This is my build for playing AP Leona. Shes my favorite hero and shes decimates everything.

You might ask, Why play a tank as a caster?

Though it might look like a caster build, She is still very much a tank. Her AP ratios might not be the greatest, with the exception of her ultimate, but every point of AP adds up.Which then adds to Lichbane damage output.

The point is that she can get tanky while buffing the damage of all her abilities as she goes on. When you play a hero, you have to play off what they benefit from. In this case, tanky AP items.

I see alot of builds that just fall into Triforce > warmogs > atmas > Force of nature. If you're gonna build those items, go play Jarvan or Lee sin, heroes that actaully benefit from those items. Leonas base damge is awful. Don't buy trinity force.

All of her skills are based off AP for a reason, buy AP tank items.

Running the magic penetration runes/quints gives Leona the burst damage she needs early to mid game to secure kills / harass lane. Not to mention her passive "sunlight" is based off of Leona's magic pen when triggered. This gives you superb damage early on and through mid-game.

Generic 9/0/21 spec. You may deviate to heavy defensive if that's what you prefer, as long as you have Archaic knowledge.

Triple economy builds are the new imba for Leona and other AP tanks. This will allow you to ease up on your lane partners farm and is great for her role as a early-mid game roamer / support tank.

Grabbing the Sunfire cape around 19-25 minutes is gonna make up for your lack of damage as you transition into midgame/team fight phases, armor will give you further flexibility for tower diving.

Start building towards your abyssal scepter next to cover your lack of magic resist at this point. Plus the aura is godly this early on.

Follow up with the Rylais and you'll be sitting pretty at about 2800-3k hp, with a snare on all of her abilities. Leona's ultimate will bring everyone who wasn't hit by the stun reticle down to 92% movement snare, pretty much neutralizing any movement from your enemies.

Lichbane after will give you some extra needed magic resist and move speed, not to mention you bash enemies heads in for +500 dmg with your Q.


You may swap out Mercury treads for lucidity if you want a more offensive build, and morph the Pstone into Elysias.

Following these items it all depends what you are facing. Do you need more survivability? Or do you want some burst / cdr

Zhonyas/Deathfire grasp are your options,

Rabadons if you are winning by a giant lead, and feel like going superbig.

Leona's shield is her best ability early, max it or die. As for maxing Zenith blade or Shield of daybreak, it's preference. I prefer shield of daybreak for quicker peels, but to each his own.

Flash+Ignite is what I run, and feel is a must for this build. It gives him just enough damage early on to secure enemies, and solo supports / carries midgame.

If I were to run anything other than ignite, It would be Teleport.

You will want to pick a ranged hero to lane with Leona. Someone who can proc her sunlight easily. Pretty much any ranged AD carry.

Your job as Leona is to peel the enemy carries off of your team and punish them with stun locks. You're not a caster with this build, You are still very much a tank so man up and go big.

Leona can always go big.

Game phasing


Early game - You want to keep pressure off your lane partner as much as possible and protect him at all cost. As you hit level 6 try and secure a kill in your lane with Solar flare + ignite, or at least gain lane dominance for the time being.

Level 8+ is when you are gonna start roaming to gank or just control the map/jungle/dragon. Your gold per 10 items will keep you going.

Past lvl 10 you are pretty much in roam mode, you may farm here n there, but only when your ultimate is on cooldown.

Remember bros, dragon control wins games. Remember that.

Also practice activating your shield a second early before you hook in, That way your shield explodes on impact.

Please feel free to drop a comment or rate this guide.Let me know what you like/dislike about this build.

Also post any questions you have in the comments below, I'd like to keep this build updated. So more questions = more holes filled.

Thanks and stay classy.

-SkyneT