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Sona Build Guide by Hanjaro

Support Hanjaro's Sona Supporting your way to Challenger.

Support Hanjaro's Sona Supporting your way to Challenger.

Updated on September 21, 2021
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League of Legends Build Guide Author Hanjaro Build Guide By Hanjaro 85 6 189,304 Views 12 Comments
85 6 189,304 Views 12 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author Hanjaro Sona Build Guide By Hanjaro Updated on September 21, 2021
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Runes: General

Sorcery
Summon Aery
Manaflow Band
Transcendence
Scorch

Precision
Presence of Mind
Cut Down
Bonus:

+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+6 Armor

Spells:

1 2 3
LoL Summoner Spell: Flash

Flash

LoL Summoner Spell: Ignite

Ignite

Threats & Synergies

Threats Synergies
Extreme Major Even Minor Tiny
Show All
None Low Ok Strong Ideal
Extreme Threats
Ideal Synergies
Synergies
Ideal Strong Ok Low None






Hey guys! Hanjaro here!
A little bit about me
I started playing League in Season 1, towards the end of the season. Since the beginning I was a support main, I enjoyed the 2v2 dynamics much more than 1v1s so I've stuck with it throughout my league career.
I have achieved the rank of challenger at multiple points during seasons 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, and continue to push for the highest elo I can get.
I love competitive games and have yet to find anything for me that compares to League.
Aside from League, I am a happily married man, father of 2 kids and I am a beloved pet owner. If you guys have any questions about my guides, champions or really anything in general, feel free to stop by my stream!


Why Sona?

Sona is one of the strongest enchanters currently, she has good lane harass, very good sustain, she has utility and a scaling Exhaust, an aoe stun, and she's great into poke compositions. All in all Sona is a very versatile and
strong pick, and she's able to be blind picked pretty safely.

If you enjoy playing, or want to learn more about Sona, you can read and discuss more over at
/r/SonaMains.

Summoner Spells




Flash is taken as your primary escape summoner, making it easier to correct positional mistakes.

The reasoning behind Ignite is that it gives you a lot of extra pressure in lane, and furthermore adds a 40% healing reduction. Sona exerts good harass in lane, and can make it easier to follow up with a kill by taking Ignite.

Exhaust is used when there are high damage threats on the enemy team, such as Zed, Kayn, Draven etc
It gives you an extra chance at escaping with the damage reduction, as well as the slow it provides. The damage reduction can be used to negate all in damage, from something like a Zed's Death Mark.

Barrier is a defensive summoner, removing a bit of Sona's lane pressure, but the trade off is more survivability. She's one of the squishiest enchanter's, very low base HP and stats. Barrier makes it easier to stay alive, and can turn fights around, giving you a couple more seconds to heal up and turn the fight.

Runes
Sorcery + Inspiration





Summon Aery is the go to keystone for Sona, providing her with extra poke in lane, and an extra shield for sustain, and can proc off auto attacks.

Manaflow Band is the only viable rune in this column for Sona, it helps with your mana regen - which can quickly ramp up when you're consistently casting your abilities in lane to defend your ally and poke the enemy - your heal is high mana cost, this rune helps negate that a bit.

Absolute Focus helps with Sona's early lane harass, taken with Biscuit Delivery and your heal, you can generally keep yourself healthy enough to be over the threshold, benefitting from the extra ability power.
Transcendence is a better choice if you're against heavy poke, maximizing our ability haste, and we're finding it harder to build ability haste, so taking this rune will help reduce our basic ability cooldowns substantially, especially in teamfights.

Once again, focusing on an early lead in laning phase, Scorch is your go to rune. It helps give your ADC a little bit more breathing room when poking enemies down, and it's the best rune in this tier for early laning.
Gathering Storm is a good option as well, but it focuses more on post 20 minutes - if you have carries such as Ryze, Vayne and Kassadin, who scale high into late game, you might want to consider taking this over Scorch.

Presence of Mind increases our mana regeneration when we damage an enemy champion for 4 seconds, and takedowns restore 15% of our maximum mana. Sona is extremely mana hungry, so we need as much regen as we can get.

With how minimal HP Sona has, Cut Down will help us do that bit more damage, especially if the enemy team is tanky.


Itemization


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-OR-



-OR-

Boots of Mobility > MOVEMENT SPEED
Has good synergy with Song of Celerity and Magical Footwear, enabling Sona to ward efficiently, and keep up with her team.

Mercury's Treads > TENACITY/AP RESIST
If the enemy team has a lot of CC, or a lot of AP damage, you can trade Mobi's out for these. They offer +25 magic resist, along with reducing the effect of stuns, slows, taunts, fears, silences, blinds and immobilizes by 30%.

Ionian Boots of Lucidity > CDR
A good choice to take if you need to be getting out extra abilities, and need the extra CDR, although you do generally hit the CDR cap as support, so they do pair well with Transcendence for the extra AP.

