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Swain vs Zilean

Swain
vs
Not enough games
Zilean
Analyze a draft with Swain
Heavy AP damageHeavy CCHeavy pokeCountered by spell shield

Build vs Zilean

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

Recommended items for Swain: Blackfire Torch, Rylai's Crystal Scepter, Zhonya's Hourglass, Plated Steelcaps, Liandry's Torment, Spirit Visage, Morellonomicon, Frozen Heart.

Starting items

Doran's Ring
Health Potion
x2

Core build

Blackfire Torch
1
Rylai's Crystal Scepter
2
Zhonya's Hourglass
3

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Liandry's Torment
5

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Liandry's Torment
Spirit Visage
Morellonomicon
Frozen Heart
Randuin's Omen

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Zilean's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Time In A Bottle (P)

Zilean stores time as Experience and can grant it to his allies. When he has enough Experience to finish an ally's level up, he can right-click them to impart it. Zilean receives as much Experience as he gives.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
310s14s15s–
69s14s15s2m
98s12s15s2m
118s10s15s1m30
168s6s15s1m
188s6s15s1m

Playing as Swain

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Aim Nevermove past your target

    Cast Nevermove (E) past your target: it only roots on the way back, as it returns to you. Then recast it to pull rooted champions to you.

  2. Poke through the wave

    Poke with Death's Hand (Q) even behind minions: its bolts pierce enemies, and its cooldown drops from 7 to 3 seconds.

  3. Collect Soul Fragments

    Hit champions with Vision of Empire (W) and pull them with Nevermove (E): each Ravenous Flock (passive) Soul Fragment heals you and raises your max health.

  4. Stay close during your ult

    During Demonic Ascension (R), stay close to enemy champions: the drain extends your form, and a takedown refills your Demonic Energy.

  5. Support distant fights with your eye

    Cast Vision of Empire (W) on a fight breaking out elsewhere: its range is 5500 to 7500, and a busy or rooted enemy struggles to dodge the hit 1.5 seconds later.

Playing against Zilean

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. Move away from the bomb

    Spread out from your allies when Time Bomb (Q) is stuck on you or one of them: a second bomb makes it explode instantly and stuns every enemy around.

  2. Focus Zilean as a team

    In teamfights, focus Zilean with your team: he's fragile under pressure, and without him, there's no Chronoshift (R) to save his carry.

  3. Switch targets under his rune

    If an enemy has the Chronoshift (R) rune, hit someone else or wait for the effect to end: if they die with the rune, they come back to life.

  4. Force fights without his ult

    Force an objective or a fight when Chronoshift (R) is on cooldown: without it, he revives no one, and it takes 120 to 60 seconds to come back.

Other Swain matchups

Patch 16.21.1