The full rework of the League of Legends champion Swain has officially been revealed with the Noxian ruler getting a fresh new kit and some soul-stealing magic.
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Following the teaser video that was released recently showing Swain standing on a balcony overlooking Noxus, the release of his kit seemed imminent. With the new PBE cycle about to begin, Swain’s almost ready for PBE players to finally test the champion’s new kit that includes several new abilities while keeping some old effects. Previously referred to as a master tactician, Riot Games decided to focus more on the battlemage aspect of the champion instead of the tactician description with Swain now fully ready to take control of his team and h is opponents at the frontline.
“Swain is the visionary ruler of the Noxian empire, commanding its warhosts from the front lines,” a brief lore description of Swain reads. “Though he was crippled in the Ionian wars, Swain seized control of Noxus with ruthless determination and a new, demonic hand. Now, the Grand General marches against a coming darkness that only he can see.”
Passive: RAVENOUS FLOCK
- Ravenous: Swain can periodically right-click any nearby immobilized enemy champion to rip out a Soul Fragment, damaging and pulling them toward him.
- Flock: Enemy champions leave behind a Soul Fragment when they die. Shadowy ravens scavenge nearby Soul Fragments, healing Swain for a portion of his maximum health. Swain can store several fragments at once.
Swain’s previous passive didn’t allow for a great deal of interaction with his opponents seeing how it only restored a bit of mana whenever he killed an enemy or a structure, but his new passive, Ravenous Flock, changes that entirely. The champion now has a soul mechanic where he collects a resource from his fallen or disable enemies, much like Kayn or Thresh would in battles. He uses this to both restore health and stay in the fight as well as a form of fuel for his ultimate ability. It’s also worth noting that he pulls his enemies forward whenever he rips a Soul Fragment out of a living champ, an extra form of CC that’ll help him set up the rest of his abilities.
Q: DEATH’S HAND
- Swain unleashes several bolts of eldritch power in front of him, each damaging the first enemy struck. Enemies can intercept multiple bolts, but only take full damage from the first. Bolts pierce through units they kill, restoring a portion of Swain’s mana.
Say goodbye to Swain’s pet Raven, Beatrice, being used on his “Q,” and say hello to some Sith lightning that shoots from Swain’s new demonic hand. The “eldritch power” that Swain emanates shoots out in a cone in front of him that looks to be about the size and range of Talon’s “W,” though these bolts will stop at the first enemy hit. If it kills them, however, it’ll pierce through that enemy. The size and piercing effect of this move makes it seems as though it’ll be Swain’s go-to move for clearing waves and harassing enemy champions.
W: VISION OF EMPIRE
- Swain opens a demonic eye at a target location, damaging and slowing all enemies in the area after a moderate delay.
- Vision of Empire deals extra damage to champions caught in the explosion, reveals them, and grants Swain a Soul Fragment for each champion hit.
This move may look like the start of Swain’s old “W,” Nevermove, but you’ll notice that it has a few different changes, one of the most notable ones being its range. It reveals enemies from a great distance, damages them and slows them while also giving Swain a Soul Fragment to add to his resource pool. The range on this ability means that even though Swain might not have been an excellent roamer before due to his limited mobility, his threat on the side lanes has been increased thanks to some long-distance CC.
E: NEVERMOVE
- Swain projects his demonic hand forward, damaging all enemies in its path. The hand returns to Swain and explodes on the first enemy hit, damaging and rooting all enemies caught in the blast.
Swain’s Nevermove ability does return in his new kit though, but it’ll operate differently than it did before. It now makes use of his new demonic hand that he’s equipped with by projecting the appendage forward and damaging every enemy that it hits before returning to him. Once it begins its return, it’ll root the first enemy hit and those caught in the blast. It’s still a root though and not a full-on stun, an important detail to note when your immobilized opponents try to fight back. By combining this ability with his Death’s Hand and Vision of Empire abilities, Swain has a reliable CC chain that prepares him for the use of his final ultimate ability.
R: DEMONIC ASCENSION
- Swain gains a large amount of health on-cast and drains life from several nearby enemies (prioritizing champions) for an extended duration.
- When Demonic Ascension ends, Swain consumes his Soul Fragments to cast Demonflare, a nova of energy that damages the closest enemies around him. Demonflare’s damage increases for each Soul Fragment consumed.
- After draining enough health, Swain can end Demonic Ascension early to cast Demonflare on-demand.
Rounding out his kit is Swain’s iconic birdman ability that turns him into a demonic raven with the same eerie wings shown in his previous teaser. This move finally makes use of all the Soul Fragments Swain’s been collection from dead and immobilized enemies in order to cast Demonflare, a finishing ability to his Demonic Ascension. While Swain’s previous ultimate would keep going until deactivated or he ran out of mana, this one has a definite end with a satisfying explosion to accompany it affecting anyone who sticks around to fight the Noxian leader.
Playing as Swain
After revealing all of Swain’s new abilities, Riot also provided a quick explanation of the champion’s playstyle with a video showing just how devastating his full combo can be against not just one, but two enemies that attempt to fight him. If you want to see how your favorite Swain skin will look after the update, you can see the new cosmetics through the champion’s official reveal page.
“As Swain, you’re a warlock general who seizes the life—and souls—of enemies on the battlefield. Stay five steps ahead of the opposition with Nevermove and Vision of Empire, clipping the wings of your foes as you rout them out of position.
“With your plans set in motion, head to the front and wreak havoc with Death’s Hand, then shrug off any counteroffensive using Demonic Ascension‘s health drain. Once you’ve brought enemies low, devastate their formation with Demonflare and claim victory for Noxus.”
Tips and Tricks
Demonic Ascension‘s lengthy duration and the short cooldown on Death’s Hand lend themselves toward the longer battles Swain loves, but he has trouble sticking to enemies as fights drag on. Master Swain players should opt into runes or items that offset this weakness.
Vision of Empire‘s extreme cast range grants you influence over a huge portion of the map. Look for chances to ‘gank’ for off-screen teammates, track the enemy jungler, or scout unwarded objectives.
Ravenous Flock can grab enemy champs immobilized by any effect, not just Swain’s. Work with your allies—you’ll often find better targets by following up on their lockdown, rather than trying to set up plays by yourself.
