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[S16] Swain APC - Laning Matchup Guide

Soul of JacobehPeak Master
#1 Swain
14K viewsSeptember 10, 202627 min read
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Swain
bot
AP
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I'm still filling out details, but Swain APC matchup difficulty ratings vs Bot champs and Supports are there. Some details are there for S+, S, D, and F difficulties.

Just a Matchup Guide for Now

Matchups are all written from the POV of Swain Bot, although Swain Support matchups are similar.

Support matchups heavily influence how bot lane plays out. A strong pairing can stabilize even difficult matchups, while a weak one can turn otherwise favorable lanes into a struggle.

Broad Matchup Notes

  • Swain tends to go lower in CS but stay up in levels vs the average bot laner.
  • Be mindful of roam timings, and try to warn your support ahead of time: Swain generally can’t hold a 1v2 for long during the laning phase, even when ahead.
  • There are quite a few matchups that flip a won/lost lane to a lost/won game. Do not despair if you're behind in lane as Swain, but do not ego if you're ahead.
  • I started slamming only Conqueror for a good bit there, rarely Aery. Deathfire Touch is of course promising, but I'll need to work on what matchups it feels best in.
    • Longer fights I think I still like Conqueror better so far.
    • For matchups that you cannot safely take long trades in, it's likely DFT will perform well.
  • Please don't make me lane with you Yuumi.
  • Don't pick Senna with Swain just because U.gg says it's good - only pick it if you play it a lot.
  • Swain's not super useful vs. most ADCs until level 7. Level 6 has the ult powerspike of course, but at lvl7 you should have a few points in Q if you're maxing it. Once the CD is low enough you can actually start DPSing.

I'll totally add build info here...

Broad Build Notes

  • Ability Haste / CDR is like the Attack Speed stat for you.
    • Too little, and you're sitting around only ticking R on people, begging for your E to come off CD, waiting for that next thunderclap of a Q.
    • "Too much" (in the context of sacrificing AP or strong item passives for excessive Haste), and you're spending too much time casting for too little damage and not repositioning/chasing/exiting, all while draining your pitiful mana pool.
      • todo: make the above run-on comprehensible
  • Defensive stats amplify the effectiveness of your healing, and enable you to be a true disruptor.
    • Don't over-index on more healing - get resists.
    • eHP (effective HP) is a function of your health compounded with your resistances. Healed HP is part of that pool.
      • Is it easier to undo a heal applied to an ADC who has 5 items, or an eco-tank with 5 items?
    • As with anything, strike a balance. Too many resists, especially early, and you'll contribute 0 damage to fights. Sometimes that's OK. Usually not.
  • You will have to prop up your mana pool with something. Manaflow Band on its own won't likely be enough.
  • Swain doesn't mind if his entire team is AP.
    • Swain can comfortably build (all, at the same time, sometimes) utility-like AP items to salvage or even accelerate heavy AP comps:
      • Abyssal Mask
      • Bloodletter's Curse
      • Rylai's
      • Morello's

About Me

I have over 2.4 million mastery on Swain, about half in supp, half in APC. I am a handless mid-Master player and only win through macro.
I guess I was the rank 1 Swain on LAN for a bit there. I get good ping there so the game actually works.


Soul of Jacobeh
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