Heartsteel Swain build with runes and items. Heartsteel Swain guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Heartsteel Swain build in League of Legends Patch 25.05!
You build items that scale and/or benefit from HP stacking.
And you build Armor and MR tanky items, depending on the situation and adapting to the enemy team.
How to play
General
You rush Heartsteel.
Item Order
Item Order after Heartsteel is flexible. You need to see what you need in particular game:
Get Overlord's Bloodmail for more damage and AD.
Get Warmog's Armor as anti-poke item (helps you stay in lane) and for some sweet HP.
Get Unending Despair, if there are prolonged fights in which you can stay near enemies (or enemies near you). The items gets better, the more HP you get.
Get various Armor and/or MR items to counter enemy team.
Get Titanic Hydra for more fun , more damage and some survivability.
Items
Sundered Sky is very good damage item for this build (as #2-#4 depending on the game). It scales off your HP (so Grasp, Heartsteel, Overgrowth). It gives damage and pretty good sustain in fights. Remember to switch targets to maximize the effect!
Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for a very long time (or even have it as 6th item).
Runes
Second Wind scales off with your HP, so it is going to be powerful sustain rune. You can use it by purposefully triggering it by letting enemies poke you a little or walking over some harmful spells.
Triumph is better (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of the Mind.
During game
Your main damage and power comes from auto attacks - Grasp of the Undying, Heartsteel
This is auto attack oriented Swain build, so do it! Especially if running with Titanic Hydra and Sundered Sky as well.
You can prioritize switching between champions in the fight, just to farm more Heartsteel procs.
You need to adapt your items to the game. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR. They heavy on AD? Buy Armor. You need some damage? Well buy that.
Remember to consume your Heartsteel procs!
Remember to consume your Grasp of the Undying procs!
Tips and Tricks
Champion
You can use Vision of Empire (W) to stop enemies taking portal (frost-gate). Time it well, and they will need to walk, and you will get the turret!
Vision of Empire (W) trick works even better with all DoTs effects (Liandry's Anguish and Demonic Embrace).
Enemies in your base? Use Demonic Ascension (R) before taking portal (frost-gate), this way you damage everyone on your way.
Did you just catch someone with your Nevermove (E)? Do not use second E right away, but use it at the very last moment for maximum CC.
After you catch someone with your Nevermove (E), you can set up Vision of Empire (W) for a certain hit.
Riot
If you're having trouble rooting an enemy with Nevermove, try throwing it at opponents when they are near their minions so the explosion surprises them.
While laning, try to use Death's Hand's piercing damage to damage opponents from a safe distance.
Vision of Empire is quite difficult to land on its own, look for skirmishes around the map where enemies may be distracted or crowd controlled so you can land it more easily.
Demonic Ascension may make Swain very hard to kill but he's pretty easy to get away from. Try building items that can slow opponents to keep them in range if their mobility is overwhelming.