Swain vs Maokai in Top lane is a lane to avoid on patch 26.16. The one thing to respect: after level 5 he's unpokeable, out-heals your damage and wins any all-in — your only window is early. Below is the exact page the OTP runs — runes, skill max order, summoner spells, item build and the four tips that decide the lane, plus a quick quiz before you lock in.

⇄ ChangeYOU · TOPSWAINthe Noxian Grand General

⇄ ChangeENEMY · TOPMAOKAIthe Twisted Treant

VS

Avoid — ban or dodgePre-6 HardPost-6 UnplayableTake Teleport

How to play it

✓ DO

Don't fight his all-in

Past level 5 he heals through your poke and wins any all-in — don't commit once he engages.

Play aggressive early

Your only real window is early, before he scales up and becomes unpokeable.

He out-scales you

He outscales you and out-heals your damage — chip him for value and play around your team, not a solo kill.

✕ DON'T

⛔

Never keep poking him after level 5 expecting to win — he's unpokeable and out-heals you.

Runes

PRECISION

RESOLVEuniversal page

SHARDS

No rune change for this matchup — run the universal page, our every-game default.

Spells

FLASH

TELEPORT

Items

Start

Core

→

→

Swain is a drain-tank battlemage — Rod of Ages + Riftmaker give him the HP and sustain to win extended fights, then Rylai's Crystal Scepter locks enemies inside his aura. Swap in Liandry's Torment into tanks and grab Zhonya's Hourglass versus burst or dive.

Skill order

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
	Q			Q	Q		Q	Q
		W							W	W		W	W
			E											E	E		E	E
						R					R					R

MAXQ→W→E

IMPROVE YOUR MACRO

Winning lane is only half the game — rotations, wave control and objective tempo decide the rest. Train the map on MOBA Trainer.

IMPROVE YOUR MACRO →