Talk:Swain/@comment-2.82.100.96-20120611132948/@comment-2.82.100.96-20120611151453

^OP here, to answer Movilons

The thing is, people will run away when Swain activates the Hourglass. You don't want that. To anyone else, it would be a life saver, but Swain's R, even if ignited, is enough to save his life. And by making the enemies think you are vulnerable, you can easily set up an ambush. THat's the entire point of the Master Tactician. Think smart and plan 5 steps ahead. More than once I was escaping with 300 hp from 2 enemies, and got 2 kills from my team because I taunted the enemies enough with the profit of an easy kill that they got greedy. In my ELO, it doesn't just work with Hourglass, because they already know what Swain is planning. The entire item's point is making traps. Swain doesn't need it. He is better of keep moving.

Swain fights a war of atrition. The only way he can outlast the other mages is if he gets tanky. The grail is perfect for him in that. Mag. Resist and the ability of constant sustain of his mana and health (after lvl 6, when the mana problems start to show up). But I agree, as a first item the grail is useless, cause it denies swain a mid game dominance with a full charged Rod. The Grail is the perfect third item, I learnt that by experience in 1800 ELO.

My complete build

Doran's Ring

Boots of Speed + (2 health pots/Health Crystal)

Catalyst the Protector

1.Sorcerer's Shoes/Mercury's Treads (against heavy bursty mages who don't buy Magic Resistance, like Leblanc or Veigar)

Chalice of Harmony

2.Rod of Ages

3.Athene's Unholy Grail

4.Rylai's Crystal Scepter

5 (sell the Doran's Ring) Abyssal Scepter

(game is usually finished here, the 6th item is just for ultra late game)

6.Zhonya's Hourglass