@Riot, about Swain's rework?

Dear Riot,

This isnt at all about Swain's current state, it's about the eventual rework he's going to be undergoing in the future.

I like Swain, a lot. I've liked him since I first looked at him in the shop all the way back in 2014 when I started the game and went "who's that guy?" to a friend, having never seen a Swain before. My friend explained that he's this dude called Swain, who uses damage over time and is a Mage, and nothing else.

Since I was a game away from having enough IP at the time, and he already owned Swain, we swapped accounts for a game so that I could try Swain out on his account before buying him on my own. I remember my lane matchup; I was top against a Teemo.

I tremendously enjoyed that game.

Swain went on to be my first Pentakill, which I honoured by buying Tyrant Swain at my earliest chance.

Now I don't want to make this part too long, so here's the point. I'm a Vlad guy, hell it's even in my name, but there's plenty of room in my blood-soaked heart for Swain, and I adore absolutely everything about Swain.

His VO, his (granted, dated) animations, the simplicity of his kit, his playstyle of being a tanky, threatening, sustaining, middle-of-the-teamfight monster.

The supposed disconnect between his lore as "The Master Tactition" and his actual gameplay of very linear DoT's and a toggle ult? I like that too, because of the way it manifests in my mind. Swain isnt the type of tactical genius that is useless without his forces, he's also an incredibly powerful mage with an unclear source for his power and mysterious ties to the Black Rose.

Sneak through his barracks, passed his guard and into his chambers expecting a withered, crippled old man? You'll be bird shit before the morning breaks over the horizon.

That's my favourite thing about Swain. You see this fairly dignified, decorated military commander/old mage with a cane hobbling around (though not so much in Tyrant), and then he turns into a demon bird like something from Lovecraft or Warhammer 40k's Tzeentch and mauls you.

And (this may be incredibly presumptuous of me and if any Swain mains disagree please shoot me down), I reckon that's what a lot of other people like about Swain too. His ult.

Given how long and extensive some reworks or releases are, I can't say whether you've started anything concrete on him over at Riot yet in terms of his rework or not, though I'd hazard a guess that you haven't. Here's what I'm hoping/asking; that you intend to keep Swain's ultimate as his core, iconic ability that he's best known for and is his main method of getting stuff done around the Rift.

Scrap his basic abilities and passive and lean him towards being tactical there, or mix it with the idea of a sustained damage DoT mage, whatever. But please consider keeping his ult, that's all I'm looking for personally in the rework.

May Your Rivers Run Red, Tides of Blood