Pyke vs Swain

Pyke
vs
52.3%

over 394 games

Swain

Skill matchup

Heavy AP damageHigh sustainSustained DPSHigh burst

Build vs Swain

Build adapted to this matchup

Recommended items for Pyke: Umbral Glaive, Youmuu's Ghostblade, Edge of Night, Boots of Swiftness, Celestial Opposition, Bloodsong, Serrated Dirk, Voltaic Cyclosword.

Starting items

Health Potion
x2

Core build

Umbral Glaive
1
Youmuu's Ghostblade
2
Edge of Night
3

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Celestial Opposition
5

Summoner spells

FlashDot92%
ExhaustFlash7%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Celestial Opposition
Bloodsong
Serrated Dirk
Voltaic Cyclosword
Axiom Arc
Solstice Sleigh
Hubris
Maw of Malmortius
Guardian Angel
Death's Dance
Serpent's Fang
Bastionbreaker
B. F. Sword
Executioner's Calling
Profane Hydra
Frozen Heart
Chempunk Chainsword
Knight's Vow
Mortal Reminder
Quicksilver Sash
Kaenic Rookern
45.7% WR35 games
DominationDomination
Hail of BladesHail of Blades
Cheap ShotCheap Shot
Sixth SenseSixth Sense
Ultimate HunterUltimate Hunter
ResolveResolve
UnflinchingUnflinching
Bone PlatingBone Plating
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 Pyke

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Hook from the fog of war

    Charge Bone Skewer (Q) from a brush or the fog of war: when held, it pulls the first enemy hit, and refunds mana if it hits a champion.

  2. Dash through your target

    Dash through your target with Phantom Undertow (E): the phantom left behind returns to you and stuns champions in its path.

  3. Leave their vision to recover

    After a trade, get out of their vision: Gift of the Drowned Ones (passive) regenerates the damage champions just dealt you.

  4. Chain your executions

    Cast Death From Below (R) on a target below the threshold: each champion who dies in the X lets you recast it, and your last assisting ally also gets the kill gold.

  5. Roam camouflaged

    Roam or flank with Ghostwater Dive (W): you're camouflaged and gain a lot of move speed, which decays over time.

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