Swain
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Excellent (9.5/10)
High Investment Required
Rare Relics OK
Low Investment
Swain is widely considered one of the absolute strongest champions in the game, often described as 'broken' or 'god-tier' at higher constellation levels. While his base kit is competent, his scaling with Constellations—specifically the interaction with 'Pyromantic Wake'—allows for effortless board clears and massive Nexus burn. He effectively trivializes even the hardest Nightmare content.
Ravenous Plunder
The cornerstone of his optimal setup. It drains 5 from the enemy Nexus at Game Start, immediately enabling Plunder effects and providing sustain.
Synergizes perfectly with the Game Start damage from Swain's Raven Army to reduce Swain's cost and boost his stats. Enables a Turn 1 or Turn 2 deployment.
Further reduces Swain's cost via Plunder. Combined with Packed Powder, this often allows Swain to be played on Turn 1.
Strategy
This build focuses on cheating Swain out on Turn 1. By dealing immediate Nexus damage via the signature relic, you activate Plunder for both Packed Powder and Scourge's Stash. Once on the board, Swain begins his engine of stun-locking the board and burning the Nexus.
Cannon Barrage (F2P)
Plunder activates easily with Swain's kit or Warning Shots. The cannon barrages count as skills, accelerating his level-up and clearing the board.
Triggers an immediate Nexus strike on summon. If Swain is close to leveling, this can trigger his level-2 stun effect immediately upon hitting the board.- Essential for reducing Swain's high mana cost, allowing him to be played early enough to impact the game.
Strategy
An accessible build using only Rare relics. The goal is to trigger Plunder (using a Warning Shot from a power or a cheap spell) to discount Swain. When played, Riptide Battery and Gatebreaker trigger a cascade of skills and damage that clears the board and levels Swain quickly.
C6 Board Wipe
- Provides the initial damage trigger and sustain.
At 6 Stars, the 'Red Card' generated by this relic becomes a 1-cost board wipe due to Swain's damage amplification mechanics.
Amplifies the damage of all spells and skills, ensuring that board wipes are lethal even against high-health units.
Strategy
Optimized for a 6-Star Swain. This setup leverages the massive damage scaling from his constellations to turn cheap pings and generated cards into tactical nukes that clear the entire enemy board instantly.
Other Relic Options
A strong alternative for leveling Swain instantly on play and clearing low-health units.
Provides Warning Shots to easily trigger Plunder and add to the skill queue.
Useful for refilling mana after dropping Swain, allowing for immediate spell usage.
Provides mana stability and a barrier, useful for speedrunning strategies.
Constellation
Swain is a champion defined by his constellations. While decent at lower stars, he becomes an unstoppable force at 4 and 6 stars. His scaling with 'Pyromantic Wake' items on spells is the core of his 'broken' status.
Crush the Weak
Your first spell or Skill each round deals 1 extra damage for each 5 Health the enemy Nexus is missing.
Collateral Damage
+1 Starting Mana. When a unit dies, deal 1 to the enemy nexus.
Crush the Weak II
Your first three spells or Skills each round deal 1 extra damage for each 5 Health the enemy Nexus is missing.Review
A significant power spike. It enhances his damage output, but more importantly, it begins the scaling synergy with damage-based relics and powers.
Raiding Party
When you damage the enemy Nexus, grant the top ally in your deck +1|+1.Review
Unlocks the 'Star of Discovery' (or similar spell-boosting node). This attaches 'Pyromantic Wake' (Deal 3 to Nexus) to drafted spells. This is the turning point where Swain transitions from a control champion to a burn powerhouse.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.
Demonic Ascension
When you damage an enemy with a spell or Skill, deal the same amount to all other enemies as well.Review
One of the strongest 6-star powers in the game. It allows Swain to deal damage based on missing Nexus health and effectively turn any spell into a board wipe. It simplifies gameplay to the point where matches become 'auto-wins'.
Gameplay Tips
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The Pyromantic Interaction: Swain's primary source of 'broken' power comes from the 'Pyromantic Wake' item (Deal 3 to enemy Nexus on spell cast) found on his drafted spells via constellation upgrades. This effect scales with his other damage boosters, turning cheap spells like Mystic Shot into massive nukes.
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Prioritize Plunder: Swain costs 5 mana base. To play him efficiently, you must trigger Plunder. His signature relic
Swain's Raven Armydoes this automatically. If you lack it, draft cheap elusive units or spells likeWarning Shotto ensure you can discount him withThe Scourge's StashorPacked Powder. -
Ignore the Board: At high power levels (C4+), Swain's optimal strategy often shifts from board control to pure Nexus burn. You can often win games without ever declaring an attack, simply by casting spells that destroy the enemy Nexus.
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Turn 1 Wins: With the right setup (e.g.,
Swain's Raven Army+Packed Powder), you can drop Swain on Turn 1. If he is sufficiently upgraded, this single action can stabilize the board and set up a lethal burn sequence immediately. -
Adventure Counters: While Swain destroys most content, be wary of modifiers like 'Tough Nexus' or encounters that prevent non-combat damage, as these directly counter his primary win condition.