Yorick vs Swain
Favorable matchup
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Swain
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Yorick: Trinity Force, Spear of Shojin, Serylda's Grudge, Mercury's Treads, Executioner's Calling, Black Cleaver, Voltaic Cyclosword, Hullbreaker.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
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 Yorick
Tips to maximize your impact
- Prepare your graves
Hit a champion or last-hit a minion with Last Rites (Q) to dig a grave: with three graves nearby, recast the spell to raise Mist Walkers from them.
- Mark your target with your Mist
Hit your target with Mourning Mist (E): your nearby graves keep raising Mist Walkers, the target loses armor, and your units rush toward them.
- Wall in your target
Trap your target in Dark Procession (W): the wall blocks enemies but not your allies, and your Mist Walkers hit them in the meantime.
- Split push with your Maiden
After 10 seconds, recast Eulogy of the Isles (R) to send the Maiden of the Mist to push the nearest lane, but you lose a big part of your power.
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 Yorick matchups
Patch 16.21.1