I feel new Swain and Vlad have too similar designs.

Ralanr·1/23/2018, 6:54:44 PM·176 votes·8,707 views

And yes I mean the long hair and red magic aspect.

I’m admittedly kinda annoyed that Swain was turned into Lucious Malfoy. Swain’s original crippled and ravenlike appearance was a classic example of don’t judge a book by his cover (or don’t fully judge it). He was charismatic despite looking like a creepy neighbor and very respectful to individuals based on their capabilities, only expressing anger towards people like J4.

This new Swain looks like he could smooth talk you. He still has some hard and focused gaze, but I expect him to lead now through strength, while old Swain lead through cunning, making him a strange oddity but a great example of the Noxian way.

He looks too much like bloodlord Vlad to me I guess.

Maybe if his hair was black, idk.

155 Comments

Tormentula1/23/2018, 7:11:34 PM66 votes

Yea, probably my biggest gripe about new Swain is the clarity issues.

He looks too much like Vlad, and his spells in base are the same color so you can easily confuse both of them in a teamfight.

His W when playing against a TF, could make an ally or himself think TF is ulting if they're standing under it, OR it can make them miss that TF is ulting because they'll think its just Swain's W. Additionally they can overlap each other, so you won't actually see one or the other depending on where your camera angle is. Stuff like Eve charm, rengo R, etc all have distinct shapes to avoid this issue or other effects (like VOs, screen shading, etc). For this all there is, is a circle on the ground and we already know how many of those there are in this game.


Also the ultimate looks underwhelming, I mean he went from demonic bird man that drained the life out of everybody around him, to grow some wings and at the end of it, burst based on your stacks.


Where's beatrice..

I'm going to try and reserve judgement until I actually play him, because its not the most misleading character design for swain (rather close if not better actually), but that's the first impressions. Skins are hella good now though.

Last Gunfighter1/23/2018, 7:36:11 PM37 votes

The appeal of Swain (to me) was the fact that he was visually off-putting but still rose above thanks to his mind. Darius got him to the top because he knew a guy like Swain would never make it to the top due to being a crippled, veiny, elder guy.

The new look is just another handsome aristocrat like Vlad. We already have Vlad for that.

Hupsis1/23/2018, 8:38:07 PM18 votes

Giving him short hair and his cane back would make him more believable. The long hair makes him look unnecessarily shady. He looks like an evil advisor rather than a leader.

https://imgur.com/a/mSxKl What we got vs What we expected

Hextech OwI1/23/2018, 7:04:48 PM14 votes

He definitively needs shorter and darker hairs.

Illâoi Evê Siôn1/23/2018, 7:48:48 PM12 votes

I don't understand the red ability color palette. It looks too much like Darkin or Blood Magic, even though he's supposed to get his power from a demon. Demons we've seen are either purple or green or only have hints of red (Shaco is the exception being orange atm, would be cool if demon colors are the mixtures of the primary colors, though).

Late For Tea1/23/2018, 7:29:36 PM11 votes

Absolutely agreed. I don't like his Lucious Malfoy look at all, and I really don't know why this design was chosen. I also loved his green color scheme and the fog/mist-like aesthetics of his abilities. They have thrown this out of the window too, for red lightning.

He looks like a totally different champion.

morakaano1/23/2018, 8:20:30 PM10 votes

Swain is the very first champion I mained... and I have to admit I really do not like this updated look..... I was hoping that they would update "slightly" or just update the abilities. NOw it seems to me that the core essence of Swain that touched my heart is gone. The art, the ability, the skinny crippled guy with a bird on his shoulder, hiding behind the mask mysteriously, saying "my bird is hungry"... The guy who's limping with no way to dash out yet exploding rage on R when the time comes. The W that gave him a way to escape...etc. ARGGGG.. i feel ROBBED ;(

I wish there is a way I can keep the current swain.... seriously.... but I can't.

[zombie-nunu-bummed]

HalcyonDweller1/23/2018, 7:20:05 PM8 votes

This was my only gripe with it as well, his new ultimate functions so similarly to Vladimir's E that it just feels like a rip-off.

I love pretty much everything about the rework, but this one thing where his color themeing and his ultimate overlap with Vladimir now is really disappointing.

ObscureParticle1/23/2018, 9:55:32 PM6 votes

I think black would have a been a better color for Swain, since it would have helped differentiate him from Vlad. And also, his abilities could have had a different color, maybe stick with the old green/purple? or something other than red?

This would go long ways to make him look different than Vlad.

Keepe1/23/2018, 10:34:20 PM6 votes

Black hair wouldn't really help matters. Count Vladamir and all. =P

Old Swain actually felt like a grizzled veteran. It is just a bit of a disappointment to see a creative team churn out a stock-Noxian-in-armor.

Stars Shaper1/23/2018, 7:20:54 PM5 votes

Careful now, I don't think Blood Magics wants Vlad to be turned in a baldie.

Bjørnetjenesten1/23/2018, 10:29:38 PM5 votes

Yeah... it really is too bad they made him into a handsome old man/demon, instead of a creepy old fart/bird.

Pinkaj1/23/2018, 8:12:36 PM5 votes

Riot's maybe a little rushed to make new things recently. Lunar Empress Lux's abilities, including autos, looks very similar to her Elementalist skin. Kinda boring.

GreenHydralisk1/24/2018, 1:17:15 PM4 votes

I didn't agree with this before but i definitely see it now. I think all they need to do is change the shade of red and maybe some of the texture of the spells and it would be ok.

Doctor Dyment1/23/2018, 9:38:48 PM3 votes

Cut his hair, we good.

SSmotzer1/24/2018, 7:04:38 AM2 votes

Well, Vlad is up for a visual and gameplay rework, maybe even a full relaunch. So who knows, maybe they will make Vlad less of a Dracula type and more of a creepy blood mage, or feral vampire.

Phieldworker1/24/2018, 5:04:41 PM2 votes

I think the reason why they have similar design (clothing and look) is they are both part of the Black Rose mage group in Noxus. This is just a hunch but I think Riot is trying to tie lore into design. So since they are from the same faction in Noxus, they want them to look uniformed. But look on the bright side, now we have 2 members of a blood boy band. [slayer-pantheon-thumbs]