Support Swain Build

Support Swain Build.

Support Swain build with runes and items. Support Swain guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Support Swain build in League of Legends Patch 14.22!

Updated: 2024-05-20 ()

TLDR

Starting items
Bandleglass Mirror should be final item in your build.
Tear of the Goddess should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Swain ability Vision of Empire should be leveled first.
W
Swain ability Death's Hand should be leveled second.
Q
Swain ability Nevermove should be leveled third.
E
Final items
Ionian Boots of Lucidity should be final item in your build.
Imperial Mandate should be final item in your build.
Kaenic Rookern should be final item in your build.
Morellonomicon should be final item in your build.
Rylai's Crystal Scepter should be final item in your build.
Spirit Visage should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Glacial Augment from Inspiration tree.
Minor rune Resolve.
Summoner spells
Pick Exhaust as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Support Swain Runes

Inspiration
Inspiration major tree Glacial Augment rune.
Inspiration major tree Unsealed Spellbook rune.
Inspiration major tree First Strike rune.
Inspiration major tree Hextech Flashtraption rune.
Inspiration major tree Magical Footwear rune.
Inspiration major tree Cash Back rune.
Inspiration major tree Triple Tonic rune.
Inspiration major tree Time Warp Tonic rune.
Inspiration major tree Biscuit Delivery rune.
Inspiration major tree Cosmic Insight rune.
Inspiration major tree Approach Velocity rune.
Inspiration major tree Jack Of All Trades rune.
Resolve
Resolve minor tree Demolish rune.
Resolve minor tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve minor tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve minor tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve minor tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve minor tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve minor tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve minor tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve minor tree Unflinching rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

How it works

General
  1. This build is all about Imperial Mandate.
  2. And also all about slows.
  3. You support through disrupting fights, being annoying, Slowing/Healing/Buffing and soaking damage.

How to play

General
  1. Your core items - Imperial Mandate and optionally Rylai's Crystal Scepter for even more slows (and consistency).
  2. Your CC triggers Glacial Augument that slows AOE. All Slows trigger Font of Life AND Imperial Mandate, healing and buffing your allies.
  3. 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.
  4. Font of Life heal can trigger various support items, like Ardent Censer or Staff of Flowing Water or even Moonstone Renewer!
  5. 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

General
  1. 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!
  2. Vision of Empire (W) trick works even better with all DoTs effects (Liandry's Anguish and Demonic Embrace).
  3. Enemies in your base? Use Demonic Ascension (R) before taking portal (frost-gate), this way you damage everyone on your way.
  4. 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.
  5. After you catch someone with yout Nevermove (E), you can set up Vision of Empire (W) for a certain hit.
Riot
  1. 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.
  2. While laning, try to use Death's Hand's piercing damage to damage opponents from a safe distance.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Skill Order

  • Swain [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Death's Hand
  • Swain [object Object] ability.
    W
    Vision of Empire
  • Swain [object Object] ability.
    E
    Nevermove
  • Swain [object Object] ability.
    R
    Demonic Ascension

Items

Starting items
Bandleglass Mirror item.
Tear of the Goddess item.
Rush this #1
Imperial Mandate item.
Optional rush #2
Rylai's Crystal Scepter item.
Boots
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Good support items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Redemption item.
Shurelya's Battlesong item.
Ardent Censer item.
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
Staff of Flowing Water item.
Moonstone Renewer item.
Good tank items
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Knight's Vow item.
Good MR items
Spirit Visage item.
Force of Nature item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Good Armor items
Thornmail item.
Frozen Heart item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
For mana problems
Tear of the Goddess item.
Seraph's Embrace item.
Situational dmg items
Rod of Ages item.
Liandry's Torment item.
Zhonya's Hourglass item.
Cryptbloom item.
Rabadon's Deathcap item.
Blackfire Torch item.
Cosmic Drive item.
Counter healing
Oblivion Orb item.
Morellonomicon item.
Counter shielding
Serpent's Fang item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Seeker's Armguard item.
Example final build
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Imperial Mandate item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Morellonomicon item.
Rylai's Crystal Scepter item.
Spirit Visage item.