Leona is the simplest support in the game to play at a surface level — walk forward, press E, press Q, press W, press R. But mastering WHEN to engage and HOW to set up the right angles is what separates average Leona players from exceptional ones. Your all-in threat from the moment you hit level 2 is the strongest in the support pool.
Abilities
Skills Overview
P
Sunlight
Passive
Damaging spells afflict enemies with Sunlight for 1.5 seconds. When allied Champions deal damage to those targets, they consume the Sunlight to deal additional magic damage.
Sunlight marks enemies when you damage them — the next ability from an ally detonates the mark for bonus damage. Coordinate with your ADC: engage, apply marks, let them auto for the bonus damage proc.
Q
Shield of Daybreak
Melee · Stun · Empowered AA
Leona uses her shield to perform her next basic attack, dealing bonus magic damage and stunning the target.
CD: 5 · Cost: 30/35/40/45/50
Shield of Daybreak empowers your next auto attack for a stun. After using E (Zenith Blade), press Q immediately and auto to stun the target — the window is very short. Always use Q right after E landing.
W
Eclipse
Self-Buff · Resistances · AoE Damage
Leona raises her shield to gain Damage Reduction, Armor, and Magic Resist. When the duration first ends, if there are nearby enemies, she will deal magic damage to them and prolong the duration of the effect.
CD: 14/13/12/11/10 · Cost: 60
Eclipse gives massive bonus armor and MR for 3 seconds, then explodes for AoE magic damage. Activate W before engaging — you need the resistances before you take damage, not after.
E
Zenith Blade
Dash · Root
Leona projects a solar image of her sword, dealing magic damage to all enemies in a line. When the image fades, the last enemy champion struck will be briefly immobilized and Leona will dash to them.
CD: 12/10.5/9/7.5/6 · Cost: 40/45/50/55/60
Zenith Blade is your gap close. It roots the last enemy hit — aim through the carry, not at them, to reach them at max range. After E lands, you're rooted to the target's location briefly.
R
Solar Flare
AoE · Stun · Ground Targeted
Leona calls down a beam of solar energy, dealing damage to enemies in an area. Enemies in the center of the area are stunned, while enemies on the outside are slowed.
CD: 90/75/60 · Cost: 100
Solar Flare is your AoE CC tool. The center stuns for 1.5 seconds; the edge slows. Always aim for the center of enemy clusters. Flash + R at close range guarantees the stun on fast-moving targets.
Skill Leveling Order — Max W first, then E, then Q · R at 6 / 11 / 16
| Level | Q | W | E | R | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take E — engage tool available from level 1 | ||||
| 2 | Take Q — stun available, E+Q combo unlocked | ||||
| 3 | Take W — resistances buff for trading | ||||
| 4 | Level W — more resistances and AoE damage | ||||
| 5 | Level W | ||||
| 6 | R — Solar Flare AoE stun, teamfight presence established | ||||
| 7 | Level W | ||||
| 8 | Level E — shorter E cooldown for repeated engages | ||||
| 9 | W maxed ✓ | ||||
| 10 | Level E | ||||
| 11 | R rank 2 | ||||
| 12 | Level E | ||||
| 13 | Level E | ||||
| 14 | E maxed ✓ | ||||
| 15 | Start leveling Q — shorter stun CD | ||||
| 16 | R rank 3 | ||||
| 17 | Level Q | ||||
| 18 | Q maxed ✓ |
Itemization
Recommended Builds
Starter Items
Relic Shield
HP sustain and gold generation for a support who generates kills rather than CS. Scales into Bulwark of the Mountain for extra durability.
400g
Health Potion
Early sustain after aggressive all-ins.
50g
Core Build
Locket of the Iron Solari
Shields your team during your engage window. Pop Locket as you walk in — your team enters the fight shielded against the counter-engage burst.
3190g
Mobility Boots
Roaming speed to get into position for flanks. Leona's E range is short — you need to already be close before you engage.
1000g
Warmog's Armor
Massive HP to survive diving into 5 enemies during engage. With Warmog's HP, you take multiple burst combos before dying.
3000g
Frozen Heart
Mana, armor, and attack speed debuff aura. Leona has mana issues — Frozen Heart solves them. The AS debuff aura punishes the auto-attack ADCs you're supposed to counter.
2500g
Situational
Thornmail
Grievous Wounds on every ability that applies CC. Rush vs heavy healing comps — Soraka, Yuumi, Vladimir.
2700g
Knight's Vow
Redirect damage from your carry to yourself. Between W resistances and Knight's Vow, your ADC takes minimal damage while you engage.
2300g
Force of Nature
MR and movement speed for AP-heavy teamfight comps. The movement speed stacks with your aggression.
2800g
Locket first for immediate engage protection. Warmog's makes you nearly unkillable in the mid-game dive. Frozen Heart solves mana problems and punishes ADCs.
