User blog comment:Care Level/Solo Queue: The Bronze Adventures of Care Level/@comment-12314620-20130828225600/@comment-9593635-20130830045319

What damage items do you build instead of BT or Hydra on melee champs?

If I'm going AP-heavy support, I generally build Kage's into WotA or Morellonomicon. And the 30 minutes it takes to cover its own cost isn't the best statistic: it's gold efficient after 10 minutes, and covers its own cost in about 15, after you calculate its resale value.

I rush philo in 100% of games; early kills mean "faster philo!" As soon as I get around 520 gold (I started Faerie Charm), I blow any mana I have left on hard harass, shove the lane, and B for philo, outside of special circumstances. If I'm playing with a carry I know, that's also when they B for zerks or more damage.

I try to buy pinks whenever I can afford them, though I generally don't ward in the same places as my lane opponent until a tower gets pushed down (I almost never ward river brush, and that's quite common for my opponents).

You're right, Leona isn't fun if your carry isn't taking what you're offering, but the same could be said of any support. Difference is that, as Leona, you can at least kind of do something about it. If you're Sona, you can't really make a lane-winning play like a Leona can.

And let's be honest, would you rather have a Leona or Taric at the end of a 40-minute game?