How to win lane as Locke against Swain · 50% win rate · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Locke | You win level 1 against a fully immobile champion who needs a dodgeable root. |
| Level 2 | Locke | At level 2 his slow E telegraph lets you trade and step out freely. |
| Level 3 | Locke | Level 3 gives him his combo but every trade still starts on a root you can dodge. |
| Levels 4-5 | Locke | Through levels 4-5 his immobility keeps his lane pressure below yours. |
| Level 6 | Locke | At 6 his R only helps in melee range, so at your range you stay favoured. |
| First item | Locke | After first item you outpace his scaling and pick him before he tanks up. |
| Two+ items | Locke | With two-plus items you kite his engage range and deny the pull he lives on. |
You beat Swain at every level because he is completely immobile and can only start a trade off a landed E root, which is slow and dodgeable. Respect the root, keep moving laterally, and poke him freely whenever his E is down.
The full Locke vs Swain report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.
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Playing the other side? Swain vs Locke guide →
All Locke mid lane matchups →
Also played in: Top Lane