Is Swain being remade into this 'weak mage scheming' archetype?

Okay, there's a certain difference between how Swain was treated/written about 2 years ago, and what has been written for him in the last year or so.

This is our first introduction to him in his Background/Story:

The earliest account of Swain's existence comes from a Noxian infirmary doctor's notes. According to them, Swain limped into the ward without cry or complaint: his right leg was snapped in half, with bone protruding from the skin

Normally a crippled boy would be turned away in shame from Noxus’ proud legion, but the records indicate his first designation was that of a ranking officer.

The men who've served under him (and survived) have remained in his charge with unshakable faith and loyalty. He leapt through the High Command's hierarchy, often ascending when superiors requested demotions to join his unit. A cunning strategist, Swain was decorated after every battle he fought, regularly hobbling in contemplation at the front of the assault.

His rise to power seemed unceasing until he was suddenly relegated to inactive status prior to the Ionian Invasion - a bewildering decision which reeked of bureaucratic subversion.

The impression we get is this: Swain is a badass. He got his limp when he was very young, and would have been expelled from the Noxian army but (and there's this big gap between when he was a boy and now he's the 50+ old man we have now) he was able to lead his troops to victory consistently, and his own troops believed in him with great 'faith and loyalty'. His raven powers don't even seem to factor in this backstory; it looks like he was simply one heck of a General that was a challenge to Darkwill's group because of his popularity and actual capability.

Then we get the refocus on Swain and Noxian politics when Kalamanda/Dominion was being released. I know about LeBlanc masquerading as Jarvan IV so that she could spark a conflict that made Swain look like the defender and not the aggressor. That's fine, that's in-character and makes a lot of cunning sense. The whole goal was to make Swain look good because Noxus hadn't been in an actual land-war with Demacia since the League was established. Swain looked like the only actual active General on the field, which increased his popularity back in Noxus even more. It also pulled Boram out of Noxus and made his assassination/disappearance easy.

But then, in the last Journal of Justice, we get the duel with Keiran, it's obviously LeBlanc helping him/taking Swain's place throughout the fight till the end. I just don't get why. Swain didn't even use his raven powers in that fight, which would have been badass and sealed his power status even more wouldn't it? Hell, if he turned into a giant demon raven and ate Keiran's lifefore/literally, I think that kind of impression would be pretty substantial in sealing his position. But instead, he's made out as a coward and making LeBlanc, of all people, take his place in the fight; and Darius is the one who deals the final blow.

Why? I don't get why in terms of the character's motivation and from a story consistency aspect this final duel was done this way. Well, except to 180 Swain's development somewhat and make him the 'cowardly weak' mage archetype, which isn't really supported by any of his past actions and deeds. He consistently seeks out a fight with Jarvan IV, even when he probably knows he'd lose. His in-game kit requires him to actually be in the thick of things and tanking damage. Heck, in the (officially unreleased) Dominion cinematic, did anyone notice he was NOT using his spells beyond turning into a giant raven when fighting Jarvan IV? He sapped some HP, and then CLAWED Jarvan IV directly! He isn't afraid of pain or physical fights.

Keiran as far as we know, doesn't have the necromancy powers of Boram Darkwill, and isn't someone with any particular skills. At best, he's probably like Darius or Fiora. Why wouldn't Swain just fight it out with him? We get one blurb in that same JoJ that apparently Keiran is a fighting prodigy, but nothing about this fact was mentioned before to build up Keiran like that. It's like the Champions are the X-Men and the other people on Runeterra are just civilians, normal people. I'm assuming Keiran is just a norm, so why wouldn't Swain just turn into a giant demon bird and eat him?

Even the name they gave to his latest skin is telling - Tyrant Swain. Yes, he does dominate his opponents and dissenters, but up till now, it's been stated that Swain is pretty damn popular with High Command (who weren't firmly in Darkwill's camp), with Darius who represents the lower Generals, and with the Noxian public who actually in-universe, watch his fights on the Summoner's Rift. The JoJ also kept writing how Swain's popularity was growing with just about everyone in Noxus. It's one thing if Swain had one small group with him that helped him seize control, but it's quite another that he was close to winning just based on popular vote. And with Noxus' particular philosophy, I think even if he started executing dissenters, they would see it as par for the course. What he has done or is doing isn't in Noxus culture actually seen as 'tyranny'. But the skin is titled that way because Riot has to establish him as a bad guy that even Noxus somehow no longer likes, even though everything else gives the indication that Noxians are/were just short of wearing 'Vote Swain' T-shirts.

But the bigger vibe I'm getting now, is that Riot is saying that using your brains is the 'coward's way', and to make Swain take part less and less in direct fights, so they can say he's conniving and scheming and all that. In the course of that, they pretty much disregard what other characters think of Swain. Darius chose to follow Swain, he doesn't want to rule, he wants Swain to rule, because he feels that Swain has the capability and the right qualities that Noxus needs. Darkwill was so freaking afraid of how capable Swain was he basically tried to nip his rise in the bud earlier, before the League of Legends made it so he had to pick a popular and powerful Noxian to represent them on Summoner's Rift.

And what has been written is that a lot of the accolades Swain received over the course of his backstory were well-deserved. He did lead his troops with distinction, he overcame a disability for years in a culture that might flat-out kill disabled people for all we know. He fought on Summoner's Rift, which broadcasted in-universe, and the Noxian public loves that he fought there since there was no more war with Demacia and this was the only way they could see fights.

The vibe now, is that Riot is saying that Swain deserves none of the achievements he received, because not using brute force is a the 'coward's way' somehow. And he wasn't even written this way until recently! I didn't like that he had LeBlanc tank for him basically in the duel, that's out-of-character! Why would a champion who has regularly fought with top-lane bruisers, like Jarvan IV, not fight a normal person like Keiran! Did Keiran have Ignite!?

It's a very stereotypical role that Swain's being pushed into now. Like previously, some of the stuff he and LeBlanc and everyone in his clique was doing was some Game of Thrones level of magnitude! I was so impressed with the dedication of the lore staff who did all the work on them for just about 3 years. I don't want a stereotypical brawn=good and brains=bad story. Not anymore.

Intelligence or brawn is a means to an end, they don't mean anything by themselves, they have no morality. But then you have Sion say to Swain that he "is no leader". Based on what? Just because Swain isn't built like a musclebound tank? If he can kill a musclebound tank, that's all that matters, even to Noxians. And Swain's probably one of the worse kind of mages to bring this stereotype into play, because as mentioned, his kit is close-ranged and he tanks hits. Literally, you couldn't have picked a worse kind of mage to label the 'hur dur you used brains' stereotype.

TLDR: STOP MAKING SWAIN INTO FREAKING JAFAR. I think Shere Khan is a more appropriate role.