Veigar vs Swain Counter Pick

Both champions deal magic damage, which removes the usual itemization question — magic resistance answers both directions and armor is nearly idle. What is left is sustain, and Swain holds all of it. The 45.3% returned by 106 games of 16.13.1 data follows from that single asymmetry.

Where the health goes:

• Ravenous Flock collects Soul Fragments that heal him and raise his maximum health permanently, so poke he survives makes him larger.
• Demonic Ascension drains from every nearby champion, minion and monster before detonating, and grows stronger the longer it runs.
• Nevermove roots on the return trip and lets him pull rooted targets toward him, dragging Veigar out of the distance he needs.

Swain attacks from 525 units against 550 and moves at 330 to 340, so neither spacing stat rules the matchup, though his 58 base attack damage against 52 makes his early trades cleaner. Death’s Hand stacks damage for each bolt that connects, so standing behind minions is a genuine defensive measure. He opens with 595 health to 580 and ends at 2,278 against 2,416 before passive stacking is counted, and his 31 base magic resistance is the highest figure either side brings. Difficulty ratings sit at 8 and 7. The workable plan holds Event Horizon for the moment he commits to his ultimate rather than spending it on the root.