Zeke's Synergy Core
Locket of the Iron Solari
Always first. Shield your team during engage.
3190g
Zeke's Convergence
Links to your ADC and slow-fields every enemy you CC. After E+Q, the Zeke's aura slows everything near your stunned target. Devastating with high-damage ADCs.
2600g
Warmog's Armor
HP to stay alive through the counter-engage after your CC chain.
3000g
Zeke's build maximizes your ADC's damage output after every stun. Best with Draven, Miss Fortune, or Jhin who deal enormous damage during your CC windows.
Runes
Resolve Primary
Aftershock
Triggers on your E root and Q stun — gives massive bonus resistances during your engage window then explodes for AoE damage. Between W and Aftershock, you have triple-layered resistances when engaging.
Font of Life
Your E, Q, and R all apply CC marks. Every ally auto on CC'd enemies heals them. Passive healing for your team during combat.
Conditioning
Free armor and MR at 12 minutes. Stacks with W resistances for an absurd tanking ceiling.
Unflinching
Tenacity when low HP. You dive deep and take huge damage — tenacity lets you stay long enough to apply all your CC before dying.
Precision Secondary
Triumph
Heal on takedown for aggressive skirmish survival. Each kill or assist in a fight heals you significantly.
Presence of Mind
Mana refund on CC application. Leona's mana costs are high — Presence of Mind keeps you casting through long fights.
Shards
Ability Haste · Armor · Health
Gameplay
How to Play Leona
01
Early Game
Level 2 All-In Every Game
- Level 2 power play: when you hit level 2 first (which happens frequently from equal XP), immediately E onto the enemy ADC and Q stun. This level 2 all-in kills or forces flashes almost every game.
- Activate W BEFORE engaging — the resistance buff lasts 3 seconds. Walk into engage range, pop W, then immediately E+Q. The 0.3-second W pre-activation window is your tanking buffer.
- After E, you're anchored near the target for a moment. Use that time to auto attack and Q. The Q stun happens on the empowered auto attack after pressing Q — don't panic if the stun doesn't happen instantly.
- Buy a Control Ward every back. Place it in the tri-bush or river brush to create hidden engage angles. Your E range means you only need to be 800 units away — a hidden Leona at that range is terrifying.
- Poke with auto attacks during laning — each auto applies Sunlight mark for your ADC to detonate. This chip damage is significant over a 10-minute lane.
02
Mid Game
Roam and Create Picks
- After Locket, your roaming threat is enormous. Walk mid, E the midlaner from brush, Q stun, R if they try to escape. Your CC chain is a kill setup for any competent jungler.
- Dragon setups: E + Q in the brush near the Dragon pit gives your jungler time to smite and your team time to secure before the enemy can respond. Your presence alone forces the enemy to back off.
- In skirmishes, always engage on the carry. E through the frontline if needed — your root hits the LAST target, so aim through tanks to reach the carry behind them.
- Don't use R at the start of a fight — the CD is too long to waste on a single target. Save R for when enemies cluster after your E+Q, then drop R on the group for the AoE stun.
- Your W AoE explodes after 3 seconds for magic damage. In extended fights, this free damage adds up — don't forget to reactivate W in prolonged skirmishes.
03
Late Game
Anchor Teamfights as the Initiator
- Teamfight pattern: W → walk forward → E carry → Q auto stun → R on the cluster → stand on them. This 5-ability sequence takes 3 seconds and applies CC for most of that window.
- Flash + R is your surprise engage. If the enemy carry is in vision but outside E range, Flash into them and immediately R for a guaranteed center stun. This bypasses the E engagement entirely.
- Your job is to die LAST among the tanks on your team. Dive deep, lock down the carry, and absorb as much damage as possible while your team deals damage freely on the CCed targets.
- Thornmail is critical against comps with Soraka or Yuumi. Your E+Q on Soraka applies GW — she can no longer heal effectively during the critical kill window.
- In late game sieges, your R range lets you poke from outside tower range. Drop R into a cluster near the tower — the outer slow ring is still significant zone control.
Teamfighting
How to Teamfight as Leona
Leona teamfights as the initiator — you go first, you apply CC, and you create chaos while your team follows up. Your three CC abilities (Q stun, E root, R stun) can lock down 3 separate targets in 10 seconds if you engage correctly.
1
Pre-Fight — Find the Flank Angle
Before engage
01
Activate W before engaging. You need the resistance buff BEFORE you take damage, not after. Pre-activation gives you the full 3-second tanking window.
02
Identify your engage target — the enemy ADC or APC. Aim your E through tanks to reach the squishy behind them.
03
Pop Locket on your team as you walk forward to engage — they enter the fight shielded.
Never engage into Morgana's Black Shield — the E root is blocked completely. Wait for Black Shield to expire before committing your E+Q combo.
2
Engage — E+Q+R Sequence
Fight opening
01
E onto the priority target — the root activates on the last target hit. Aim through tanks to root the carry.
