Sona vs Swain Counter Pick

Swain’s kit is built around a radius, and Sona’s is built around never standing inside one. She wins the exchange at 57.6% across 351 games on patch 16.13.1, with 550 attack range against his 525.

• Demonic Ascension drains health from nearby enemy champions, minions and monsters, so its value depends entirely on how many bodies are in reach when it comes on.
• Nevermove is the enabler: a wave that returns to Swain, roots what it hits and lets him pull rooted champions toward him.
• Ravenous Flock converts Soul Fragments into permanent maximum health, a slow benefit that first requires surviving the phase where he is still on 595 base health.
• Death’s Hand pierces through everything in its path and grows with each bolt that connects, which makes a stacked wave the worst place to stand.

The counter-pattern is unglamorous and effective. Song of Celerity gives nearby allies movement speed, the cheapest way to break a Nevermove return path, and Aria of Perseverance repairs the chip damage Death’s Hand produces on the way through. Swain rates 8 in difficulty against 4, and although he ends sturdier at 2,278 health and 104.9 armor against 2,097 and 97.4, none of that helps while his root keeps landing on minions. Sona holds Crescendo for the moment he ascends. He moves at 330 against her 325, so a missed root is not free for either side.