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Development
Development- Main article: Swain (Development)
- Swain was designed by Steven 'Coronach' DeRose.
- Swain is voiced by James Faulkner in League of Legends and Legends of Runeterra.
- Swain was the first champion to be announced and then reworked before he went live. As shown in his Champion Spotlight, Torment's damage over time was increased by the amount of damage taken in its duration.
- Nevermove is a reference to the narrative poem The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe.
- According to David 'Phreak' Turley, Swain's Nevermove ability was originally supposed to be called Nevermore and was called Nevermove as a pun. When the ability was implemented in the game the name was not changed back.
- According to David 'Phreak' Turley,
- James 'Statikk' Bach would walk around with his coat on his shoulders during the development of Swain's Visual Gameplay Update much like Swain in order to promote the idea.[1]
- Several scrapped spells tested during the development of his Visual Gameplay Update include:[2]
- A version of his ultimate that allowed him to snipe enemies after absorbing spells.
- A version of Demonic Ascension on his E with a shorter cooldown.
- A version of passive that would replace his trinket with a raven trinket that would provide bonus movement speed and vision in an area.
Universe
Universe- Main article: Swain (Character)
- Swain was a member of the The Black Rose, a dark and mysterious group that controlled Noxus before the rise of the military government. They were thought to no longer exist. However, with the reemergence of their leader LeBlanc, the Black Rose are working towards getting the organization back into power.
- During the War of Kalamanda, Garen and his Dauntless Vanguard hindered the progress of Swain and his army's advancement at every turn.
- Swain and Jarvan IV, have a deep, hate-filled rivalry. He has attempted to kill Jarvan IV on several occasions.
- It is theorized he fought LeBlanc impersonating Jarvan in order to trigger a war with Demacia.
- It is theorized he fought LeBlanc impersonating Jarvan in order to trigger a war with
- Swain is a fan of Sona.
- As a nod to his old lore, Swain has a raven named Beatrice.[3] (< Latin beatrix "she who gladdens")
- His Demon of Secrets is named Raum as noted by Fiddlesticks.[4]
- In real-life "demonology", Raum is stated to be a Great Earl of Hell, ruling thirty legions of demons. He is depicted as a crow which adopts human form at the request of the conjurer.
- Swain's Trifarix Council was probably based on the Roman Triumvirate, Swain being the Leader of Vision;
- The Black Powder Plot to assassinate Swain references the Gun Powder Plot by English Catholics to blow up King James I and the House of Lords.
- Swain likes to play a vastayan strategy game called Xa'h, which is similar to chess.[6]
- One of the reasons that the Trifarix was made was because Swain knows that either his demon or his ambitions may potentially overwhelm him and would have to be stopped.[7]
- The six-eyed ravens around him are not actual ravens but rather manifestations of his demonic power.[8]
- As revealed in Rell's live Q&A:
- Swain has neglected the power vacuums left behind from his motions to dismantle the previous Noxian government. He was very well aware of the Black Rose academy that Rell was training in, but did not intervene.
- Swain knows almost all secrets, the ones he has difficulty knowing are those predating Raum (his demon).
- He knows about World Runes, but not where they've been hidden by Ryze.
- Swain is aware of most major threats around Runeterra thanks to his crows, but has decided to deal with them later over more intermediate ones.
- Swain and Aurelion Sol are tied for most knowledge about the universe, Zoe comes very close.
- Swain has neglected the power vacuums left behind from his motions to dismantle the previous Noxian government. He was very well aware of the Black Rose academy that
League of Legends
League of LegendsGameplay
- Main article: Swain (League of Legends)
- The name Swain is derived from the Old Norse sveinn for "boy".
- Swain's raven is named Beatrice.[9]
- Beatrice can be seen on the Crystal Scar. She will land on the barrier near the Boneyard node for a short time and then fly off.
- Beatrice can be seen on the
- Swain's Ravenous Flock transformation has a similar appearance to Tzeentch's daemon servants, the Lords of Change, from the Warhammer franchise.
- The icon for Ravenous Flock is similar to the old one for Tides of Blood.
- The Art Spotlight for his first splash art is the first one ever released.
- If Swain dies while casting Decrepify, there will be two Beatrices on the battlefield, one attached to the laser and one on his back when he falls to the ground.
- The ending quote to Swain's background is based on Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22.
- In the League of Legends, Swain was unable to compete in the Ionia Versus Noxus Grudge Match due to his recent induction into Noxian High Command, thus needing to take time away from the League to put all his affairs in order.
- In the 2014 version of the Ultra Rapid Fire featured game mode, Ravenous Flock would toggle-off once its mana cost scaled beyond Swain's maximum mana. This was the only ability affected by the restriction of a champion requiring sufficient maximum mana in order to activate an ability within the game mode.
