Swain’s getting a massive LoL rework in patch 14.21

As a gamer with over a decade of League of Legends under my belt, I’ve seen champions come and go, but Swain has always been a bit of a conundrum. His rework in patch 14.21, however, seems to be leaning into that conundrum even more.


Despite the fact that Patch 14.20 is now live on servers, Swain is set to receive a rework in League of Legends Patch 14.21. However, none of his abilities will change in terms of function; instead, they’ll see adjustments in power through both buffs and nerfs.

Ever since his rework, Swain’s role as a champion has put him in an unusual position. His short reach and lack of agility create challenges when facing mobile champions. Yet, in team compositions where tanks are dominant, it becomes almost impossible to eliminate Swain if he’s equipped with the right gear.

From my gaming perspective, I’m finding him quite hit-or-miss. His short range makes it tricky for me to get up close, and if I can’t manage that, he becomes a breeze to dodge due to kiting. Regrettably, in the current high-level play, he seems to be absent, and there’s no sign of him at major events like Worlds 2024.

The revised version seems to favor the all-or-nothing approach, enhancing his strength and impact in close combat, but reducing his ranged attacks and sustainability. However, it’s important to note that this update will strengthen Swain as a champion, but it won’t make him universally overpowered across all game situations in League of Legends.

Swain’s patch 14.21 LoL rework explained

Swain’s getting a massive LoL rework in patch 14.21

Swain’s revised approach shifts him towards dealing greater damage and burst potential, rather than focusing on extensive healing and durability. However, this change makes him particularly effective when he’s up close and successfully lands his abilities, while significantly increasing the consequences if he fails to do so.

While he’s got the same abilities on paper, they work entirely different in practice.

Here’s the full change list:

Base Stats:

  • Base mana reduced: 468 >>> 400
  • Mana regen increased: 8 >>> 10

Passive: Ravenous Flock

  • Heal reduced: 3-6% max HP (1/6/11/16) >>> 2-5% max HP (1-18)

Q: Death’s Hand

  • AP ratio increased: 40% >>> 45%
  • Bonus damage per bolt reduced: 15-55 >>> 15-40
  • Bonus AP ratio per bolt increased: 10% >>> 11.25%

W: Vision of Empire

  • Base damage reduced: 80/115/150/185/220 >>> 70/105/140/175/210
  • AP scaling increased: 55% >>> 60%
  • Slow duration reduced: 2.5 seconds >>> 1.5 seconds
  • Slow increased: 25/35/45/55/65% >>> 50/55/60/65/70%
  • Reveal duration adjusted: 4-8 seconds >>> 6 seconds

E: Nevermore

  • Outgoing damage removed
  • Explosion base damage increased: 35-75 >>> 80-240
  • Explosion AP ratio increased: 25% >>> 60%
  • Cooldown increased: 10 >>> 14-10
  • Mana cost increased: 50 >>> 60-80
  • Hitbox increased: 85 units >>> 95 units
  • Outgoing missile speed reduced
  • Return missile speed increased

R: Demonic Ascension

  • Base damage reduced: 20-60 >>> 15-35
  • AP ratio reduced: 10% >>> 5%
  • Base heal increased: 15-40 >>> 15-45
  • Heal AP ratio reduced: 18% >>> 5%
  • Heal now scales with 1% bonus HP
  • Cooldown increased: 100-60 >>> 120
  • R2 can now be cast again on a 10 second CD
  • R2 AP ratio reduced: 60% >>> 50%
  • R2 base damage increased: 150-300 >>> 150-350
  • R2 slow increased: 60% >>> 75%

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2024-10-09 08:49