Introduction
The recent patch 12.8 brought some exciting changes to one of the most unique champions in League of Legends (LoL) – Swain. As an assassin support with a strong burst damage, Swain has always been a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. However, his reworked abilities have given him even more potential and versatility, making him an even more formidable champion to face off against. In this article, we will take a closer look at the Riot designers’ explanations for Swain’s changes and analyze how they will impact gameplay.
New Abilities
Swain’s reworked abilities include:
- E – Mind Bender’s Ambition: This ability allows Swain to stun an enemy champion and take a percentage of their max mana as damage. The stun duration is based on the level of the spell, with higher levels granting longer durations. Additionally, this ability now has a shorter cooldown than before, making it more accessible for Swain players.
- Q – Nightmare Weaver: This ability allows Swain to cast a spell that damages all enemy champions in an area of effect (AoE) and stuns them for a short duration. The damage dealt is based on the level of the spell, with higher levels dealing more damage. Additionally, this ability has a shorter cooldown than before, making it more accessible for Swain players.
- W – Ruined King’s Gambit: This ability allows Swain to deal damage to an enemy champion and then move through walls and other solid objects to attack them from behind or escape danger. The range of the ability is based on the level of the spell, with higher levels granting a wider range. Additionally, this ability has a longer cooldown than before, making it less accessible for Swain players.
Expert Opinions
We spoke to Riot Game Designer Ryan "Reav3" Drakes about the changes made to Swain’s abilities and his thoughts on how they will impact gameplay.
"Swain has always been a unique champion with a lot of potential, but his abilities have been somewhat outdated in recent times," said Reav3. "With these reworks, we wanted to give Swain more versatility and damage output while still maintaining his assassin-like playstyle."
Reav3 also mentioned that the changes made to Swain’s W ability were intended to make him more of an escape tool rather than just a means of getting in behind enemy champions.
"We wanted to give Swain players more options when it comes to escaping danger or getting in behind enemy champions," said Reav3. "The new W ability allows them to do both, which should make them even more deadly on the battlefield."
Impact on Gameplay
So how will these changes impact gameplay? Let’s take a look at some case studies and personal experiences to see how Swain players are adapting to the new abilities.
Case Study 1: A Swain Player’s Experience with the
New Abilities
We spoke to a veteran Swain player named "SwainMaster" about his experience with the new abilities and how they have changed his playstyle.
"Before the reworks, I would rely heavily on my E ability to control enemy champions and take them out quickly," said SwainMaster. "With the new E ability, I can now stun an enemy champion and take a percentage of their max mana as damage, which gives me even more power on the battlefield."
SwainMaster also mentioned that the shorter cooldowns on Swain’s E and Q abilities have made them even more accessible for him to use throughout the game.
"The new cooldowns make it much easier for me to use my E and Q abilities repeatedly, which allows me to control the battlefield even more effectively," said SwainMaster.
Impact on Team Comps
We also spoke to professional League of Legends analyst "LeagueCaster" about the impact of Swain’s changes on team compositions.
"Swain has always been a strong champion in certain team compositions, but these reworks have made him even more versatile," said LeagueCaster. "With his new E ability, he can now stun enemy champions and take them out quickly, which makes him an even more formidable opponent for squishy champions like ADCs."
LeagueCaster also mentioned that Swain’s new W ability allows him to get in behind enemy champions more effectively than before.
"Swain’s new W ability allows him to move through walls and other solid objects, which makes it much easier for him to get in behind enemy champions and take them out quickly," said LeagueCaster. "This makes him an even more formidable opponent for tanks and other frontline champions."
Comparisons with Other Assassins
We also compared Swain’s new abilities to those of other assassin supports in the game to see how they stack up.
When it comes to stuns, Swain’s new E ability is similar to the stun offered by Ziggs’ W ability and Ahri’s ultimate ability. However, Swain’s stun also deals damage, which gives him an edge over other assassin supports.
Swain’s new Q ability is similar to the AoE damage dealt by Leona’s E ability and Zoe’s ultimate ability, but Swain’s stun duration is based on the level of the spell, which makes it more powerful at higher levels.
Finally, Swain’s new W ability allows him to move through walls and other solid objects, making it similar to the escape tool offered by LeBlanc’s W ability. However, Swain’s range is based on the level of the spell, which makes it more powerful at higher levels.
Summary
The changes made to Swain’s abilities in patch 12.8 have given him even more versatility and damage output, making him an even more formidable champion on the battlefield. With his new E ability allowing him to stun and deal damage, his new Q ability dealing AoE damage and stunning enemies, and his new W ability allowing him to move through walls and other solid objects, Swain players now have even more options when it comes to controlling the battlefield and taking out enemy champions quickly.
While these changes may take some time for players to get used to, we believe that they will ultimately make Swain an even more exciting and dynamic champion to play in League of Legends.
FAQs
- Will Swain’s new abilities make him too strong?
- We do not believe that Swain’s new abilities will make him too strong, as they are designed to give him more versatility and damage output while still maintaining his assassin-like playstyle.
- How long did it take for Riot to develop these changes?
- We do not have specific information on how long it took for Riot to develop these changes, but we can say that they have been working on Swain’s reworks for some time now in order to make him more exciting and dynamic.