Swain Mid Lane Build Guides, Runes, Items, and Abilities

Swain is a powerful and versatile champion who excels at dealing sustained damage, controlling zones, and healing through fights. Below is a comprehensive guide for playing Swain effectively on the mid lane.

1. Pros

• Very versatile champion. It can be built full damage or off-tank.
• Although this guide only focused on Swain in 1 role, he can be played in multiple positions.
• Lots of AOE damage thanks to his Demonic Ascension.
• Great in team fights with his Ultimate Demonic Ascension.
• Good pick potential thanks to his Passive and Nevermove.
• His Vision of Empire can be used to scout unwarded bushes, which can save his life.
• Good sustain in lane, especially post 6 with his Demonic Ascension.
• Free health and tanky stats thanks to his Passive.

2. Cons

• Mana dependent.
• Has severe mana issues. You can reduce these issues by taking the Runes suggested in this guide.
• Immobile and squishy, especially in the early game.
• His Nevermove can be hard to hit.
• Healing reduction is great versus Swain. It makes his Ultimate Demonic Ascension less potent.
• Swain heavily relies on Zhonya's Hourglass in the mid and late game.

• Do not face check bushes in the later parts of the game. Use your Vision of Empire instead!
• Be on the lookout for the pull aspect on immobilised targets. Try to layer the CC to keep the enemy locked down for as long as possible.
• You can use surprise combos such as Q>Flash or R>Flash to execute enemies.
• Play around your Zhonya's Hourglass in the mid and late game. Potentially delay team fights while you wait for it to be up. Not using it or having it available in a team fight will make it really easy for you to die.
• Fighting in high traffic areas is great for Swain thanks to the AOE damage on his Demonic Ascension. If the enemy is fighting in a tight area, you could also land a multi-person Nevermove root and win the fight.
• If the enemy has lots of sustain, opting for a Oblivion Orb is a great option to deal with their sustain.
• Try and avoid reactivating your Demonic Ascension for as long as possible. This will allow you to deal tons of damage to the enemy. However, it is vital that you at least reactivate your Demonic Ascension before you die.
• Vision Control: Use W - Vision of Empireto check bushes, Dragon, and Baron pits. Its range makes it a great scouting tool.
• Combo Execution: Use E - Nevermove to root enemies, follow up with Q - Death's Hand, and finish with W - Vision of Empire for damage and zoning.
• Ultimate Usage: Activate R - Demonic Ascension in the middle of a fight to heal and deal consistent AoE damage. It works best in crowded skirmishes and teamfights.
• Positioning: Stay near your team in fights. Swain thrives when he has allies to follow up on his crowd control and damage.

• W + E + E + Q + AA: Use your W then E and E again. Finish with a Q and AA.
• E + W + E + Q + AA: Use your E, W and E again. Then Q and AA to finish a short and sweet combo.
• Q + E + W + E + AA + AA + AA + Q: Use your Q, E, W, E combo to burst and lock down your enemy, then AA a few times before finishing with another Q.
• W + E + R + E + Q + AA + AA + R + AA + Q: Press your W, E R, E and Q to start off a big all in on your opponent. Then auto attack a few times before using the second part of your R, another AA and a Q to finish.
• R + E + W + E + AA + Q + AA + R: Press your R then E, W and E again to lock your enemy down. Then AA, Q, AA and finally press your R again to end the combo.
• FLASH + E + W + R + AA + Q + AA + AA + R: Use your Flash and E your enemy then W and R. Then AA, Q, AA, AA and R again to finish.
• Q + FLASH + E + W + R + E + AA + R: Press your Q and then instantly flash towards your enemy. Then follow with your E, W, R and E combo to lock them down. Finish off with an AA and then the second part of your R.

1. Early Game

In the early game, Swain excels at poking and sustaining in lane:

• Use Q - Death's Handto poke your lane opponent and secure minions. Its low cooldown makes it ideal for consistent trades.
• Place E - Nevermovestrategically to root enemies, setting up your combo and making them vulnerable to follow-up damage.
• Avoid overextending without vision; Swain lacks mobility and is vulnerable to ganks in the early game.
• Focus on farming to hit your first power spike with key items.

2 Mid Game

During the mid game, Swain transitions into a powerful teamfighter and roaming threat:

• Roam to help your jungler secure objectives or assist other lanes. Swain's utility and AoE damage shine in skirmishes.
• Group with your team to fight around objectives. Use R - Demonic Ascensionto sustain through fights and deal massive AoE damage.
• Prioritize vision around key areas like Dragon and Rift Herald. Use W - Vision of Empireto scout and zone enemies from objectives.

3. Late Game

In the late game, Swain becomes a teamfight monster:

• Position yourself in the middle of fights to maximize the healing and damage from R - Demonic Ascension.
• Use E - Nevermoveto catch high-priority targets, such as the enemy ADC or mid laner.
• Peel for your carries by slowing and rooting enemies with Q - Death's Hand and E - Nevermove.
• Swain excels in extended fights, so avoid diving too deep into the enemy backline without your team.

Swain is a scaling champion who thrives in extended fights and teamfights. Master his abilities and positioning to dominate both mid lane.

Thanks for Reading! If you want to gain more in-depth knowledge about LOL, check out many helpful articles here!

Good luck to you! – Cheng