02
Q immediately after E lands — empower your next auto and stun them. The stun duration is 1.25 seconds of complete immobility.
03
R on the cluster after Q — the AoE stun hits enemies who gathered to fight your CC'd target. Center aim is critical for the stun vs the slow.
04
Auto attack between abilities to detonate Sunlight marks on every target your ADC is hitting.
3
Aftermath — Absorb and CC More
Mid-fight
01
Stay alive as long as possible in the center of the fight. Your W's AoE explosion and Aftershock's explosion deal passive AoE damage just by standing there.
02
Second E+Q rotation when the first CC chain expires. Re-engage on the same target — they're likely low HP — or find a second target.
03
R the backline if enemies are trying to reposition. The outer ring slow prevents retreats and the stun catches anyone inside.
Sunlight marks detonate for bonus damage from your ALLIES, not you. After applying marks with E and Q, step back slightly and let your ADC auto — the bonus damage from marks is significant.
Tips & Tricks
Advanced Mechanics & Hidden Tech
Advanced mechanics for Leona.
Basic
Activate W Before Engaging
Eclipse's resistance buff lasts 3 seconds. Walk to engage range, press W, then immediately E+Q. If you press W after taking damage, you wasted the tanking window. Always pre-activate before the first hit.
Basic
Level 2 All-In
Leona hits level 2 extremely early in bot lane — often before the enemy. The moment you hit level 2, E onto the enemy ADC and Q stun immediately. This level 2 all-in is one of the strongest plays in the game.
Intermediate
E Through Tanks for Carry Target
Zenith Blade roots the LAST target hit in its path. If the enemy tank is between you and their ADC, aim E through the tank to root the carry behind them. The root prioritizes the furthest target in the line.
Intermediate
R Center vs Edge
Solar Flare stuns in the center but only slows on the edges. Always aim for the center of the enemy cluster — edge hits waste your most important CC ability. A 1-person stun from an off-center R is usually a wasted ultimate.
Advanced
Flash + R Surprise
When the enemy carry is just outside E range, Flash directly onto them and immediately R. The Flash + R combination guarantees a center stun on the target without needing E first. This bypasses the E engagement range entirely.
Basic
Never Engage Into Black Shield
Morgana's Black Shield blocks your E root — the most critical ability in your engage sequence. Committing without the root means the enemy can immediately dash away. Always check for and wait out Black Shield.
Intermediate
Sunlight Mark Coordination
Tell your ADC to auto attack whenever you engage. Every Leona ability applies Sunlight which detonates for bonus damage on the next ally ability or auto. In a full 3-ability combo (E, Q, R), your ADC should be autoing constantly for triple Sunlight procs.
Advanced
Roam After Bot Lane Kill
After killing one or both bot lane enemies, immediately walk to mid. Your E+Q is a free kill setup for your mid laner. The enemy mid laner never expects Leona to roam after a bot kill — the timing is almost always off-guard.
Matchups
Counters & Matchups
Leona is countered by champions who can prevent her engage or disengage after she commits. She dominates immobile enchanters and scaling ADCs who cannot punish her early all-in.
Click any matchup to expand tips & how to play against them
Loses Against
Black Shield completely blocks Leona's E root — her primary engage tool. Without the root, Leona's combo falls apart. Morgana can also root Leona from long range before she can E.
Bait out Black Shield by faking an E, then wait for it to expire. You can E onto Morgana herself since she rarely uses Black Shield on herself.
Braum's Unbreakable blocks your E dash damage on him, and he can CC you immediately with Concussive Blows stacks if you engage on him. His R knockup counters your engage patterns.
Engage on the ADC, not Braum. He's designed to absorb your damage — go around him.
Janna's R can push you away immediately after you E in. Her charged Q can also knock you up before you can engage. She negates your aggressive kit with pure disengage.
Track Janna's Q charge — if she's walking into a brush, she's charging Q. Engage when R is on cooldown to prevent the disengage.
Wins Against
Soraka has zero escape from your E. She cannot prevent your CC chain and dies immediately when you engage. Her silence requires you to already be on top of her, which you are after E.
Target Soraka first in every fight. She has global healing — kill her before the fight extends to prevent constant full heals on the enemy team.
Yuumi's host cannot escape your E+Q CC chain. She's forced to detach or watch her host die. When she detaches, she's an immobile target for your follow-up Q stun.
Kill the host champion to force Yuumi to detach. An unattached Yuumi is defenseless against your CC chain.
Sona has minimal HP and no escape from your E. One successful E+Q combo kills Sona outright or forces Flash in the early game.
Zone Sona off every minion wave by threatening E. She's terrified of your engage — use that fear to control the entire lane.
Nami's Aqua Prison can be dodged by walking sideways before E. Once inside E range, she has no CC that stops you before Q stun lands.
Walk sideways to dodge Aqua Prison, then immediately E. Never walk directly toward her — sidestep the bubble then engage.