Welcome to my guide, hope you enjoy.

First off, Leona, in my opinion, is a pure tank and that is what she was meant to be. I've seen people trying to off tank, AP Leona, but all in all I don't think it works out to the teams benefit, or yours...because chances are your not gonna get the hottest score.

Anyway, here is the guide and how I like to build Leona, and how I like to play her. Hope it works out for you, because it has been working for me.


Enjoy,

The Kaptain

For my masteries I like to run 0/21/9 setup I find it maxes out my effectiveness on the battlefield due to the survivability gained



DEFENSIVE TREE:
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Increases your champions magic resist 2/4/6. Give you a good MR boost for early game fights and for harassing the enemy team without taking too much damage.
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Increases your champion's armor by 2/4/6. Once again increases armor for more survivability in the lane, allowing you too harass and push longer.
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Increases dodge chance by 0.5/1/1.5/2. Increases your champions "juking" ability, comes in handy when you do have to back out of the lane and your getting harassed.
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On dodge, increases your movement speed by 10% for 5 seconds. Predecessor to Evasion, this plays a nice role once again, when your are being chased and you need to maximize your getaway, nimbleness procs and your out of there.
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Your champion takes 1/2 less damage from minions and monsters. Early game when your harassing the enemy champ those minions can hurt when you got a group of them, so this allows you to harass a little more and push a little easier.
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Blocks 1/1.5/2 physical damage. Excellent against any AD/Melee champs who come in to attack you, blocking some damage and increasing your survivability.
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Increases your champion's health by 12/24/36/48. Excellent for early game survivability, extra health, takes longer to bring you down, you get more lane sustainability.
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Decreases all damage dealt to your champion by 4%. Great when the enemy team starts getting stronger, helps reduce those burst damage bombs that get dropped on you, a must for any tank.



UTILITY TREE:

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Increases your total health/mana regeneration by 2/3/4%. Combine this in the beginning with your regrowth pendant and you will be laughing for a while while your in lane forever.
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Your ghost spell increases movement speed by an additional 8% and increases the duration by 1.5 seconds. Helpful when your trying to escape or when you need to get the last hit on an enemy.
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Increases the amount of experience your champion gains by 1.25/2.5/3.75/5%. Helps your level up faster in the laning phase, cant go wrong there.
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Generates 1 gold every 10 seconds. Gold, I love gold.



However a 0/9/21 guide can be viable as well, especially with increased movement speed for ganking as well as cooldown reduction...you cant go wrong there

For my runes I run it like this:


9x Increase MPen Marks - Gives a little bit more of a kick early game, to help get that first blood

9x +AR Seals - Pretty standard, imo, on any kind of tank/junlge helps a ton early game

3x +MR Glyphs - Helps against the the AP early game

6x +MR per Lvl Glyphs- As the game goes on the AP gets stronger....and your MR goes up, yay.

3x +Health Quints - Who doesn't like extra health?

This rune set up provides some punch for early game, while getting some survivability for early, mid, and late game. Works for me, should work for you.

Explanation:


Exhaust, pretty self explanatory, enemy is getting away? bam! slow em' down and allow you and/or your team catch up with them and lay down a pubstomping.

Ghost, as well helps catch up with an enemy getting away, ghost w/ shurelyas allows for a quick runner for someone wearing high heels. allowing you to get the stun hit.


OTHER VIABLE OPTIONS:




Fortify, good for any tank...helps a turret in need.

Flash, quick getaway, or a quick stun

Ignite, helps with that first blood early game

Teleport, save that turret or get in there for a gank/teamfight

Explanation:


Starting with yourfirst allows you to get in a stun on the enemy champ so your lane partner can get in some damage.

Getting yoursecond allows for an even quick stun. Charge your Q in the bush and use E to pull yourself too them for the stun. Just make sure your partner is ready to make a move.

Maxingis the next move to make, and I do this simply for damage, you already have your stun, you have your initiate, so now all you need is more damage to aid your teammates in taking down the enemies.

Gettingwhenever possible, this is your most important move, when used properly it deals some decent damage, but more importantly it stuns and/or slows the enemy depending on where it hits.

Next up is maxing yourI do this because although its not the most damage, reducing the cooldown your stun is essential, with cooldown reduction items you can get it down quite low, so you will always have a stun ready.

Finally max yourI use this ability generally only for initiations or chasing an enemy, so for me maxing it early is not essential.

Early game for just about all champions is to farm, harass, and farm some more. Leona is no different, she needs gold just like everyone else. Although you should let your carry/laning partner get majority of the last hits, don't forget to grab some for yourself.

ALWAYS try and get yourself a duo lane, it always works out for the better, unless it is NECESSARY to solo top. Leona is not the strongest solo lane...although she can do it.

Harassing the enemy is very easy, especially since you have a nice stun...the opposing team majority of the time is afraid of getting stun-locked and pub-stomped, so use your Q to your advantage and harass, harass, harass

If the mid is low, and you can pull of a stun and gank with your mid laner, by all means...step out and lend a helping hand and help get that first blood for the team.

Always a good idea to have some wards propped in the bushes for better vision of a gank, you don't want to be hit some behind while bombing a turret

Mid game, a few team fights should be breaking out around now, continue buying wards (for dragon, gank points, and baron if the team is pub stompin' you), setting up ganks, and even baiting the enemy into a bush full of your allies.

by now you should have:and working your way to a,, ordepending on what the team is doing.

Late game is upon us and were either on the way to victory, or were about to lose.

Have some wards at baron in case the enemy team is trying to overpower you.

by now majority of your build should be complete, and you should be on your way to that last item of choice, if the game is pressing on...go for a bit of damage to help.

and always be ready to use yourin a team fight...change that game!

Team Fights are where I think Leona is most handy why?

Extremely good initiation
Has a very low cooldown stun
Her ultimate is a game changer (especially if you can hit the stun)
Tremendous survivability Early all the way to Late game
AOE damage which is helpful to any team fight
Aswell as extra damage for nearby allies

Obviously initiate the team fight, focusing and stun-locking the enemy carry, if they are in reach. and when they all come hurdling towards you, drop your solar flare to stun and/or slow them so your team can unleash a serious being on them, and chances are you will come out alive, with your team winning that fight.

Using Solar Flare:

When going in for a gank, anticipate movement of the target, place is a little bit ahead if they are running away that way they run into the STUN not just the slow.
When using it for a getaway, once again anticipate movement, however don't use it if it is just one guy chasing you, chances are with your survivability you can get away with just a ghost and/or exhaust.
Taking down dragon or baron, almost got them done but there is enemies incoming to try and steal...drop your solar flare in front of them so you can get the stun and take down dragon/baron successfully.
Chasing a target, drop the solar flare in front of them so they get trapped. either they will try and turn around and get caught back into you, or they get stunned allowing you to get to them.
Teamfights, this is where solar flare is big, when they group up for a team fight you can drop solar flare for a massive stun/slow allowing your team to unleash a large amount of damage, and you will either get a huge advantage and/or win the teamfight.

Below is a diagram of some Solar Flare positioning, albeit a poor diagram, but hopefull it helps some having trouble

Here are some my games played with Leona, generally a higher number of assists, letting the carry get the kills for gold, and just assisting in every way possible.

Hope you enjoyed the guide,

So far my thoughts on Leona have been great, she is a very fun champion to play, very strong when used properly and she can be a game changer in a team fight.

Will be updating this guide regularly if I come across any new builds, or things that work out fairly well for me in game and I will keep your all updated.


Thanks, +I LIKE

The Kaptain