WELL NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. THIS IS HOW YOU PLAY SONA.
Or this is at least how i feel like sona's been working the best for me.
I mean, I figured. Most people who read guides, are not like pro top ranked players, but people who play in low elo and therefore dont always does the best with the same items.
Take FOR EXAMPLE, ME. I love Sona. Why do I love sona? Because I can't play LoL. Just spam my skills, doesn't have to be targeted at anyone, NPNPNPNP JUST CLICK QWE AND YOU ALL GOOOOOOD.
If you play sona like this. People will like your Sona NPNPNP.
This is of course, for normal games. Because I don't play ranked. Because I'm not good. :(

Runes

LOL. Runes. Lol. Why don't I have many runes on my top part there. I tell you why.


Only runes I find significant. Is my mana regen. Sona loves mana regen. So do I. This is a must IMO.


All other rune, WHATEVER. WHHAAATEVER.
What I use is on blues, the cooldown reduction per lvl. This is not rly important is it. No. Because you know what? Supports NEVER REACH LVL 18. Per lvl things? Not good.
Magic resist? +1


RED THINGS.
Whatever. I have atm Armor. Always had armor on reds. Because they save my life. They save your like. Flat armor. Saves lives.


Quints.
I do flat health. Because. I always played with 4 bars of health. At start. I always was scared. At the start.
I bought Quints. Health. Revelation. 5 bars. I was almost screaming in joy at my boyfriend for having 5 bars of health at the start. Good times.

Masteries

0-9-21
Because.
It's how the professionals do it. Then I do it too.
Gold at the start there, priceless. You can go 2x Mana regen and 2x Wards,
Or 2x Mana regen 1x Ward, 2x Pots.
This.
Saves
Sona's life. And ur laning partner's.

The 21th in utility is Summoner Reduction cooldown. Which is really good. Since flash will be very important to you. I've considered changing flash for something else many times. But honestly. Everytime I play a game I realize how important flash is to me for survival.

+ CV cooldown. Is too good, when you're teammates are always like CV CV CV PING CV PING PING. You cv that spot. Because it's off cooldown.

Alternate

I've also gone defense tree in masteries. And pure defense/MR in runes. This is not as good. But what it lets you do, is jump into the AD carry and damage him alot and then run out again. Alive. Without using your flash. This used to be good for me, because I always overextended. It saved me so many times in the start, until I realized that supports are not supposed to do that. That is when I went for this current build I have now.

The amazing Passive that is Sona.
This passive is amazing. You do your skills three times, and you have the super mega auto attack.
The art of using it is to click the right Q/W/E right before you auto attack.

Q, The super-damage-autoattack. Early game. You make sure to hit the ad carry with this. Blows off like 2 bars.
W, The 20% less damage. .... ..... .... Use it on like.. Their ad carry in a teamfight maybe?
E, the SLOW. This is godlike. And will the best passive you can attack with late game. Oh, how many people I've saved with it (Not getting credits for it of course. But that's what you are when you are a support. The superhero noone knows who is. She's just there. Saving the day for 45 minutes every game).

Attack damage
Click the Q whenever you are nearby your enemies. This tend to focus minions sometimes, so make sure to be closer to the enemies. Does a really bad job killing minions, but it's the only thing you've got. This is priceless against towers.
If your laningpartners were to attack a tower, don't care if they have half life, just spam that Q. It gives like 10 extra damage everytime you hit, and your allies hitting the turret. That turret will get nuked.
If you HAVE the occasion to use this skill in a teamfight. Do it.

Healing powers.
People say that this is the only thing sona is good for. And she sucks at it.
Might be true that she sucks at it.
Which is why you max it in lvl first. Try to keep your teammates at full life.
And like its been said before. Are you low on mana (which you WONT be L O L), you only use your healing.

Speed boost.
Chasing someone, running away from someone.
Combination with the passive. Best thing ever. Slow the enemy you're chasing. Slow the enemy who IS chasing.
I always put 2 points in this if I decide to max attack before speed. Or I just mix both two up. But speed is so good. SO GOOD.

ITEMS. This is how you do it.


Start with 2x Faerie charms, 2x Health pots, 1x Ward.


