I know I ramble... Just roll with it. :D
Let me know what else you'd like to see and all that good stuff. :)
I appreciate constructive criticism, but do try this build a few times (or look at someone whos tried it) before you dismiss it. :)
IF THE SKILL SEQUENCE IS FUNKY, SORRY. I have trouble seeing the little boxes....
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THIS BUILD WORKS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL SINCE HER NERF. MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CLASSIC FULL SUPPORT BUILDS.
ALSO, THIS IS NOT A DOMINION BUILD. I'll post a dominion build when if i ever get around to writing it. :)
Anyways, I'll add to this when I've got the time, and I hope to help someone. :)
Sona is one of the best champions in the game, but, she can be a little tricky to play. The trick is to remember you're SUPPORT even though this is a dps build, and your job is to keep your team alive, and set up easy kills/rape the other team. Ya know. Whatevers easiest.


If you don't read anything else here... THE BEST SONAS MAKE KEEPING THEIR TEAMMATES ALIVE THEIR PRIORITY. Doesn't matter how (ult, heal, speed boost, etc), just keep em alive. Doing this prevents the other team from getting gold (duh....).

Supports Should:
-Be getting massive amounts of assists
-Following their teammates around
-Disabling (Silences, stuns, etc)
-Be saving teammates from certain death

Supports Should Not:
-Be kill stealing
-Be running around like Rambo. TEAM UP.
-Feed

Supports Are Allowed:
-To do massive amounts of damage, when they can, as long as they are still playing the role of a support.
-To piss off the other team
-To giggle every time the other team curses you from saving yet another teammate from certain death.

Remember, all of Sona's abilities also provide an Aura that can help your teammates, in addition to the immediate effect. Remembering what each of your aura's does and being aware of what your active aura is can be the key to winning a game.
Passive- After every 3rd spell, the next autoattack will do an additional 14 + (9xLevel) of magic damage. It will also have an additional effect depending on what the 3rd spell you cast was.
Since the nerf, I reccommend harrassing with your 'Q' early, and waiting till you have built up some AP and levels on your heal to begin to use that effectively.
Q- Hymn of Valor (Attack, +.7 damage per point ability power)
-Sends out two bolts of sound, hitting the two nearest enemies. It will prioritize champions, however, so a champion on the outside of your range will be hit BEFORE the minions standing around you.
-Its aura grants bonus attack damage and ability power.
-If it is the last spell before the passive, the damage done by your passive will double.

W- Aria of Perseverance (Heal, +.25 per point of ability power)
-Heals yourself and the most damaged friendly champ within its range.
- Aura grants bonus magic resist and armor
-Use as Power Chord causes the enemy to do 20% less damage for the next 4 seconds.

E- Song of Celerity (Speed Boost)
- Grants additional speed for 1.5 sec to you and all surrounding allies within range.
- Aura grants additional movement speed.
- Power Chord- Slows target by 40%
R- Crescendo (Ultimate, Stun)
- Causes all enemies in its range to dance (aka stunned), and take magic damage for 1.5 seconds.

Starting Item:
Meki Pendant

The item order is then built to first stop Sona from going oom, and then for cooldown reduction for max heal as well as AP so sona can can rape. (No one expects Sona to be such a rapist... She is just so sweet looking...)


Tear of the Goddess-Getting this early is essential, so you can start building mana asap. The mana regen it provides is also very useful.

Ionian Boots- The speed boost is essential for Sona's survivability all game, and the cooldown reduction makes your heals, speed boost spell, and attack far more effective.
Fiendish Codex- Early Cd reduction, mana regen, AND ability power? Need I say more?


Morrello's Evil Tome- Ability power, Cd reduction, AND mana regen? This item is perfect for Sona. No explanation needed. :)

Sheen-This item is a little harder to make a case for buying this early. HOwever, the extra mana and ability power make it worth it. Once you use this to finish building your Lich Bane, extra magic resist and movement speed make this item essential. Its passive, which deals bonus damage to targets, is useful. Not essential for Sona, but useful. Try using it before you announce it's bad. ;)


Your Choices:

Rabadon's Death Cap OR Rylai's Crystal Scepter

The Rabadon's will be large AP boost, which will greatly boost both your damage and your heals. Since her heals were nerfed, it really is a must have for effective healing.
The crystal scepter will provide AP and Health, which greatly increases Sona's survivability. However, its passive will stack with.... Just about everything Sona does. :D
This extra slow will be extraordinarily useful for... everything (escaping, preventing escape, etc.) O_o

Lich Bane

This is just finishing off your sheen, increasing mana, damage, and ability power, as well as a little bit of magic resist.

Archangels Staff- At this point you should be close to maxed out, or at least have a large bonus, to your mana from your Tear of the Goddess. The mana regen on this might be slightly superfluous at this point, but you will never go oom. Ever. I've been close to 3k mana before when buying this item, and 3% of 3000 is 90 extra ability power. Thats pretty significant. Just sayin'.

