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ARAM · Howling AbyssMatchup guidePatch 16.20.1

Leona vs Sona

Build, runes, abilities and practical pre-game checks in one queue-aware reference.

LeonaVSSona

Matchup guide

Choose the matchup

Search any two champions. ARAM uses one shared lane, so no Rift role selection is required.

VS
FormatOne shared lane

Choose two champions from the list.

ARAM context

One shared lane, one champion-specific plan

The page uses ARAM starting, shopping and teamfight rules. Its internal build source is not shown as a Rift assignment.

Howling Abyss
Review patch unknownRecommendation review pending

These patches track recommendation review, build validation and item lookup separately. Updating item data does not complete a build review.

Recommendation patch
— Data Dragon
Build validation patch
16.19.1 Data Dragon
Item lookup patch
16.20.1 Data Dragon

Howling Abyss rules

Prepare for one shared lane

ARAM removes the normal Rift role map. Build around the champion, the five-player team and the next fight instead.

01
Start together

Review rerolls and the shared bench, then leave with an opening that fits this champion and the team around it.

02
Shop while dead

You cannot Recall to buy. Plan components before leaving the shop and use each death timer deliberately.

03
Share health relics

A relic heals nearby allies after a short delay. Signal it and avoid taking the trigger when a lower-health teammate needs the area.

04
Fight with the wave

Minions create structure pressure and safer space. Clearing first can be more useful than forcing another low-health engage.

ARAM · Howling Abyss

ARAM engage support

Compare the opening with Riot's ARAM Recommended shop before leaving base. After that, purchases happen only while dead; the six usable inventory slots do not increase.

Death-only shopping
S
ARAM opening · separate from item 1

Guardian's Horn

950 gold

An ARAM health and regeneration starter to compare with the current Recommended shop.

1
Control defence

Mercury's Treads

1,250 gold

Adds magic resistance and tenacity against reducible crowd control.

2
Team shield

Locket of the Iron Solari

2,200 gold

Adds an immediate shield for nearby allies after a team commit.

3
Protect one ally

Knight's Vow

2,300 gold

Redirects protection toward one priority ally.

4
Against repeated attacks

Frozen Heart

2,500 gold

Adds armour and attack-speed reduction against repeated basic attacks.

5
Against magic damage

Kaenic Rookern

2,900 gold

Adds dedicated magic resistance against sustained spell damage.

6
Mixed resistance

Jak'Sho, The Protean

3,200 gold

Completes the permanent inventory with mixed resistance for extended front-line contact.

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Complete build choices

Choose the route before play

Recommendation review pending

AlternativeToo much healingChempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.View full route

Best when: Chempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.

  1. Control defenceMercury's Treads
  2. Team shieldLocket of the Iron Solari
  3. Chempunk Chainsword
  4. Against repeated attacksFrozen Heart
  5. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  6. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativePhysical burstDeath's Dance delays physical damage so takedowns can stabilise the fight.View full route

Best when: Death's Dance delays physical damage so takedowns can stabilise the fight.

  1. Control defenceMercury's Treads
  2. Team shieldLocket of the Iron Solari
  3. Death's Dance
  4. Against repeated attacksFrozen Heart
  5. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  6. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeThey stack armourBlack Cleaver shreds armour during extended fights.View full route

Best when: Black Cleaver shreds armour during extended fights.

  1. Control defenceMercury's Treads
  2. Team shieldLocket of the Iron Solari
  3. Black Cleaver
  4. Against repeated attacksFrozen Heart
  5. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  6. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Complete build comparison

Complete build comparison

Recommendation review pending

Build review neededARAM engage supportRecommendation review pendingView full route

Recommendation review pending

  1. Control defenceMercury's Treads
  2. Team shieldLocket of the Iron Solari
  3. Protect one allyKnight's Vow
  4. Against repeated attacksFrozen Heart
  5. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  6. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeToo much healingChempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.View full route

Best when: Chempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.

  1. Control defenceMercury's Treads
  2. Team shieldLocket of the Iron Solari
  3. Chempunk Chainsword
  4. Against repeated attacksFrozen Heart
  5. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  6. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativePhysical burstDeath's Dance delays physical damage so takedowns can stabilise the fight.View full route

Best when: Death's Dance delays physical damage so takedowns can stabilise the fight.

  1. Control defenceMercury's Treads
  2. Team shieldLocket of the Iron Solari
  3. Death's Dance
  4. Against repeated attacksFrozen Heart
  5. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  6. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeThey stack armourBlack Cleaver shreds armour during extended fights.View full route

Best when: Black Cleaver shreds armour during extended fights.

  1. Control defenceMercury's Treads
  2. Team shieldLocket of the Iron Solari
  3. Black Cleaver
  4. Against repeated attacksFrozen Heart
  5. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  6. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Runes and summoner spells

Runes and summoner spellsLeonaHowling Abyss

ARAM rewards reliable access to clustered fights. Mark helps a melee front liner enter; Flash preserves a separate escape or reposition.

ARAM
Primary tree

Resolve

Grasp of the UndyingFont of LifeConditioningOvergrowth
Secondary tree

Precision

TriumphLegend: Haste
Summoner spells
FlashMark
Howling Abyss only

Mark and Clarity are mode-specific choices. Do not copy this pair onto a Summoner's Rift page.

