Katarina vs Swain

Katarina
vs
48.1%

over 183 games

Swain

Skill matchup

Heavy AP damageHigh sustainSustained DPSHigh burst

You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.

Build vs Swain

Build adapted to this matchup

Recommended items for Katarina: Kraken Slayer, Blade of The Ruined King, Terminus, Sorcerer's Shoes, Shadowflame, Lich Bane, Dark Seal, Zhonya's Hourglass.

Starting items

Doran's Blade
Health Potion

Core build

Kraken Slayer
1
Blade of The Ruined King
2
Terminus
3

Standard

Sorcerer's Shoes
4Magic pen
Shadowflame
5

Summoner spells

FlashDot93%
ExhaustFlash2%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Shadowflame
Lich Bane
Dark Seal
Zhonya's Hourglass
Rabadon's Deathcap
Hextech Gunblade
Death's Dance
Nashor's Tooth
Void Staff
Mejai's Soulstealer
Jak'Sho, The Protean
Experimental Hexplate
Stormsurge
Seeker's Armguard
Liandry's Torment
Tiamat
Banshee's Veil
56.3% WR32 games
DominationDomination
ElectrocuteElectrocute
Sudden ImpactSudden Impact
Grisly MementosGrisly Mementos
Relentless HunterRelentless Hunter
PrecisionPrecision
Coup de GraceCoup de Grace
TriumphTriumph
Adaptive ForceAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Swain's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Ravenous Flock (P)

Swain's ravens collect Soul Fragments that heal him and permanently increase his maximum health.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
37s20s12s–
65s20s12s2m
93s19s12s2m
113s18s12s2m
163s16s11s2m
183s16s10s2m

Playing as Katarina

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Pick up your daggers

    Pick up your daggers in trades and teamfights: Voracity (passive) then hits every nearby enemy, and each dagger picked up lowers the cooldown of Shunpo (E).

  2. Shunpo to your Q dagger

    After Bouncing Blade (Q), blink to its dagger with Shunpo (E): it lands behind your target, and picking it up triggers Voracity (passive).

  3. Hit everyone before the kills

    In teamfights, hit as many champions as you can before they go down: when one of them dies, Voracity (passive) sharply lowers all your cooldowns.

  4. Death Lotus after their CC

    Cast Death Lotus (R) once the enemy CC is used: it's a channel, and a single CC is enough to cancel it.

Playing against Swain

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. Dodge Nevermove on its return

    Get out of the Nevermove (E) path as it comes back: it only roots on its return to Swain, then he can pull each rooted champion to him.

  2. Leave the area of his eye

    Leave the area as soon as Vision of Empire (W) appears: it strikes and slows 1.5 seconds later, and each champion hit gives him a Soul Fragment.

  3. Keep your distance during his ult

    During Demonic Ascension (R), back off and hit from range if you can: he only drains nearby enemies, and his form ends when he stops draining.

  4. Cut his healing during his ult

    If you have Grievous Wounds, apply it during Demonic Ascension (R): the drain heals him every second, and that healing keeps him alive.

Patch 16.21.1