Mana regen item is so good. Best thing in the world. I would not trade it for two wards, ever. In the world. Mana regen. Too good. Too good. +1


BUT HARTH, YOU HAVE ONLY 1 WARD. HOW DO U HANDLE.
This is how you handle. When you reach lvl 3-4. Before that, ganks? NP at lvl the junglers gank top. NOOO PROBLEM BOTTOM. Junglers gank bot around lvl 5 or something like that. That's why you ward then. I always ward a little bit outside the brush, for good luck. so you can see more of the map.
After that ward is gone. You should be careful.
Although junglers are not usually camping bottom, so its not too much big offa deal.


1st time you go back. You buy Philosophers. if not money for philosophers.
BUY WARDS (max 3)


2nd-3rd-4th
Finish those bloody boots
BUY WARDS EVERYTIME, keep 2 in your pocket at all times. NP


Next time
>

PING.
YOU FINISHED YOUR BUILD!


At this point, you're like 20 mins into the game.
People have attack. And defense. You can barely kill minions yourself.


Continue build? SITUATIONAL.
First goal would be Aegis of the Legion. Because your team needs it. Do you have an amazing tank alrdy that has Aegis? You don't buy it because you don't care.
Then usually after aegis i go like AP or something. Maybe a spellvamp thing would be nice for your team? And you get ap?


IF YOUR TEAM ALREADY HAS THAT AEGIS. YOU GO HARDCORE DEFENSE.
Why do you go hardcore defense? Because the enemy team. focuses you.


NECATRON CLOAK. CHAIN VEST


Out of chain vest: Frozen heart.


You have a Cho'gath on your team that always buys frozen heart?


****.

Buy only a
or just go straight hardcoremode

INSIDE OF THIS, ARE YOU GETTING KILLS (oh god hope not)/ASSISSTS, YOU BUY HEART OF GOLD.

Preferably after the Ionian boots or the Shurelyas.


Out of negatron: Force of nature / QSS
or

I buy QSS because it's cheaper, i dont really use it, do i.


THESE ITEMS. PREVENTS YOU FROM DYING. IT MAKES YOUR ENEMIES ANGRY. AND IT MAKES YOU LAUGH HUEHUEHUEHUE.

Wards. Makes you feel important. And it saves your team.

- Pantheon.

There's something about him, everytime you lane with Pantheon bottom. It's my favourite champion to lane with bottom. He doesn't die, you don't die. Before the jungler comes in at least. If you were to stumble upon Pantheon as your laning partner, I would go for the Mana Manipulator.
Making sure I tell Pantheon, so he is aware that I don't have wards. Because this item. Takes all of your money.
The bad thing about Mana manipulator is that it only builds into Soul Shroud. It gives you a lot of health. It gives your allies cd in teamfights, otherwise, I found my other build more effective.

- Talon.

Same goes for Talon. These two men are hungry for mana. I would've bought Mana manipulator for these two. It benefits your laningpartner more than wards early game, IMO.
Don't worry about bothering your laningpartner with those retreat pings a little more often.
- Caitlyn & Vayne
The two best ad carries, which makes them also my favourite ad carries. Because they're able to deny other ad carries, and theyre able to kill them aswell if their skillevel is high enough. They're easy to support aswell. Just click that W when they're missing life.

- Graves
Face it. Most graves in your elo are total noobs. That's why I do not like laning with him. But he's strong. You get a decent graves, your job is easy.


All other laning partners
Is a hassle to deal with. You have to poke the enemy ad carry so he doesnt perma deny yours, and your laning partner looses hp CONSTANTLY. You gotta spam W while you're handling the enemy ad carry and support. This is though prolly how you ARE supposed to play a support. But I would rather have an easy job than a hard one. Just if you're playing with them, just like I said. Keep at safe distance from their support so you don't do anything stupid like, getting knocked up. So the enemy ad carry reaches you. Try aswell to poke them at the same time. This is the art of being a support.

The main art of being a support is surviving. This does not apply if you could kill youself to save a teammate. Because then you kill yourself to save that teammate, but that's more of a janna-style.

But this is how you don't die. It's very easy.

