Twitch vs Swain
Skill matchup
You are stronger late game. Farm safe and avoid early trades.
Build vs Swain
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Twitch: The Collector, Fiendhunter Bolts, Infinity Edge, Berserker's Greaves, Runaan's Hurricane, Lord Dominik's Regards, Yun Tal Wildarrows, Mortal Reminder.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Swain's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Swain's ravens collect Soul Fragments that heal him and permanently increase his maximum health.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7s | 20s | 12s | – |
| 6 | 5s | 20s | 12s | 2m |
| 9 | 3s | 19s | 12s | 2m |
| 11 | 3s | 18s | 12s | 2m |
| 16 | 3s | 16s | 11s | 2m |
| 18 | 3s | 16s | 10s | 2m |
Playing as Twitch
Tips to maximize your impact
- Approach camouflaged
Approach camouflaged with Ambush (Q), then start the fight: when you leave camouflage, you gain bonus attack speed.
- Catch up with Venom Cask
Throw Venom Cask (W) at an enemy fleeing out of your range: the cloud slows them and adds a Deadly Venom (passive) stack every second.
- Poison before you contaminate
Apply as many Deadly Venom (passive) stacks as you can before Contaminate (E): each stack adds damage, and the spell hits every poisoned enemy within 1200 range.
- Shoot through their frontline
During Spray and Pray (R), stay back and aim at their carries through the frontline: your bolts pierce every enemy, with less damage after the first.
- Camouflage again after a kill
When a champion dies poisoned by Deadly Venom (passive), Ambush (Q) comes back right away: recast it to reposition in the middle of the teamfight.
Playing against Swain
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Other Twitch matchups
Patch 16.21.1