Poppy vs Swain

Poppy
vs
Not enough games
Swain
Heavy AP damageHigh sustainSustained DPSHigh burst

You are stronger late game. Farm safe and avoid early trades.

Build vs Swain

The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup

Recommended items for Poppy: Tear of the Goddess, Sundered Sky, Fimbulwinter, Plated Steelcaps, Sunfire Aegis, Thornmail, Spirit Visage, Randuin's Omen.

Starting items

Doran's Shield
Health Potion

Core build

Tear of the Goddess
1
Sundered Sky
2
Fimbulwinter
3

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Sunfire Aegis
5

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Sunfire Aegis
Thornmail
Spirit Visage
Randuin's Omen
Jak'Sho, The Protean
Force of Nature
Dead Man's Plate

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 Poppy

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Pin your target against a wall

    Position so that Heroic Charge (E) slams your target into a wall: they're then stunned and take bonus damage.

  2. Keep them in your zone

    Keep your target in the Hammer Shock (Q) zone: the zone slows them, then explodes and deals the same damage a second time.

  3. Pick up your buckler

    After a trade, pick up the Iron Ambassador (passive) buckler that bounced off your target: it gives you a temporary shield.

  4. Stop their dashes

    Cast Steadfast Presence (W) when an enemy is about to dash onto you or your carry: the field stops dashes around you, and the stopped enemy is slowed and grounded.

  5. Send a diver far away

    Charge Keeper's Verdict (R) to send away a diver or isolate their carry: the target is knocked back toward their Nexus, farther the longer you charge.

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