Protect the next fight

Choose the second spell around access, survival and team resources rather than treating every ARAM champion as a diver.

Matchup notes

What changes when Sona is opposite you?

Pre-game kit comparison
Shared-lane interaction

Compare reliable reach and repeatable value

Track which champion can apply damage, control or protection without crossing the enemy team's safe space. ARAM does not turn this kit comparison into a lane-counter claim.

Team context first

Rerolls, allied range, engage and protection can matter more than either champion in isolation.

Your plan

Use the route you prepared

Use the champion-specific ARAM build as a starting reference, then check the current Recommended shop, your five-player composition and the next available death shop.

Ability reminders

Leona reminders

  • Lead the charge and mark your foes with Sunlight before your allies deal damage.
  • Shield of Daybreak and Zenith Blade form a powerful offensive combo.
  • You can absorb a huge amount of damage using Eclipse, but you must stay near enemies to gain the bonus duration.
Ability reminders

Against Sona

  • Spread out when you see Sona so she can't make your entire team dance.
  • Kill Sona first, as she will heal up her team if left alone for too long.

Static alternatives

Compare the problem before changing the plan

These choices are not selected from live scores. Use one only after you identify the stated match problem yourself.

Too much healing

Chempunk Chainsword

Chempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.

Physical burst

Death's Dance

Death's Dance delays physical damage so takedowns can stabilise the fight.

They stack armour

Black Cleaver

Black Cleaver shreds armour during extended fights.

Only when enemy healing is deciding fights

Oblivion Orb

Oblivion Orb supplies healing reduction without committing to a completed Morellonomicon. Skip both when healing is not the problem or an ally already covers your target reliably. Healing reduction does not reduce shields.

Conditional component, not a core item. Complete Morellonomicon only when its stats and slot efficiency justify delaying another purchase.

Ability reference

Compare both kits

Ability reference Data Dragon 16.20.1

Cooldown (s) / Cost / Listed range (units) Data Dragon 16.20.1

Leona

  1. P
    Sunlight

    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.

  2. Q
    Shield of Daybreak

    Leona uses her shield to perform her next basic attack, dealing bonus magic damage and stunning the target.

    Cooldown (s) 5 · Cost 30/35/40/45/50 · Listed range (units) 100
  3. W
    Eclipse

    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.

    Cooldown (s) 14/13/12/11/10 · Cost 60 · Listed range (units) 450
  4. E
    Zenith Blade

    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.

    Cooldown (s) 12/10.5/9/7.5/6 · Cost 40/45/50/55/60 · Listed range (units) 875
  5. R
    Solar Flare

    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.

    Cooldown (s) 90/75/60 · Cost 100 · Listed range (units) 1200

Sona

  1. P
    Power Chord

    Accelerando: Sona gains non-Ultimate ability haste permanently for her basic abilities as she uses her abilities well, up to a cap. Beyond that cap, further successful uses reduce her ultimate's remaining cooldown instead. Power Chord: Every few spell casts, Sona's next attack will deal bonus magic damage in addition to an additional effect based on what basic Ability Sona last activated.

  2. Q
    Hymn of Valor

    Sona plays the Hymn of Valor, sends out bolts of sound, dealing magic damage to two nearby enemies, prioritizing champions and monsters. Sona gains a temporary aura that grants allies tagged by the zone bonus damage on their next attack against enemies.

    Cooldown (s) 8 · Cost 50/55/60/65/70 · Listed range (units) 825
  3. W
    Aria of Perseverance

    Sona plays the Aria of Perseverance, sending out protective melodies, healing Sona and a nearby wounded ally. Sona gains a temporary aura that grants allies tagged by the zone a temporary shield.

    Cooldown (s) 10 · Cost 80/85/90/95/100 · Listed range (units) 1000
  4. E
    Song of Celerity

    Sona plays the Song of Celerity, granting nearby allies bonus Move Speed. Sona gains a temporary aura that grants allied champions tagged by the zone bonus Move Speed.

    Cooldown (s) 14 · Cost 65 · Listed range (units) 430
  5. R
    Crescendo

    Sona plays her ultimate chord, stunning enemy champions and forcing them to dance and dealing magic damage to them.

    Cooldown (s) 140/120/100 · Cost 100 · Listed range (units) 900

Adapt the plan

What to do when the game changes

Judge the whole lane or map state, not only personal kills. Choose the situation closest to the current game.

Even plan

Trade around health, range and the next wave

1
Wave

Let the team clear without spending every important cooldown at once.

2
Map play

Track the shared lane, brush control and available relics rather than looking for a Rift rotation.

3
Fights

Use the champion's reliable range, protection or control before forcing a low-percentage engage.

Shared-lane plan

Leona on Howling Abyss

Read health, range, wave position and respawn timing together. ARAM has no side-lane rotation, neutral-objective setup or normal ward-control loop.

ARAM only
1
Before the fight

Clear or escort the wave, check which allies are alive and preserve enough health to use the champion's reliable range, protection or engage.

2
During the fight

Use the nearest safe target and the team's reachable follow-up. Do not cross the whole enemy formation for a single low-health champion.

3
After the fight

Push with surviving minions, take the safe structure damage available and reset only through a real death rather than donating one alone.

Keep preparing

Stay with Howling Abyss information

Open the complete ARAM build or compare another champion. Rift role counters are intentionally kept out of this page.

Open full ARAM buildCompare another pair