Talk:Leona/@comment-25532677-20160610215840/@comment-28834303-20160624095921

Hi Reckon! Leona main with roughly 200k mastery points (although she's been my main since I joined in s3, and the vast majority of my time with her was prior to the addition of chapion masteries).

Full Tank Leona, contrary to popular opinion, is actually a - complete - waste. People like to claim she's a "peeler", but that's untrue. If you're babysitting the backline as Leona, you're doing something wrong (or, more specifically, everything). Her CC isn't up nearly often enough (as it currently stands) to justify her being a defensive champion in that regard, and ultimately her kit (while good) just doesn't have enough CC or straight up burst to justify her always being in the midst of shit. Rather, the most luck you will ever have with Leona is to play her as a "in, out, in" sort of champion.

Even as a "full tank", your focus really should be on counterbuilding, with Sunfire Cape being an - absolute must -. Honestly, I like spellfang on her, as it synergizes well with her kit (and you can actually use it for the entirety of the game to make sure you have enough gold to buy those sustain items, unlike relic, which people claim to "love" but then will never let you use the damn thing).


 * Slightly bitter undertone; single tear for the support struggles*

Swear I'm getting to your question, promise xD

It might seem unrelated, but ultimately, the point is that Leona should - never - be a "full tank", but rather should serve as a sort of "tanky assassin". Somebody that can engage, push the front, and then madly dash for the backline (or pull back to peel for the mid/back ends if somebody's having the same idea or you're not getting the followup you need).

I really do need to write a guide (eventually), but if you're going for a more "advanced" Leona support build, think something like (for a game where there isn't a particularly threatening or mobile jungle/mid like Eve/Hecarim/Volibear or Katarina/Zed):

Spll Thief's Edge > Frost Queen's Claim > Sunfire Cape OR sightstone (if you can finish your Sunfire before laning ends, do it, otherwise, sightstone if you're behind) > Boots (upgrade to mobi if you've lost/taken a tower) > Solari (if they have a high-damage bursty AP or AoE that's fed/overpowered) > Eye of the Watchers (I'm ot personally a big fan of Frost Queen's on Leona unless I really need to peel)

Generally, by this point in the game, you'll have two slots left. You've got roughly 20% CDR (which is enough for all intensive purposes, although you generally want to aim for full), some split up defense, nice (support) burst, and you're tanky enough to get the job done (which isn't necesarily to just soak up extended amounts of damage as it is to punch the enemy team in the teeth and wait for your team to finish it). You've even got a bit of true damage (and with it more reliable gold income than relic shield; you can make over 2k gold on the passive alone), and if you can get that true damage in conjunction with your burst (and a well placed ult), you can generally get a squishy target's face planted in the ground before there's much time for the rest of the team to react.

Now, here's the biggest thing, and all decent Leona player's know this. Counterbuild from here; adapt accordingly. That doesn't mean there's "only one item" to build from here, but you generally want to build to the enemy team's strengths (you're the shield; you wanna clash against them and not yield).

The three big questions you want to ask yourself are

- When we win engagements, is it because we're killing the squishies first, or do we have a tougher frontline (and thus are killing their frontline first)?

- When we lose engagements, is it because you're dying too fast, or because your team is dying too fast? Is the enemy getting to your squishies too fast?

- Are you ahead, or are you behind?

If you're winning all your engagements, then there's really not a whole lot to say, just make sure to keep playing to your strengths. If you're killing all their squishies before their frontline can react, build something to continue the trend, like Iceborn Gauntlet, Frozen Hammer, or even Triforce to enforce that trend (and carry it to the end of the game). If it's because the frontline is getting dropped (like say you have a fed Twitch or Vayne), then rylees and liandry are both awesome to continue that trend while maintaining your tankiness.

If you're losing engagements and it seems like you're always the first one to get dropped, then you probably want to build tankier. Remember, though, ultimately, the point isn't for you to get out alive, it's to get the upperhand in a fight. If you can get away, awesome. If you can get a 2 for 1 at dragon pit, that's even better. But if it seems like you're just going in and dying over and over again, things like Frozen Heart, Warmongs, Mercy, Banshees Veil, and other such items will hel pyou equal things out. If it's because your team is dying too fast, however, then at that point you want to build to the contrary; make their team focus you more. Frozen Gauntlet is probably the best for peeling, but don't be afraid to get up in there with lifesteal items and hybrid damage/defense like Liandries/Rylees, BotRK/Titanic/Wit's End/Maw/Deadman's Plate

If you're ahead, then you - really - want to press that advantage, and you don't do that by being tankier, you do that by boosting our your cooldowns and ability to fuck shit up. If they have an AD heavy team, Frozen Heart + Thornmail is the funniest shit (watching a Caitlyn, Yi, and Pantheon run from you at the same time will bring out the Sun Praiser in you). Alternatively, Wit's End/BotRK/Triforce will help you burst down some of those annoying mages.

Remember, playing Leona is all about - balance -, and building her full tank hardly ever wins you a game you wouldn't have won just as easily, anyway. If your team is dedicated to the idea of losing, then get and there and fuck shit up; hope they follow you to that brighter dawn.

Best of luck in your games : )