Imperial Mandate Swain build with runes and items. Imperial Mandate Swain guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Imperial Mandate Swain build in League of Legends Patch 25.05!
You support through disrupting fights, being annoying, Slowing/Healing/Buffing and soaking damage.
How to play
General
Your core items - Imperial Mandate and optionally Rylai's Crystal Scepter for even more slows (and consistency).
Your CC triggers Glacial Augument that slows AOE. All Slows trigger Font of Life AND Imperial Mandate, healing and buffing your allies.
Since LoL Patch 14.1 Imperial Mandate is changed. Now you need your team to proc it to deal any damage. So you need to play a little bit differently. Do not spam mindlessly. Try coordinating it with your team - when they are about to poke or when they go in.
Font of Life heal can trigger various support items, like Ardent Censer or Staff of Flowing Water or even Moonstone Renewer!
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.
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.