Finally, build whatever you want. Every game is a little different, especially as a support. Your team makeup, or the other team, will mandate what you build. Just be smart about what you need! If you need more survivability, build it, if you need more AP, build it, and so on.

If you are having survivability issues, I suggest either trading the Evil Tome/Fiendish codex for a Frozen Heart or the Will of the Ancients for a Guardian Angel.

Flash and Clarity are what I prefer, they are (obviously) the most useful for survival.
However, as a support, clairvoyance (CV), is often times a necessity to have. If noone else on your team is taking CV, take clarity. Otherwise, CV is a must.
That being said, I do understand that late game, clarity might be slightly superfluous, since your mana regen should be ridiculous (especially with blue buff). However, early game, it is a life saver, and can be very useful if (sorry.. when), you go oom. Late game, however, certain characters may be going oom, and having that clarity can be very useful.
Ghost is also an option, useful aiding in a quick escape. However, I usually find if your 'e' (speed boost), isn't enough for you to escape death, ghost won't help you much either.
Flash, however, is essential. No ifs, ands, or buts about that. <3

1. Don't chase by yourself. I don't care how much damage you do, how low they are, or what point in the game it is. Sona is too squishy.
2. Their are two uses for your ult, to stun a low (or lone) enemy so your team can kill them, or to save yourself or another teammate. If you're saving people, don't forget your speedboost.
Also, a player unfamiliar with Sona that lets themselves get trapped in a tower is a perfect target for a stun. Just sayin. :) )
3. Heal. Heal. Heal. (Its the green one, w) People love heals, if anyone is below full health, heal them. Your mana regen is going to be ridiculous, with the exception of early game, don't worry about conserving mana.
4. Speed Boost (its the purple one, e). This boost is actually pretty signifcant, Use it to help your teammates chase, or escape.
5. ALWAYS TEAM UP. NEVER BE ALONE. Unless you have to be. Sona is a capable solo character, but is a billion times more effective with teammates.
6. Sona is kind of a character with a little bit of frantic button mashing. Actually, a lot. Don't be afraid to button mash, especially on the 'w'. Also, button mashing doesn't necessarily indicated an easy character to play well. As is obvious from all the bad Sona's. ;)

All of this is summarized in 'The Bottom Line'. Read whichever makes more sense to you, or both. You'll get the same information.

Pretty simple. :)
Don't go after the enemy team trying to kick their ***. Help your teammates kick their ***. Use your heal as often as possible (assuming everyone isn't at full health ;) ), and follow at least one member of your team. Sona is most effective when shes paired with at least one person. While she can be an effective solo (obvs during the late game), your team will reap greater benefits from her abilities when she with her teammates.

This build is not designed for survability, at all, Sona doesn't need it. I'm a firm believer in either (if you're alone...) stun and run, or just flee for your life. :) Sona's ult can will make the entire other team burst into dance...aka stun them... for a few seconds. Long enough to either use 'E' (Sona's speed boost), flash, ghost, or some combination. The whole while, spamming heal.
Now, i'm NOT saying to flee every time you see an enemy, this is simply for a situation in which you need to flee to avoid giving the other team kills. Sona is squishy. So very very squishy....
In a team fight, fleeing clearly doesn't apply, since Sona is SUPPORT and should be SUPPORTING the team. She should be sitting in the back of the pack, healing, stunning, and just being an all around badass. :)

Sona can be an effective solo laner, and thats actually one of the funnest (Yea. I'm making that word. Deal with it.), ways to play her. SOLO SONA IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLAYSTYLE THAN YOUR NORMAL SUPPORT PLAYSTYLE. So... ignore everything I've just told you. :D
HOW TO SOLO SONA:
First buy a Shurleyas, (which you can keep if you like, it will replace your Will of the Ancients), which will provide mana regen, and, more importantly health regen. This will help you conserve mana. With this regen, you don't have to heal yourself, or at the very least, you have to heal yourself less, allowing you to max out your attack (q) first. This also provides a decent amount of mana regen, as well as extra survivability for Sona.
Max out your 'q' first. It actually does a rather large amount of damage, not only to enemy champs, but to minions.
Turret hug. Sona is too squishy not too, especially early game, and I promise your enemies will come to you. It might seem... noobish... to hug your turret, but, it is in fact, smart playing. AFter level 8 or 9, you should be able to quit turret hugging and be able to use your stun and 'Q', as well as autoattack to harrass and take out the enemy champs. Remember to use your turret if you can for the extra damage. Stunning in the turret is always fun. Also, you will be harassed much less if you stay with your tower, and Sona is pretty damn easy to kill w/ mild harassment.
Don't chase. Some champs can, some can't. Sona can't chase, she's just too easy to kill 1v2+.
Make use of flash. Attack, then flash away before they can hit you too hard. Remember, you might be a badass, but YOU'RE STILL SQUISHY.
Laugh. Every time you kill an enemy champ. This is extraordinarily important. I promise.

Meh. I need new screen shots.
Go try it yourself. :P
I'll get around to it eventually.