Teemo vs Swain — Top Lane Matchup Guide

How to win lane as Teemo against Swain · 59.38% win rate (485 Emerald+ games, lolalytics, sampled July 2026) · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15

Verdict: Teemo is favoured — 59.38% win rate over 485 games.

At a glance

Build MR — shroom-poke, dodge his E root.

Track: Swain's R — Demonic Ascension (120s cooldown). His drain. Poke when it’s down.

Do

  • Build MR + anti-heal
  • Shroom-poke from range
  • Dodge his E root

Don't

  • Fight into his R drain
  • Get E-rooted
  • Get stuck in melee

Runes & build vs Swain

Start
Doran's Ring + 2 Health Potions
First back
Oblivion Orb (≈800g) — cuts his healing
First item
Nashor's Tooth (on-hit poison)
Then
Liandry's Torment
Boots
Mercury's Treads
Runes
Press the Attack (Precision): Triumph, Legend: Alacrity, Cut Down · Inspiration: Biscuit Delivery, Cosmic Insight · Shards: Adaptive Force, Adaptive Force, Magic Resist

Favour timeline — the windows in Teemo's game plan

Read from Teemo's seat: which stage windows this plan plays for against Swain.

This is Teemo's own plan; across 485 pooled games the lane is Teemo-favoured.

StageFavouredWhy
Level 1SwainDeath's Hand outranges you 750 to 680 at level 1, so he dictates the opening skirmish before Blinding Dart exists — hold the wave back and take your poison autos on his walk-up instead.
Level 2Even / skillBlinding Dart is online, but his damage is Death's Hand and Nevermove — abilities the blind leaves alone — so bank it for his walk-up autos and keep every trade short.
Level 3Even / skillFull kit running but Swain's tankiness and E root keep him in the fight; you out-poke but cannot guarantee a kill without jungle help at this stage.
Levels 4-5Even / skillYour poke pattern is at maximum pressure with max-rank Q, but Swain's soul stacks are building and his short-trade sustain is growing — damage leads stay small rather than snowballing into kills.
Level 6Even / skillSwain's Demonic Ascension activation radius means you can no longer risk extended duels; you control the map with shrooms but the lane kill threat is gone for both sides.
First itemTeemoLiandry's DoT shreds his HP pool faster than Demonic Ascension can compensate — shroom the side lane and force him to fight or concede plates and CS while ticking down.
Two+ itemsSwainTwo completed AP items let Swain sustain through your poison in extended fights; a single Nevermove root into Demonic Ascension is lethal now, and your split-push is the only safe win condition.

How to beat Swain as Teemo: the early game

Swain level 1 is stronger than most people expect from a mage — Death's Hand reaches 750 to your 680, so the very first wave is not a free Teemo poke lane. Hold the wave back and last-hit with your Toxic Shot auto poke rather than stepping into his bolt cone. Once Blinding Dart is online the dynamic flips for his walk-up autos, though Death's Hand keeps ticking straight through the blind. Nevermove is the real trap: the wave roots on its way BACK to Swain, so step into the gap behind it — and treat Vision of Empire as a hard counter to your passive, because it reveals you outright at 22s a cast.

Hardest and easiest matchups for Teemo in top lane

Pooled Emerald+ win rates from Teemo's side, sampled July 2026.

Hardest

Easiest

Read the rest of this matchup

The full Teemo 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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Common questions

Who wins Teemo vs Swain in top lane?

Teemo — a 59.38% win rate vs Swain in top lane over 485 games is a real advantage.

Is Teemo vs Swain a skill matchup?

Not really — Teemo holds a real statistical advantage (59.38% win rate), so Swain is the one working uphill.

Does Teemo counter Swain?

Statistically yes — Teemo counters Swain in top lane, winning 59.38% of 485 Emerald+ games.

What runes does Teemo take vs Swain?

Teemo takes Press the Attack on the Precision tree with Triumph, Legend: Alacrity and Cut Down, and Inspiration secondary (Biscuit Delivery and Cosmic Insight) vs Swain.

What should Teemo build vs Swain?

Start Doran's Ring + 2 Health Potions and back for Oblivion Orb (≈800g) — cuts his healing. Build Nashor's Tooth (on-hit poison) first, then Liandry's Torment, with Mercury's Treads.

Related guides

Playing the other side? Swain vs Teemo guide →
All Teemo top lane matchups →

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