Talk:Sona/@comment-3554826-20110729032633/@comment-4141289-20110729060500

Philosopher's Stone gives her 1 more MP5 than the Tear, which not only gives her more mana at buy but increases her max mana every time she uses an ability (which is often). Philosopher's Stone would be something you get if the laning phase lasts longer than usual so that she's topped off and doing okay gold-wise, but it has much less impact on the late game, where Sona should ideally have so much mana that she can't possibly run out of it. However, the items the stone builds into would benefit her greatly late-game: Eleisa's Miracle if you don't have Mercury's Treads, or Shurelya's Reverie for a great speed-boost active that can synergize with her E, on top of increased survivability and a little CDR. You can't really go wrong with Philosopher's Stone, but I consider Tear of the Goddess a staple item for her no matter what you're trying to build against.