- Swain is one of 15 champions that have an ability that infinitely stacks an effect: Aurelion Sol, Bard, Bel'Veth, Cho'Gath, Draven, Kindred, Nasus, Senna, Shyvana, Sion, Smolder, Swain, Sylas, Thresh, and Veigar.
- In Swain's case, Ravenous Flock infinitely stacks his health.
- In Swain's case,
- Swain's Vision of Empire is the longest ranged basic ability in League of Legends, at 7500 units.
- It used to be tied with Comet of Legend before Aurelion Sol's CGU.
- It used to be the longest limited-range ability, but was overtaken by Certain Death.
- It used to be tied with
- While dancing, he whistles a tune from his theme.
- His dance references Fred Astaire's Top Hat, White Tie & Tails dance.
- A side-by-side comparison can be seen here.
- His dance references Fred Astaire's Top Hat, White Tie & Tails dance.
- While playing a game on Summoner's Rift, Swain's flock of Ravens (depending on the skin it could also be Snow Owls, Macaws, Demon birds, or Dragons) can be seen around the map.
- His mannerisms, quotes and the "Grand General" persona are reminiscent of Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones.
- At the start of the game, there is a chance of thematic music with ravens in the background.
- His demonic left arm could be a reference to Murtaugh in the Submachine series. After losing his left arm, Murtaugh discovered he had a third "karma" arm, which was extremely powerful and capable of causing mass destruction. Murtaugh pursues his goals with similar ruthlessness as Swain.
- The sigil that appears beneath Swain when his ultimate ability is cast has three runes and three eyes inscribed into it. This is possibly a reference to the Three-eyed Raven from the book series A Song of Ice and Fire, considering both characters possess the ability to see events occurring around the world through magical means.
- The sigil used in Original Swain, Northern Front Swain, Bilgewater Swain, and Tyrant Swain is an edited version of the sigil that appears when Gatekeeper Galio uses his ultimate ability.[10]
- Dragon Master Swain uses the unedited of the sigil.
- The head of Raum, Swain's demon, shortly appears above Swain when he uses his ultimate ability.
- The sigil used in
Quotes
- Main article: Swain (League of Legends Audio)
- Swain's and LeBlanc's relationship is a mysterious one. In essence, they are rivals that share a common goal, apparent in all of their interactions.
- ▶️ "I have already walked the halls of death, in the Immortal Bastion." may reference the fact that Swain has been involved with the organization and participated in their rites in the past, but he and the Black Rose, of which LeBlanc is the matron, had a falling-out.
- Swain's quotes when collecting a soul fragment give insights into multiple champions that hadn't been revealed at the time he was released.
- ▶️ "They fight the mist above the seas, never looking beneath." refers to Pyke.
- ▶️ "She claimed it was the Frost Queen's grave. They believed her." refers to Ashe faking the origin of her bow rather than getting it from Avarosa's grave, which was later shown in Warmother, where Ashe took the bow from a nameless grave.
- ▶️ "The payment for her suffering in Shurima: a black rose." implies that Cassiopeia is a Black Rose member, which was later stated in her biography update.
- ▶️ "His secrets died with his sculptor." refers to the misconception that petricite suppresses magic rather than absorb it, bringing Galio to life once he has absorbed enough magic, which was shown in the Lux comics.
- ▶️ "So he's heard the rumours: The girl who came back." refers to Kai'Sa.
- ▶️ "They fight the mist above the seas, never looking beneath." refers to
- ▶️ "Any man who must say 'We are winning'… is not truly winning." and ▶️ "A one-armed man needs all the help he can get." are references to Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones. The voice actor is also part of the show's cast, portraying Randyll Tarly.
- ▶️ "Only this, and nothing more" is a reference to the poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.
- ▶️ "It is better to be feared than loved, Vastaya. strongly resembles Niccolò Machiavelli's quote "It is far safer to be feared than loved." in the treatise The Prince; it is implied that it is better if one cannot be both.
- ▶️ "They move swiftly, for all the coins weighing them down.", ▶️ "The mind is the weapon. You are unarmed.", ▶️ "Fame has gone to your head, and found ample room within.", and ▶️ "You're the only man I know who believes his own words, even after he's said them." reference Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.
- ▶️ "Do not confuse cowardice for wisdom.", ▶️ "You can sit on a throne, that doesn't make you a ruler. It only means you have an arse.", ▶️ "They expect me to play fairly... We aren't even playing the same game.", ▶️ "Patience is a virtue but it has its limits.", ▶️ "There is nothing noteworthy about Demacia, but that in itself is worth noting.", and evidently ▶️ "I was born a patrician. I became a soldier." references Lord Havelock Vetinari of Ankh-Morpork, specifically. Swain and Vetinari were both born into patrician families.
- A few of Swain's lines are altered from his old voice-over. Some of them specifically intend to underline the difference in character with his full relaunch.
