Swain is kind of a sleeper OP when it comes to skins. You always hear about the new Lux or Katarina skin, but our very own bird boy is rocking an excellent catalogue himself. So let’s have a look at all of Swain’s skins and rank them based on what they bring to the table, as well as their costs. Fair warning, I like all of them – so all of the nits will be picked to make this into a real ranking.
6. Crystal Rose Swain
Released: February 11th, 2021 Price: 1350 RP Although this is the newest Swain skin, I have to say it’s my least favorite. That’s because I love the badass aura that Swain usually has – and this skin makes him a bit softer. Sure, he looks like a giga Chad who can have any Rift wench he wants. But that’s not really an attribute I want on Swain. All of the ability animations are very clean, but again, don’t really fit in with my personal picture of the champion. He’s a bird person, not a rose dude. I will say that his ult is just gorgeous here, and makes you feel like an angel of death. Which is always cool. The skin also offers some chromas, Obsidian being my favorite, but I simply think you can get a better skin for such a high price.
5. Bilgewater Swain
Released: October 5th, 2010 Price: 520 RP This is the only Swain skin that offers no new animations. So I couldn’t place it all that high. Although it also leans towards that husbando vibe like the previous entry, I’m way happier with this design. For my fellow anime nerds out there, I would say that he has a very Sinbad vibe, and that’s quite the compliment. The splash art is also pretty well-made for this one. And the base ability animations don’t detract from the overall feeling of the skin. If you’re really strapped for cash, I would highly recommend this skin, as it still does look quite better than the base model.
4. Tyrant Swain
Released: May 22nd, 2012 Price: 1350 RP OK, this skin is simply amazing. The green particle effects used for the ability animations are very clear and fit in perfectly with his theme. The base model looks menacing too, and the splash art looks like it was ripped out of a good MMO. There’s honestly only one thing that I don’t particularly like about the skin: Including a helmet. Don’t get me wrong, the design is on point. And it complements his armor quite nicely. However, it just doesn’t look like Swain. In fact, from a distance it makes the character model look more like Jax or Mordekaiser. It’s quite unique in this regard, and might be the main selling point for you. But personally, I would rather spend my dead presidents elsewhere.
3. Hextech Swain
Released: December 12th, 2019 Price: 10 Gemstones Whenever Hextech skins are brought up, the bar gets set pretty high. After all, they are some of the hardest skins to purchase. So they better be worth the hassle! And I do think Hextech Swain more or less lives up to his price tag. It’s not the best skin I have ever seen. But I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t feel the urge to grab the old credit card and waste a few days on Riot’s gambling simulator. All of the ability animations just look top-notch, and the ult is among the best I’ve seen. I know I just complained about the helmet in the previous entry, but this skin utilizes it perfectly. In base form, you look like a true Cyberpunk aristocrat minus the glitches. And then you press R, get this extremely cool helmet, and giant robotic wings for just flying around the Rift and dropping bodies all around. It is simply brilliant.
2. Northern Frost Swain
Released: October 5th, 2010 Price: 750 RP I do believe this is one of the best budget skins you can get in League of Legends. Although it might seem like a simple model change and ability re-color, it’s so much more than that. Swain has always looked stoic and tough, like he could get stabbed in the stomach and still come up with a good insult for his attacker. And this skin just furthers that fantasy. They made him look Russian, is what I mean. Maybe it’s just me, but that change seemed like the most appropriate one for his character – and it all just fits in together perfectly. But mother Russia will have to sit the next entry out, since nothing can really beat dragons.
1. Dragon Master Swain
Released: February 22nd, 2018 Price: 1350 RP This is one of those skins where I feel like I don’t even need to explain why it’s the best. Just look at that splash art! That picture alone is worth 1350 RP in my book. But then you get in-game and you see these tiny dragons flying around, only proving this skin’s dominance over your utility bills. But the crowning jewel is his R. You thought it was cool to just have little dragons flying around? Well how about you turn into a giant badass dragon yourself! Shyvana can only pray to Riot gods that she will ever look this badass while transformed. Note: this content was created under Riot Games’ “Legal Jibber Jabber” policy using assets owned by Riot Games. Riot Games does not endorse or sponsor this project.
