How to win lane as Master Yi against Swain · 57.14% win rate over 182 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Swain | Swain's Q poke and root threat out-pressure your level 1 approach. |
| Level 2 | Swain | At level 2 his Death's Hand bolts keep chipping you before you scale. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | Level 3 evens as Alpha Strike dodges Nevermove and your shred ramps. |
| Levels 4-5 | Master Yi | By levels 4-5 your sustained DPS out-damages his mana-hungry poke. |
| Level 6 | Master Yi | At 6 Highlander speed and Meditate let you kill him before R snowballs. |
| First item | Master Yi | First item your shred out-races his tanky-mage sustain in a duel. |
| Two+ items | Master Yi | At 2+ items you out-duel and out-split his drain-tank kit solo. |
Swain wins the first two levels with Death's Hand (Q) poke and the threat of a Nevermove (W) root into burst, so respect his mana and don't feed him free trades. Farm safe and hold Alpha Strike (Q) to dodge his W.
The full Master Yi 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 Master Yi guide →
All Master Yi top lane matchups →