Hybrid high current, surface mount swing inductor and fabrication methods

An inductor includes discrete magnetic core pieces fabricated from different magnetic materials having different magnetic properties. An inverted U-section conductive coil includes a top section and first and second legs to establish a surface mount connection to a circuit board, and the discrete magnetic core pieces are assembled around the inverted U-section conductive coil. The first and second discrete magnetic core pieces are operable to reach magnetic saturation at respectively different current loads applied to the coil when the circuit board is energized, imparting multiple steps of inductance rolloff response to a range of current loads.