilities so you can still ban her if you hate her.

Soraka
Very disgusting champion to play against. She just heals, heals, heals and heals and you will eventually run out of mana. She has just better sustain than you and can heal every her allies with her ultimate. This is why she should be permabanned when you play Swain as Support.
Conclusion

And that's it. That's the end of the my guide. I hope this guide will help you a lot and make your games much better with Swain. If you got any questions, feel free to ask me anything. Sorry if my English grammar is bad, I am not great at all and I do a lot of mistakes but it happens to everyone. Once again, thank you and if you want, you can add your comments. It would be nice. :)

I also created other guides as well so check it out if you wanna play with them:

Download the Porofessor App for Windows

League of Legends Champions:

Teamfight Tactics Guide