Sorcerer's Shoes > DAMAGE
Useful if you're wanting to focus on Sona's damage a bit more, and if the enemy team are taking a lot of magic resist.


Moonstone Renewer > UTILITY/SUSTAIN
Sona's core item, providing us with a bit extra damage, ability haste and much needed mana regen. It also provides a smart heal to the lowest health ally when you affect champions with abilities while in combat. Each second spent in combat increases this healing effect up to 150%. This also empowers our other legendary items with 5 ability haste.


Redemption > CDR/HP+MANA REGEN/SUSTAIN
Redemption offers an aoe heal in an area, adding another aoe health sustain for Sona's allies, a core pick up on her to increase her utility and sustain. Sona's aoe heal is only in a radius around her, so it offers a targeted area heal within 5500. It also offers HP and Mana regen, meaning you can stay in the fights longer, recall less, and you can help out even while dead. It also offers an extra 10% healing power, which synergizes with your Summon Aery, Aria of Perseverance, and the shields granted by your aura's.


Ardent Censer > DAMAGE/UTILITY/CDR
If you have a team comp that relies heavily on fast auto attacks such as Vayne, Twitch, Kog'Maw etc. Ardent Censer is a great pickup to maximize your carries damage output while shielding them, it also offers you a bit more burst and mana sustain.


Mikael's Crucible > SURVIVABILITY/CDR/UTILITY
A good pick when facing an enemy team with hard CC that you need to Cleanse on allies, such as Impale, Dark Binding, Cocoon etc and grants them a small heal.
Increases your Mana and HP regeneration, and 20% shielding power - good synergy with Summon Aery.


Staff of Flowing Water > UTILITY
If your team has many AP users, Staff of Flowing Water can be using for granting them up to 40 ability power, and bonus movement speed for 3 seconds after healing or shielding them. You also gain mana regen, ability power and heal and shield power.


Seraph's Embrace > DAMAGE/UTILITY/MANA
Seraph's Embrace can be a good pick up on Sona if you're ahead, but it doesn't grant us the shield we used to take it for previously, so it's dropped in popularity.


Lich Bane > DAMAGE
Lich Bane is mostly a pick up for AP carry Sona recently, but if you get ahead significantly in lane or game, you can consider this as a good damage boost item. It can be expensive, and you trade off utility items for it, so generally niche for Sona support.


Zhonya's Hourglass > DAMAGE/SURVIVABILITY
A really good defensive item against bursty assassins, or heavy engage comps. You'll be trading one of your utility items for this more defensive option, but you're no use to anyone if you're dead!


Banshee's Veil > DAMAGE/SURVIVABILITY
A really good defensive item against champions that have the ability to catch you out from a larger range, such as Malphite or Blitzcrank, as you can't proc Zhonya's Hourglass when you end up in a CC chain. Good vs heavy AP comps as well due to the high magic resist it grants.
Like Zhonya's Hourglass, you'll be trading a utility item for this, but staying alive is your MO!
Abilities



Power Chord

Power Chord (Passive)

EFFECT RADIUS: 400
AURA: Sona's basic abilities each generate a unique aura for 3 seconds that empowers her and all allied champions who enter its radius, also incurring a 0.5 seconds period during which she cannot cast her other basic abilities.

POWER CHORD: After casting 3 basic abilities, Sona's next basic attack deals 20 − 240 (based on level) (+ 20% AP) Ability power bonus magic damage, with an additional effect depending on the last basic ability cast.

  • Power Chord resets Sona's basic attack timer.
  • Power Chord affects turrets, inhibitors, and the nexus, but Aria of Perseverance Diminuendo's damage debuff does not.
  • When Power Chord is ready, Sona gains a ring around her. This ring will have a different color depending on the last ability used.
  • AS OF 9.20 Added a resource bar so that it's easier for Sona to track her own passive (only visible to Sona)


Hymn of Valor

Hymn of Valor (Q)


EFFECT RADIUS: 825
COST: 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 mana
COOLDOWN: 8 / 7.2 / 6 / 4.8
ACTIVE: Sona sends out two bolts of sound that deal magic damage to the nearest enemies, prioritizing champions.

AURA: Sona and tagged allied champions deal bonus magic damage on their next basic attack within 3 seconds.

Power Chord STACCATO: Power Chord deals 28 − 336 (based on level) (+ 28% AP) total magic damage.

  • Even if both bolts hit the same enemy they can only be damaged by one
  • Hymn of Valor will only target enemy units if Sona has sight of them.


Astral Infusion


Aria of Perseverance (W)

EFFECT RADIUS:1000
COST: 80 / 85 / 90 / 95 / 100
COOLDOWN: 10 / 9 / 7.5 / 6
ACTIVE: Sona heals herself and the most wounded nearby allied champion.

AURA: Sona and tagged allied champions receive a shield lasting up to 1.5 seconds.