Dodge skillshots.

This is actually the art of surviving with every champion. And if you happen to read this without being a support. You still should do this. Not being able to dodge skillshots looses you the game. Whenever. Wherever.
But since you are the support, and you are not supposed to have kills, which is why you DONT have money for anything else than boots of speed. You have to be even better at it.

Let me give you an example of a recent gaming experience I had.

I was bot support, Sona. My mid ally was Xerath. And the enemy mid was Ahri. At this point, I had been playing against Ahri all day (free ahri week). I had at this point played mid already once today, and I ate that Ahri alive because I found it one of the most easy champions ever to play against. I told Xerath at the start. That how you play against Ahri is that you dodge her skills. And she doesn't do any damage to you.
My ally volibear and Xerath there right after said in /all chat that I should be reported for flaming. Here I just sighed. But I reminded Xerath about it once again so he would understand.
What happens the next minute? Ahri first blood.
Ahri 4-0-0
.... >_>
Later this game, I meet Ahri 1v1. I'm like THIS QURL, SHES GONNA DIE. And what do I do. I dodge her skillshots. And that fed Ahri, looses half her life against my 0% healthloss, and then she decides to use her ultimate to get away.

Of course. Any other champion in the world, you should run away.

Are you running away from 5 full life enemies, and it's you in front, and that Malphite ally of yours some range behind you. Then you stop, wait for malphite (if there's a chance to save him, this is wheere your judgement comes in), spam your E. Use the shurelyas. And you're both alive.
If there's an ally running away alone, low health, and you think you're like, right outside the range of saving him. Still go there. Use your ultimate. Do a W, then a E.

This is around the only way you get appreciated as a support. I would take it.

If your teammates are doing bad. You get the blame. Because you are 0-5-13. You have ZERO KILLS? PEOPLE. THIS SONA HAS ZERO KILLS. SHE'S THE ONE TO BLAME. SHE'S THE REASON WE'RE DOING BAD.
No.
It's not.
But your teammates thinks it's your fault.
If you have a bad ad carry, I'm afraid you will get a score like this. 0-5. You cannot save your team if your ad carry is doing bad, I'm sorry.
This is what you sacrifice for being a support.

IF YOU GET THE BLAME.
You tell them qurl. How you FEEL. YOUR FEELINGS. You were NOT the one feeding malphite top. YOU WERE NOT THE ONE feeding Ahri mid. YOU DON'T GO ALONE 15 MINS INTO THE GAME IN THE ENEMY JUNGLE PL0X. You tell them. What to do. And they'll shut up. And some times. They will listen aswell.

LVL1. Level up Q. Charge it in base, or on your way to the 2nd turret. Your mana regen is godlike anyway. I would always only charge it to 2 stacks. So I could have room to accidentaly hit a minion first, you know? Always clever.
If you're purple side, you can charge the Q the second time there. But be quick with it, so you don't steal the minions with it lol.

First blood? I would do that. If I had tryndamere as my laning partner. Don't ever expect a first blood, and don't pressure your laning partner to do it. Your laning partner is your BOSS. You listen to him if he wants you to change your playstyle. You do it.

At 1:40, CV the brush next to blue. Then you can see both wolves and blue.
Depending on the jungler, they might've gone for red. So CV the red then. If there's no one on blue. Make your team aware of it. Maybe the enemies are invading. If the enemy team has no jungle. Save your CV for your own brush.

FACECHECK BRUSHES ADRENALIN KICK. You don't do this. Hug the wall on the other side until you see both of your enemies, then it's most likely safe. Wait for minions AND your laning partner.

- Don't poke the minions down to low life. I used to do this. Takes too much concentration. Stare at the minimap or the enemies aswell. Make sure that you know where they are at all times.
- You don't have to camp in the brush. But you could because that's cool.
- DON'T TAKE MINION KILLS. The best sona is 0/0/XX CS: 0. TRUE SUPPORT.
- Poke your enemies. BUT DO NOT OVEREXTEND. I do this all the time! Too much hp lost. You waste your flash.

Ward first when you reach lvl 3. Junglers wont gank before that.

