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Swain is the new Ryze, I'm calling it right now.

TheI3igDaddy··2 votes·861 views

Already sick of seeing this POS champion in top lane, whether I'm up there with him or not. Want to farm? You'll eat his E or his E + Q, both of which are targeted so you can't avoid it. You can get rid of the Q if you back out of range, but then he's zoned you off. If you REALLY try to fight him, he'll just snare you with W and if you can't avoid it (lol you're slowed by Q) you take massive damage. Can't beat his sustain? Well you're up the creek without a paddle, kid.

Once he hits 6, if you didn't bring Ignite, well the lane's over. He'll just press R and sap all your health. As long as he rushes Rod of Ages, that and his Doran's Ring will keep him easily topped off on mana (and that's excluding the chance of a manaless jungler giving him blue if he's on Blue side).

Before you check my match history, yes I have recently fought a few Swains, and yes I am salty. Just getting that out of our systems right now. I'm getting serious flashbacks when Ryze was considered one of the most cancerous top-laners, but Swain can shit on Ryze (I used to like Swain) AND be a bane to everyone else.

12 Comments

Orbv2 votes

Swain has always been good top lane. Always. He was used in the LCS every year top for the past 3 years. The only reason I think this might get more popular is because so many grievous wounds options were removed, so he doesn't get affected by anything except ignite or morellonomicon if he gets low.

But at that point he can just Zhonya's and heal it back.

TheI3igDaddy1 votes

Along with the fact that Teleport is generally the go-to Top lane spell now, as it has been for the past few months. It's another cycle of "oh, you don't know who their top lane will be? Guess you can't bother to pick a melee champ or else they'll instalock Birdman".

KnivingDude2 votes

http://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080603143128/harveybirdman/images/8/8b/Harvey_Birdman.jpg

Mat7itan1 votes

I think the amount of aoe damage/healing swain has is bullshit. Nothing like essentially getting 1v5d.

TheI3igDaddy1 votes

Oh if he's fed, it takes the entire team just to drop him. You can't duel someone who saps all your health while draining yours not only with ult but with his E increasing all of his damage to you by a %.

Mat7itan1 votes

Yeah it's bullshit.

TheI3igDaddy1 votes

bumping for knowledge.

PrinceArchie1 votes

I agree with all of this, this guy has relatively no counter play and the only thing I can do is not feed in my lane if he's there. It's so annoying.

Strident1 votes

Considering the popularity of Morellonomicon, it'd take some really hard bullshit from Swain to be able to be the new Ryze in this meta.

TheI3igDaddy1 votes

Nomnomicon only activates the healing debuff when Swain's below 40% health. So you have to wear him down to below 40%. That doesn't stop him from still using ult and once he gets to half health, his healing's juuuusssstttt fine.

Also, the only champs that will bother to build Morello's against him are OTHER AP tops, and very few can match his sustain.

Strident1 votes

{quoted}

Nomnomicon only activates the healing debuff when Swain's below 40% health. So you have to wear him down to below 40%. That doesn't stop him from still using ult and once he gets to half health, his healing's juuuusssstttt fine.

Also, the only champs that will bother to build Morello's against him are OTHER AP tops, and very few can match his sustain.

It doesn't have to be only in lane. Xerath, Syndra, Lissandra are common picks that can build Morellonomicon first. There is also considering the popularity of damage junglers, like Jarvan, Lee Sin, and Vi, and bursty ADC's like Graves. I don't think there's too much trouble bringing down Swain to 40%, and Ignite will accentuate that as well.

Saevum1 votes

Regen is the new meta

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