Power Chord – DIMINUENDO: Power Chord reduces its target's damage output by 25% (+ 4% per 100 AP) for 3 seconds.
  • Aria of Perseverance can heal stealthed ally champions without revealing them, but the projectile will reveal their position on cast.
  • Diminuendo is like a scaling Exhaust, very good to use on enemies with high burst damage.

Song of Celerity


Song of Celerity (E)


EFFECT RADIUS: 430
COST: 65 mana
COOLDOWN: 12 / 10.8 / 9 / 7.2
ACTIVE: Sona gains bonus movement speed for 3 seconds, extended to up to 7 seconds if she doesn't take damage.

AURA: Tagged allied champions gain bonus movement speed for 3 seconds.

Power Chord – TEMPO: Power Chord slows its target by 40% (+ 4% per 100 AP) for 2 seconds.



Crescendo

Crescendo (R)


TARGET RANGE: 900
COST: 100
COOLDOWN: 140 / 120 / 100
PASSIVE: Reduces the basecooldown of Sona's basic abilities.

ACTIVE: After a 0.2-second delay, Sona plays an irresistible chord in the target direction, dealing magic damage to all enemy champions struck and stunning them for 1.5 seconds.
  • Crescendo has a short travel time, and enemies will be stunned and take damage as soon as it reaches them, but if a target moves out of range as it is cast, the target will be unaffected.

Gameplay

Early Game


You're going to want to take Hymn of Valor first, giving you your first lot of damage. You can cast this three times between spawn and jungle camp spawning, giving you the Power Chord bonus to help leash the jungler quicker.
Sona's laning phase is pretty safe, using Hymn of Valor to poke down the opposing enemies from range, and sustaining yourself with Aria of Perseverance, although be aware that it has a high mana cost! The slow on Song of Celerity's Power Chord can help slow down an all-in, or a gank from the enemy jungle, you also gain movement speed, and grant the effect to an ally with your aura.
Aria of Perseverance's Power Chord is like a scaling Exhaust, so you can potentially change the tempo of a fight, even if you've taken Barrier or Ignite.

You can help push the wave with Hymn of Valor, granting your lane partner bonus damage.
You can go for an all-in at level 6, depending on what lane you're vs - you don't want to get bursted down by something like a Brand or Nautilus if you miss your Crescendo!

Keep your brushes warded, and try to take vision control of the drake pit, Sona is very squishy, along with most ADCs, so you want to keep good vision around your lane so you can see incoming ganks.
Sona is pretty good at outrunning enemies with low mobility,
but if she gets caught, she's very susceptible to burst damage.



Mid - Late Game



Outside of laning phase, you're going to want to be setting up a lot of Stealth Ward wards around objectives, such as Baron Nashor and the drakes. If your team is ahead, and it is safe to do so, you can set up deep vision in the enemies jungle, allowing yourself and your team to get important picks, that allow you to take the previously mentioned objectives.

You want to mostly take your focus from poke to healing during this stage of the game, even when ahead. You will want to focus peeling your ADC from the enemies main damage threat, reducing their damage with Power Chord Diminuendo, slowing their engage with Power Chord Tempo, or catching the enemies out with a well placed Crescendo.

Keep your team healthy with Redemption, and you can disrupt a teamfight, and enemy channels, with Crescendo - it's an aoe stun, use this to your advantage! You can stun an enemy that comes for an all-in, such as a Lee Sin with his Sonic Wave, and hope your team can burst him down before he's able to get out.
You want to be using your Aria of Perseverance as much as possible during a teamfight, granting your allies Ardent Censer buff, and shields, along with Summon Aery.

You can help damage the enemies when your heal is on CD, and speed up your allies with Song of Celerity to catch a fleeing enemy, or retreat safely. You'll want to be using Power Chord Diminuendo mostly, due to the Exhaust effect it provides, negating an enemies damage like Death Mark.

You can interrupt a Katarina's Death Lotus with Crescendo, removing a lot of her damage, stopping her ability to jump out, and hopefully netting your team an easy kill, and an easy teamfight win.

The main thing to be aware of, is making sure your teams threats stay alive, while removing, or zoning, the enemy teams threats.

Control Ward's are a staple part of any support, both to deny your enemies vision, and to provide your team extra vision. You should make sure to buy one at least every time you back, preferably to have 2 on you at all times.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed, and learned enough from my Sona guide, to play her as well as the pro's.

If you enjoyed my guide, you can check out my other guides here, in which I've covered more styles of supports, incase you want to branch out on supports such as engagers ( Nautilus, Pyke etc!).

If you're interested in seeing more of me, please follow my stream! I stream every day but Saturday, from 12:00pm - 11:00pm GMT. I play a wide variety of supports, and I am always engaging with my stream chat.
Update Log
  • 06/14/2019 - Published Guide.
  • 06/27/2019 - Reflected 9.13 nerfs.
  • 09/10/2019 - Reflected 9.20 change.
  • 11/23/2019 - Updated for 9.23.
  • 11/20/2020 - Updated for preseason.
  • 01/22/2021 - Updated for 11.2.
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