Talk:Soraka/@comment-24971427-20170409211136/@comment-30566621-20170414094037

The W cost is the way it's supposed to work. Working with it has two points that you have to learn: (1) landing your Q's effectively to gain in-combat healing, and (2) building healing amplification and passive health regen to offset the W cost. While Soraka was certainly stronger back when spell vamp items were a thing (really miss Will of the Ancients and Hextech Pistol's spell vamp stats), a good Soraka is going to land the majority of her Starcalls and build plenty of CDR, health regen, and health amplification. (Building a ton of health can be useful but isn't necessary.)

For support items, Talisman will definitely give you the heal per not-your-own CS when you're in lane, plus a movement speed boost (both passive and active) and higher gold rate, plus 5% CDR. ToA is probably better when building tanky (e.g. when you want plenty of armor and perhaps magic resist). However, Frostqueen's will give you better mana regen and an AP boost. Frostqueen's (or the Eye of the Watchers ward item) is a good pick when you can focus on healing amplification (i.e. build more towards AP mage support).

If you're going tank/utility support, a good build could be Talisman (armor/regen), Ruby Sightstone (straight HP), Aegis (armor/MR/shield)/Mercury's (MR/tenacity)/Tabi (armor), Grail (MR/mana regen/CDR/AP), Visage (MR/health regen/CDR)/Redemption (CDR/mana regen/health regen), and Abyssal (MR/CDR/AP)/Rylai's (AP/soft CC)/Hourglass (AP/armor/CDR), for a total of 25%-45% CDR, plenty of MR and/or armor, and a touch of AP, healing amplification, and/or shielding.

If you're going AP support, then go Eye of the Watchers (Frostqueen's isn't as worth it anymore if you're warding well), Grail (MR/mana regen/CDR/AP), Censer (mana regen/CDR/AP), Redemption (mana regen/health regen/CDR), Rylai's (AP/soft CC)/Liandry's (AP/magic pen), Sorcerer's (magic pen)/Tabi (armor)/Mercury's (MR/tenacity), for a total of 45% CDR, plenty of mana regen and AP, healing amplification, and some defense.

On both builds, I strongly recommend Windspeaker's Blessing as key mastery. If you want more damage and aren't as worried about healing boosts, then have Thunderlord's as key mastery. Do NOT take Courage of the Colossus as it never activates on Soraka (it is not triggered by silences).

Obviously, you can tweak these builds, but they're what I've found very useful. Soraka does best with SOME healing boosts and AP, though if you absolutely need to go hard tank support, then by all means do so (e.g. Talisman/Face, Ruby Sightstone, Guardian Angel, Spirit Visage, Thornmail, and Warmog's). Eye of the Watchers is the only support item that I recommend being built into the warding version rather than the version of the item with the support active, as Talisman's speed boost and Face's shield can be very powerful in team fights (i.e. a practically free Sivir ult or a Janna shield minus AD boost).