- ▶️ "A calculated risk is no risk at all." is similar to ▶️ "A calculated risk."
- ▶️ "They are five steps from realizing: I am ten steps ahead." is similar to ▶️ "I'm five steps ahead of you."
- ▶️ "My birds are hungry." is quoted from ▶️ "My bird is hungry."
- ▶️ "You dare oppose Noxus?" is quoted from ▶️ "They dare oppose Noxus?"
- ▶️ "Another disappointment." is quoted from ▶️ "Another opponent, another disappointment."
- One of his joke lines ▶️ "Caw caw caw caw caw. There, are you satisfied?" references his old joke ▶️ "Think logically for one seco-- CAW CAW CAW-CAW-CAW!".
- Swain shares quotes with:
- ▶️ ▶️ "Do not try my patience."
- ▶️ "The early bird guts the worm" is based on a famous idiom, "The early bird gets the worm."
- In the Polish localization, his pick quote "Rozdziobią was kruki, wrony." (You are going to be pecked out by crows and ravens), is a reference to Stefan Żeromski's 1895 novel of the same title.
Skins
- Main article: Swain (Collection)
- His theme is heavily based on the USSR National Anthem.
- Julius Caesar, Oda Nobunaga, Napoleon Bonaparte and Tywin Lannister were all inspirations for Swain, in terms of either history or fiction.[11][12]
- This skin shares the Arctic Ops theme with:
- It is a reference to the Soviet Northern Front, a major military organization created during the Second World War.
- His appearance resembles that of Big Boss from the Metal Gear Solid video games series.
- He also resembles King Bradley from the Fullmetal Alchemist manga/anime.
- This skin shares the Bilgewater: Burning Tides theme with:
- This skin represents Swain as he would look like if he was part of the Bilgewater faction.
- It is likely a reference to Long John Silver, the antagonist of the Treasure Island novel.
- Beatrice is a scarlet macaw. In the American splash art, Beatrice's flight feathers are blue and green, as opposed to the real life macaw's blue and yellow feathers; however, on the Chinese splash art, the colors are just like the real life parrots.
- His updated appearance resembles that of classic Rakan.
- This skin shares the Otherroads theme with:
- Tyrant Swain
- This skin thus depicts Swain after his rise to Grand General, the highest position of power in Noxus, and subsequent take-over of his body by the demon.
- This was the only skin in which Swain is not dependent on his cane to walk; he instead carries a staff.
- He can be seen on the left of Battle Bunny Riven's Splash Art. He is also seen during the coronation scene.
- Dragon Master Swain Chromas: Emerald, Obsidian, Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire, Tanzanite
Chromas:- This skin shares the Dragon World theme with:
- This skin was codeveloped alongside Swain's Visual Gameplay Update due to being an old promise to players.[13]
- He is a Draconic Antagonist to the Dragonslayer skin line.
- He used to be a Dragonslayer, but was overtaken by the power to turn the dragons against the Dragonslayers, the very monsters he was trying to destroy.
- His quotes concerning ravens are omitted.
- This skin shares the Hextech theme with:
- This skin represents Swain as he would look like if he was part of the Piltover faction.
- His appearance resembles that of Camille.
- His appearance resembles that of
- His bird is named Peacog.[14]
- His concept art, along with Elderwood Ornn, were revealed before their intended dates. In the case of Swain, a day before the official skin reveal on the PBE servers (November 26th, 2019).
- Crystal Rose Swain Chromas: Amethyst, Catseye, Obsidian, Pearl, Peridot, Rose Quartz, Ruby, Sapphire, Tiffany & Co.
- This skin shares the Crystal Rose theme with:
- Winterblessed Swain Chromas: Catseye, Emerald, Obsidian, Pearl, Rose Quartz, Ruby, Sapphire, Turquoise, Wreathguard
- This skin shares the Winterblessed theme with:
References
- ↑ Statikk walk
- ↑ Statikk on Scrapped Swain Spell
- ↑ @ JesterCapp / Art Team [Official]
- ↑ The name of Swain's demon
- ↑ DeVaan, M. Etymological dictionary of Latin, p. 202
- ↑ Interlocutioner - Swain AMA
- ↑ Can Swain be defeated by his demon?
- ↑ Scathlocke on Swain's ravens
- ↑ @ JesterCapp / Art Team [Official]
- ↑ Swain's sigil compared to Gatekeeper Galio's
- ↑ We're the Rioters who updated Swain. ASK US ANYTHING! - Reddit with u/Reav3 reply
- ↑ We're the Rioters who updated Swain. ASK US ANYTHING! - Reddit with u/Riot__Earp reply
- ↑ We're the Rioters who updated Swain. ASK US ANYTHING! - Reddit with u/SpaceNorth reply
- ↑ Katana on Peacog