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So first off: the runes. Scaling AP marks simply don't scale well enough to warrant being useful. If you really want to run AP, just grab AP quints and/or blues and go something like armor/flat hp/mr/AP (or armor/flat hp/ap/ap). The 'ideal' Soraka rune page would probably be armor/flat hp/mr/hp5, but as for glyphs, you could probably run whatever (MR isn't that important on supports; consider running x3 mana regen).
Grabbing Q first is fine, though you shouldn't max it. About 3 points in Q is fine against lanes with weak poke, such as Janna, TK, Braum, and so on (NOT lanes that outtrade you). Naturally, you max your heal first after that, and you could also mention that E max second against assassin-heavy teams is decent.
Going to lane early on without potions pretty much automatically loses it for you. Having potions allows you to actively trade and heal up after bad trades, not to mention that Soraka's W costs mana and potions allow more room for error. Your hp5 runes simply do not make up for the sustain potions provide. Hell, you're even telling your readers to get the cookie mastery. If you struggle with mana control, just get some mana regen blues. Running Refillable is cost-efficient, too, despite running cookie. It's fine to go Spellthief in lanes where you can easily poke (lanes with no sustain - Janna, Morgana, whatever).
Always swap out yellow trinket for red trinket after buying Sighstone. Also, you typically want to rush Redemption, even before you complete your Eye item or Talisman if you can afford it. Only get Mikael if you can actually make use of it (really heavy cc team). Locket or Censer should be next (Censer if they don't really have magic damage).
As for boots, you typically Ionians. Tabi and Mercs are good choices. Don't get Mobis on someone like Soraka if you can't actively make use of them to create pressure in other lanes and place deep wards.
Also, red sightstone + medallion/talisman (don't necessarily have to upgrade it) is a decent alternative to Eye as well (red sightstone reduces active items' cooldown by 20%).
Deathcap I completely disagree on, but that point has already been addressed by someone else.
You could list other items there as situationals, though it hardly matters because you probably won't make it that far anyway.
Sorry for the wall of text! Do consider the suggestions I've made. A guide should, after all, primarily focus on teaching people how to use the champion in question optimally.
AP quints would give you basically the same amount (one less) at level one as those marks give at level 18. The marks don't scale well at all and I can't say they seem like they're particularly worth it due to that fact.
You could, if you really want more AP later in the game, run two flat and one scaling CDR quint (gives the same amount of CDR at level 18 as your current set up) and use scaling AP glyphs (which are the best option for that). If you don't really want to give up the health regen in quints, I honestly recommend dropping the scaling AP marks completely. You'd be better off just running flat armor marks to make you more durable early game with how poorly they scale (.9 AP/level).
Just musing though, feel free to do whatever works for you, obviously.
I know the scaling AP marks aren't the best option but I'd definitely keep my Health Regen quints. I did the math with the normal and the scaling AP marks and glyphs before I decided on using the scaling AP marks and I know they aren't that great, but I personally think that having at least a little AP in your runes is useful. Especially since my build does not have any other source of AP except for
The scaling CDR glyphs are more of a personal preference and I have been experimenting with and without them, but I like having them in most of my builds so I don't think I'll end up swapping those out soon.
So with the quints and 6 glyphs being occupied already, and the seals being the best for armor, that leaves the marks and 3 glyphs to switch around with.
I could, as you suggest, switch out the scaling AP marks for flat armor marks for more durability early game, but usually it's more the late-game phase that I feel like Soraka falls off a bit. Since she already scales armor by leveling up, getting magic resist marks would be more beneficial in my eyes.
And if I were to get magic resist marks with the idea of being more durable in the late-game phase then there would be no sense in getting flat marks, which give you 6.93 magic resist, while scaling marks would already give you the same amount on level 11 (with a max of 11.34 at level 18). And keeping the 3 scaling magic resist glyphs as well gives a total of 9.03+11.34= 20.37 magic resist at level 18.
Conclusion: IF I'd switch out the scaling AP marks I'd take scaling magic resist marks instead and possibly get 3 scaling AP glyphs in place of the magic resist onces I run now. However, at this point I cannot be certain if this works and what I prefer so I'll need to experiment with that to be sure of my personal preference. Meanwhile, I'll leave my runes as they are now.
It usually yields more healing than
Good guide overall, but calling Rabadon's a must-have is triggering me. :P
I was gonna do the math myself at one point, but then I got lazy
Lots of googling bbcode and 'inspect element' on other guides has helped me a great deal. And of course lots and lots of save and refresh haha ^-^
As for actual advice, might I suggest taking
Good luck with your guide, and have fun on the rift! ^_^
Also, I have been in doubt about the Insight over Perseverance for a while. I didn't understand why people wouldn't take the health regen of
So thanks for breaking it down for me so it's easily understandable why this was such a mistake ^-^"
I used to build Doran's Ring on support Soraka a few years ago. My lane got first blood pretty much every game. I was convinced that it was THE thing to do and tried to convince a few other people as well (PsiGuard and Wayne - remember that support guide thing, eheh). As I played more I realised that it wasn't the damage or extra AP that helps my team in the long run, but the items I buy to support my team and how I played to support my team.
Also, your Q already slows so you're only getting the slow benefit from Rylai's on your E (but not when they walk into your E).
Have a look at these builds for inspiration: http://www.probuilds.net/champions/details/Soraka
All the best!
I will definitely do my best to improve this guide and improve my gameplay. Also, thanks for the tip on Rylai's, that completely slipped my attention... Quite bad :p