In a gank, sometimes, if you have to initiate it. Bait, they use all their skills on you, you flash. JOB DONE. Your jungler and ad carry takes the kills. You get assists.

If ever both of your teammates are low, and you know you're going to die (usually running saves you anyway somehow) You stop. And let them eat you, so your teammate can run.
IF you ARE getting ganked, spam W. If W on cooldown, E. If E on cooldown, Q.
Usually I wouldnt wait with flash. I would use it at half life.
Saves you.

Try to avoid going back before you can afford a philosophers. Your pots will help you keep you alive, and if you don't have mana, just try to avoid using skills for 10 sec and your mana is halfway full again.

The one rule of laning phase is: never heal yourself. If you click that W it is because your laning partner needs it. You don't use mana on yourself.
If you're alone on the other hand. Then ok. OK.

Mention that dragon is up all the time. If you see an opportunity to take it. Nag ur teammates bout it.

Enemy supports, How to handle

Alistar - Poke him and his ad carry until he has used all his mana, then he either goes back or he's just gonna be useless. If you can make him waste a headbuttpulv on you. You've done your job.
Janna - Just the most annoying support to be against. Her mana wont dissapear. And shes all slow-knockup-enemyadcarrydoesloadsofsdamage. It's not really worth poking her. Just try to poke the ad carry, because she can't heal. If you can make Janna waste the shield on herself, GOODJOOOB.
Soraka - MOST ANNOYING SUPPORT IN THE WORLD.
Not much you can do. Your poking will be in vain. But you can still do it. It tends to be easy to deny someone with soraka as their support.
MIRROR SONA - Everytime you poke her. She will poke you back. Harder. 90% of the time. The thing about the enemy sona is that she hasn't read this guide. And that is why she has only one faerie charm, which means she has 0 mana, and you have full mana, after some exchanges of poking.
Bruisers - LOL U PRAISE THE LOLGOD. This is the easiest thing you'll ever deal with if you meet two bruisers in the lane.
Lux - Just... Survive. And make sure your ad carry does aswell.

If you pushed the bot lane / Killed them + Killed the jungler / jungler is at other side of the map. Go for dragon.

Dragon is quite easy. Keep up Q rather than W. Unless your team needs it. Makes dragon go faster, you can do W afterwards.

Your job is to guard the dragon. You scare away the junglers easy, just by walking towards them.
But if there's 5 of the enemies, you have a problem. Just don't get caught.

Dragon respawns every 6 min. Keep that in mind.

If you get into a teamfight.

- If you're outside of the fight
You spam W, Q, E, in that order until the teamfight is over. Slow the people, Nerf the people. Dont use your Q-passive. For godssake.

- If you're in the fight
Do the same thing. But right here. The enemy team will focus you because you are squishy. Pop shurelyas straight away run/flash out of the teamfight, and then you are outside the fight and you do the W, Q, E.

Stay with your teammates. I usually find myself always following my laning partner. But stay where there's most action, most people.
If you see someone running from enemies, YOU GO THERE AND SAVE THAT MAN.
I've used my ult more to save people than kill people. And teammates appreciate that more.
Don't ever get caught urself, though.

There's always people in the river between top and mid. Never go there alone. IF you don't know where everyone are. Try to avoid this place on the map. BUT DO YOU HAVE TO GO THERE, YOU GO THERE, GIRL. Place wards all over the place.

At this stage, I always find myself full mana full hp all the time, but you still have to remember to go back to buy wards.

Use your skills to get an assist. Is there two fights going on. And you have to choose which one.
Your tank leaving you to go to fight top. Make sure to give him that speedboost as you go down to the other fight. This gives you an assist. That you're going to LOVE.

Your mission is to keep your teammates alive. Do everything for that. Late game the most useful passive-attack you have is your speed one, that slows enemies. Slow a guy, save a life.
Half life Shyvanas run from full life sonas. DON'T WORRY.

Use your shurelyas frequently.
Use your CV frequenly.
Spam your E skill when you're going somewhere with your teammates.

WITH THIS BUILD AND PLAYSTYLE, I have never lost against an enemy sona.
I'm just saying.
This build works if you play low ELO, against Noobs. Otherwise. I have no experience.