How to win lane as Swain against Vladimir · 51% win rate over 449 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Swain | Vlad is very weak at level 1, so Swain's Q out-trades his Transfusion easily. |
| Level 2 | Swain | Swain bullies the low-sustain early Vlad before his Q heal scales. |
| Level 3 | Swain | Swain's E Nevermove plus Q burst beats Vlad, whose only escape is a cooldown-gated W pool. |
| Levels 4-5 | Swain | Swain keeps the HP lead and can all-in Vlad before his item sustain comes online. |
| Level 6 | Swain | Swain's R sustain plus an E root out-duels a still-scaling Vlad whose R is only an amp. |
| First item | Even / skill | Vlad's sustain catches up at first item and both become drain tanks — even. |
| Two+ items | Vladimir | Fully-online Vlad out-heals and out-scales Swain, with W pool dodging E and R amping his team. |
Vlad is one of the weakest laners at level 1, so walk up and out-trade his Transfusion with Death's Hand every time. At 2 you keep bullying — his sustain hasn't scaled and he has no way to punish your walk-ups yet.
The full Swain vs Vladimir 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.
Become a Founding Member — $1.99/month →🔒 Secure checkout · 💰 7-day money-back guarantee · ✋ Cancel anytime
Early Access price — $3.99/month for new members after launch.
Playing the other side? Vladimir vs Swain guide →
All Swain mid lane matchups →
Also played in: Top Lane