Why these five champions?
Because I like playing them and they have a high impact on solo queue games.

There are probably other supports that are great for solo queue, but you'll have to find another guide for those.

These champions are great in lane and teamfights, even when your carry is not very good, you'll still be useful.

Morgana has great pick potential and her shield is possibly the best support ability in the game.
Brand has enough poke and damage to win lane and teamfights by himself.
Sona is versatile and can heal and shield a bad carry to stop them from feeding.
Lux has enough pick potential and poke to win lane and teamfights, she's also decent at protecting her carries against most threaths.
Soraka is a God at keeping (bad) players alive and stops them from feeding. Her heals also win teamfights.

Landing a Q on an enemy is often enough to kill them.
Especially once you are level 6 and have your R.
Her E Black Shield is possibly the best support ability in the game.

She has no real weaknesses except that she's boring to play because she's insanely overpowered against players who cannot dodge her Q's.




If you hit your spells and don't get engaged on too early, you will win any lane.
You out damage any other support with your long ranged spells.
Sustain supports like Soraka cannot keep up with your damage if you hit your spells consistently.

The only real danger to you are supports like Leona or Blitzcrank who can engage and force a fight before you managed to poke down their health enough.

You're also very weak against assassins like Zed or Ahri since it'll be hard to get a stun on them and they will instantly kill you and/or your carries without you being able to stop them.




You've got great poke with your Q.
Great healing and shielding with your W.
Nice utility in the form of bonus movement speed with your E.
And an amazing AOE stun in your R.

This allows you to adjust to situations very easily.
Losing lane? Level your heal and play safe.
Winning lane? Level your Q for more damage and snowball even harder.

Her ultimate takes some getting used to and is very easy to miss.

Her main weakness is that she's very squichy, you can counter this by positioning correctly and using your stun on any assassin coming for you or your carries.




Like Brand, you have a lot of poke in lane.
Lux's main strenght is not her poke however, it's her pick potential. Landing a Q Light Binding is often enough to kill someone. Especially once you are level 6.
You also have amazing waveclear with your ultimate Final Spark and E Lucent Singularity making it very easy to defend lanes by yourself if you do not over extend and die.

Against enemies that have to walk up to your carries like Nasus or Volibear, Lux is an amazing support. These kind of champions should never reach your carries.

Against assassins like Zed or Ahri it's a lot harder to land your Q's, but also a lot more rewarding if you do, since they should die instantly when snared.
Assassins are still your weakness though.

Champions with jumps like Irelia or Rengar will destroy you and your carries.




In low elo, people tend to fight constantly instead of focussing on objectives.
This is where Soraka shines. She helps those people win the fights.
She's a healbot, not very good at anything else, so play her as a healbot.
Stand behind your team and heal them.

Her main weakness is that she is boring and cannot do anything by herself.
She's also pretty squichy and will die instantly if she gets focussed. So stand back and stay safe! You can't heal when you're dead.

Always start with

Spellthief's Edge
Health Potion x2
Stealth Ward


On your first back you want

Frostfang (450g)
Boots (300g - or from Magical Footwear)
Control Ward (75g)


Trinket

Keep your Stealth Ward until your Frostfang upgrades to Eye of Frost and then switch to Oracle Lens

In the end game, if you have no control over Baron or Elder Dragon, switch your trinket for a Scrying Orb


Boots

Sorcerer's Shoes is standard on Brand.
Ninja Tabi if the enemy team has mostly AD and auto attacks a lot.

Only get these is very specific situations, they're not great on Brand:

Mercury's Treads if the enemy team has mostly AP and a lot of CC.
Boots of Swiftness if you're dodging a lot or need to run a bit faster and the enemy team has a lot of slows.
Mobility Boots if fights are breaking out all over the map and you need to relocate fast out of combat.


Control Wards

Always keep at least one Control Ward in your inventory! Actually place it on the map when needed!


First item

Rylai's Crystal Scepter
The optimal first item, the slows it provides are just amazing. It also gives you bonus ability power and a little survivability.
If you're struggling in lane, go for Ruby Crystal first, if you're winning you can go for Blasting Wand or Amplifying Tome if you don't have enough gold for the wand.

Zhonya's Hourglass
A great item against assassins. The active ability allows you to survive the burst damage of any assassin and if you are not way out of position, your team can come help you. It also gives some armor, ability power and cdr.
I would probably build Rylai's Crystal Scepter first since it also gives some bonus health, but if assassins are a real problem, just get this item first.

Banshee's Veil
Not a standard item on Brand support. It is great however if you keep getting grabbed by a Blitzcrank or Thresh or something similar.
If you are losing your lane hard against a champion with a single ranged CC ability that keeps getting you killed, just buy this first and stop feeding!

Morellonomicon
Laning against a Soraka, Sona or something similar? Your carry doesn't know what Executioner's Calling does and refuses to buy one? Just get this item and cause Grievous Wounds for 3 seconds with every spell you hit, which will halve any healing on the target.
I would probably only get this as a first item against a Soraka or a Sona if they are maxing heal first and when I am winning the lane.
Otherwise build this item after your Rylai's Crystal Scepter

Mejai's Soulstealer
Honestly, it's just better to not buy this item.
But if you really want it, ONLY buy it if you have 0 deaths and at least 2 kills or 4 assists on your 1st or 2nd back AND you have a good reason to believe you won't die anytime soon!
This item is completely useless if you die with it.


Beyond the first item

What you build next really depends on the situation.
Which champions does the enemy team have? What type of damage do they do? Are they building a lot of health? Are they building a lot of magic resistance? Or are they all squichy?

Your main focus as a support is still to protect your carries. Most often you do this by focussing the enemy tanks or assassins that are coming for them, or possibly for you if you are fed.

If the enemy team is focussing you, definetely get a Zhonya's Hourglass or a Banshee's Veil if that is better in the situation.

Against assassins like Zed, Rengar, ... a Zhonya's Hourglass is way better.
They will be jumping towards you, you should be standing between or even behind your teammates, if you zhonya's there, they should not be able to get a kill on you.

If the enemy team has single CC abilities that can pick you off like Blitzcrank with his grab or Ahri with her charm and no other threats, a Banshee's Veil might be better. It will protect you from getting grabbed / charmed / stunned / ...

Liandry's Torment
Great item overal and works really well with Rylai's Crystal Scepter since it deals bonus damage on slowed enemies. This is your standard second item if you don't need anything else. It's also great against tanks that are building a lot of health since it deals bonus damage based on a percentage of their max health.

Void Staff
Great item against tanks that are building magic resistance.
Is there a pesky Garen with a Spirit Visage bashing on your carries? Then this is the item you want!

Zhonya's Hourglass
Get this if assassins like Zed or Rengar are focussing you.

Banshee's Veil
Get this if pick champions like Blitzcrank, Thresh or Ahri are constantly picking you off.

Morellonomicon
Get this if the enemy team has a lot of healing or lifesteal, like Soraka, Warwick, Draven with a Bloodthirster, ...

Rabadon's Deathcap
No tanks on the enemy team? Don't need anything else? Get this and blow people up!