Swain

Recommended Build

Patch 16.11 · Diamond+ Solo Queue · Updated 6/9/2026

59.8% Based on 219 games wr in Bot

Build path

1. Boots any step
   

   Plated Steelcaps

   1200 gold

   25 Armor
   45 Move Speed
   
   Plating
   Reduces incoming damage from Attacks by 10%.

   Plated Steelcaps

   50% pick · 57.3% Based on 103 picks wr
2. Item 1 2 options
   • 
     Doran's Helm

     450 gold

     140 Health
     10 Armor
     10 Magic Resist
     
     Helping Hand
     Attacks deal 5 bonus physical damage to minions.
     Doran's Helm

     51% pick · 60.7% Based on 112 picks wr
   • 
     Doran's Ring

     400 gold

     18 Ability Power
     90 Health
     
     Drain
     Restore 1 Mana every second, increased to 2 Mana per second for 5 seconds after dealing damage to an enemy champion. If you can't gain Mana, heal for 45% of this value instead.
     
     Helping Hand
     Attacks deal 5 bonus physical damage to minions.
     or Doran's Ring

     49% pick · 58.9% Based on 107 picks wr
3. Item 2 2 options
   • 
     Malignance

     2700 gold

     90 Ability Power
     600 Mana
     15 Ability Haste
     
     Scorn
     Gain 20 Ultimate Ability Haste.
     
     Hatefog
     Damaging a champion with your Ultimate burns the ground beneath them for 3s, dealing magic damage per second and reducing their Magic Resist.
     
     Malignance

     51% pick · 57.7% Based on 111 picks wr
   • 
     Blackfire Torch

     2800 gold

     80 Ability Power
     600 Mana
     20 Ability Haste
     
     Baleful Blaze
     Damaging Abilities deals bonus magic damage for 3 seconds.
     
     Blackfire
     For each enemy champion, epic and large monster affected by your Baleful Blaze, gain 4% Ability Power.
     or Blackfire Torch

     23% pick · 67.3% Based on 49 picks wr
4. Item 3 2 options
   • 
     Liandry's Torment

     3000 gold

     60 Ability Power
     300 Health
     
     Torment
     Damaging Abilities burn enemies for 2% max Health magic damage per second for 3 seconds.
     
     Suffering
     For each second in combat with enemy champions, deal 2% bonus damage, up to 6%.
     Liandry's Torment

     39% pick · 63.6% Based on 77 picks wr
   • 
     Rylai's Crystal Scepter

     2600 gold

     65 Ability Power
     400 Health
     
     Rimefrost
     Damaging Abilities Slow enemies by 30% for 1 second.
     or Rylai's Crystal Scepter

     17% pick · 44.1% Based on 34 picks wr
5. Item 4 2 options
   • 
     Zhonya's Hourglass

     3250 gold

     105 Ability Power
     50 Armor
     
     
     
     Time Stop
     Enter Stasis for 2.5 seconds.
     Zhonya's Hourglass

     42% pick · 65.5% Based on 55 picks wr
   • 
     Liandry's Torment

     3000 gold

     60 Ability Power
     300 Health
     
     Torment
     Damaging Abilities burn enemies for 2% max Health magic damage per second for 3 seconds.
     
     Suffering
     For each second in combat with enemy champions, deal 2% bonus damage, up to 6%.
     or Liandry's Torment

     13% pick · 58.8% Based on 17 picks wr

Most-built legendary at each step (purchase order).

Summoner spells

Exhaust

Slows target enemy champion and reduces their damage dealt.

Exhaust +

Flash

Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.

Flash 54% · 61.0% Based on 118 picks wr

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Q Death's Hand

Swain unleashes several bolts of eldritch power that pierce through enemies. Enemies hit take more damage for each bolt they are struck by.

Q

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W Vision of Empire

Swain opens a demon eye that deals damage and slows enemies. Champions hit are revealed and also grant Swain a Soul Fragment.

W

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E Nevermove

Swain launches a wave of demonic power forward. It then returns to Swain and roots enemies it hits. Swain can then choose to pull all rooted champions closer. This ability has a shorter cooldown during Demonic Ascension.

E

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R Demonic Ascension

Swain transforms into a demon and drains health from nearby enemy champions, minions, and neutral monsters. Swain can cast Demonflare to decimate and slow nearby enemies with a nova of soulfire. This form is indefinite as long as Swain drains enemy champions.

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Precision

Press the Attack

Hitting an enemy champion 3 consecutive times deals bonus damage and amplifies your damage until you leave combat with champions.

Lethal Tempo

Attacking an enemy champion grants you Attack Speed, up to 6 stacks. At max stacks, deal bonus adaptive damage On-Attack.

Fleet Footwork

Attacking and moving builds Energy stacks. At 100 stacks, your next attack heals you and grants increased MS.

Conqueror · selected

Gain stacks of adaptive force when attacking enemy champions. After reaching 12 stacks, heal for a portion of damage you deal to champions.

Absorb Life

Killing a target heals you.

Triumph

Takedowns restore 5% of your missing health and grant an additional 20 gold.

Presence of Mind · selected

Restore a small amount of mana or energy when damaging an enemy champion. Takedowns restore mana or energy.

Legend: Alacrity

Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Attack Speed.

Legend: Haste · selected

Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Basic Ability Haste.

Legend: Bloodline

Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Life Steal, up to a cap. Once the cap is reached, increase your max health. Weaker earlier but stronger later game than other Legend Runes.

Coup de Grace

Deal more damage to low health enemy champions.

Cut Down

Deal more damage to high health enemy champions.

Last Stand · selected

Deal more damage to champions while you are low on health.

Sorcery

Axiom Arcanist

Your Ultimate has increased damage, healing, and shielding. Scoring a takedown on an enemy champion reduces your Ultimate's current cooldown.

Manaflow Band

Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum mana by 25, up to 250 mana.

After reaching 250 bonus mana, restore 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds.

Nimbus Cloak

After casting a Summoner Spell, gain a short Move Speed increase that allows you to pass through units.

Transcendence · selected

Gain bonuses upon reaching the following levels:
Level 5: +5 Ability Haste
Level 8: +5 Ability Haste
Level 11: On Champion takedown, reduce the remaining cooldown of basic abilities by 20%.

Celerity

All Move Speed bonuses are 7% more effective on you and gain 1% Move Speed.

Absolute Focus

While above 70% health, gain extra adaptive damage.

Scorch · selected

Your first damaging ability hit every 10s burns champions.

Waterwalking

Gain MS and AP or AD, adaptive in the river.

Gathering Storm

Gain increasing amounts of AD or AP, adaptive over the course of the game.

Stat shards

Adaptive Force

+9 Adaptive Force (AD or AP — whichever helps more).

Attack Speed

+10% Attack Speed.

Ability Haste · selected

+8 Ability Haste.

Adaptive Force · selected

+9 Adaptive Force (AD or AP — whichever helps more).

Move Speed

+2% Move Speed.

Bonus Health

+10–180 Bonus Health (based on level).

Health · selected

+65 flat Health.

Tenacity & Slow Resist

+10% Tenacity and Slow Resist.

Bonus Health

+10–180 Bonus Health (based on level).