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Playing Against Leona
SupportPatch 16.2.1
What They Do
Leona is the ultimate hard-engage tank. She specializes in locking down a single target with a chain of crowd control while her allies consume marks to deal burst damage. Between and her CC, she is extremely difficult to kill once she gets on top of you.
Abilities (What to Watch For)
| Ability | What You'll See | What It Means For You |
|---|---|---|
| Golden sparks appearing on enemies hit by her spells | Sunlight marks. If her allies hit these targets, they deal extra magic damage. Avoid trading when you are marked. | |
| Her shield glows with bright solar energy | Her next basic attack will stun you. If she misses , she might try to Flash- you instead. | |
| A golden dome surrounds her that eventually explodes | She gains massive Armor, MR, and flat damage reduction. If the explosion hits an enemy, the buff lasts longer. Do not blow your burst while this is active. | |
| A thin line of solar energy thrown from her sword | A skillshot that roots and pulls her to the last champion hit. It passes through minions, so you must sidestep it horizontally. | |
| A massive beam of light striking the ground after a short delay | Enemies in the center are stunned; those on the edge are slowed. This is her primary long-range engage tool. |
Respect
- !Level 2-3 All-in→Once Leona has and , she can lock you down for nearly 2 seconds. Combined with Ignite and procs, it is a guaranteed kill or Flash.
- !Bush Control→Leona is a 'threat-zone' champion. If she is sitting in a side bush, you cannot walk up to the wave without risking a from fog of war.
- !Tower Diving→Because grants flat damage reduction and huge resists, she can tank 3-4 tower shots easily while keeping you stunned under your own turret.
- !Post-6 Long Range Engage→She doesn't need to start a fight anymore. She can lead with , then walk up to use while you are stunned.
Punish
- +is on cooldown (12-10s)→She is a melee tank with no other way to get to you. Poke her relentlessly or shove the wave while she is 'useless'.
- +expires→Leona is surprisingly squishy without the bonus resists from . Once the shield pops, focus her down immediately.
- +Level 1→She can only start or . She cannot combo you yet. Poke her as much as possible to lower her HP before she hits level 2.
- +She misses her CC chain→Leona's cooldowns are long in the early game. If she misses or , your team has an 8-10 second window where she provides zero utility.
Laning Tips
- •Sidestep horizontally. The projectile is narrow and slower than it looks.
- •If she lands on you, don't just run. Most of the damage comes from her ADC popping . Try to CC or exhaust the ADC instead.
- •Cleanse or Mikael's Blessing is mandatory against her. Removing the stun or stun can save your life.
- •Stay away from your own ADC. If she hits a multi-person , her ADC can proc on both of you for massive AoE damage.
- •Pick champions with 'displace' abilities (like Alistar's Q, Janna's Q, or Thresh's E) to cancel her dash mid-air.
- •If you see her shield glow with , stop attacking her and wait for the buff to expire unless she is one-shot.
Teamfight Warning
- ⚠Don't group up in chokepoints. A 3-man usually results in a lost teamfight.
- ⚠She will look to Flash- your carries. Keep your backline peeled and don't let her walk into melee range for free.
- ⚠Check for flank wards. Leona is excellent at teleporting or flanking behind a team to drop a surprise .
- ⚠Do not 'burn' all your ultimates on her while is active. She is a bait-tank; she wants you to waste resources on her.
- ⚠If she misses her initial engage, collapse on her ADC. Without her CC available, she cannot protect her backline.
AI-generated counterplay guide • Patch 16.2.1 • Cached