Talk:Swain/@comment-4011002-20110722183040/@comment-3165723-20110723211810

^the damage from it is over time, and it doesn't do quite enough damage on its own to warrant missing out on an aoe snare/nuke. The CC from his other two abilities is more important (even during laning) than the periodic damage of the E. Especially when you consider that, during laning, enemies often have potions to counter the DoT if they need to, and even natural regeneration counters it a bit. I tried maxing E first when i just started playing him, and then switched to Q, then to W, and overall i have had more success with W than the other two, but remember that's only because i've gotten used to landing it anytime i need to. But you shouldn't overlook the fact that W can be A LOT more useful for clearing minion waves out, which is useful for both defending your turret and farming.