Guide Sections (15)
- Champion Stats
- The Lane Dominance
- Ranking Sona's Skins
- When They Ban Sona
- Sona's Keystone Choice
- Skill Max Order for Sona
- Mastering Sona's Kit
- The Sona Matchup Sheet
- Engage Without ADC
- When Your ADC Is Doomed
- Peel or Engage?
- The Support Carry Build
- When Sona Comes Online
- The Playmaking Moment
- Recent Patch History
Champion Stats
Low elo players simply do not punish Sona's weak early game. They let her farm her support item passively, they don't abuse her mana costs, and they rarely coordinate dives. This means Sona scales for free. Once she hits Level 11 and Level 16 with her ultimate passive (Crescendo grants permanent ability haste), she reaches a state where her basic abilities have 3-4 second cooldowns. At this point, you provide permanent uptime on movement speed, shields, healing, and damage amplification. Your W Power Chord (Diminuendo) reduces the enemy's damage output by 25%+, effectively exhausting the enemy assassin every 3 seconds. She is the ultimate 'team insurance' champion.
The Lane Dominance
Start Q (Hymn of Valor). While leashing your jungler or walking to lane, cast two abilities (Q/E) to get your Power Chord passive to two stacks. When minions arrive, wait in the lane brush. The moment the enemy ADC walks up to last hit, walk out, Auto-Attack (consuming the third stack for Power Chord), immediately press Q, then Auto-Attack again. This is the 'Staccato Burst' combo and it chunks the enemy ADC for 30-40% of their HP at Level 1. They will not expect this damage from an enchanter. Repeat every time your passive is ready and they step forward.
Ranking Sona's Skins
'DJ Sona' is the ultimate experience (Music changes). 'PsyOps' is cool. 'Pentakill' is metal. 'Star Guardian' is standard.
'DJ Sona' is a literal world-event skin. Changing the music for your whole team is the ultimate flex. 'Seraphine' who? You're the original music goddess. Play it loud and play it well.
'DJ Sona' is an entire concert. 'PsyOps' has clean effects. 'Pentakill' is metal. DJ Sona is mandatory for the music vibes alone.
When They Ban Sona
Seraphine is Sona 2.0. Nami is water Sona. Soraka is heal Sona. Seraphine is the modern gameplay update really.
Seraphine is literally Sona 2.0. Nami does the buff/heal thing. Soraka heals more. Seraphine is the clone you want.
Sona's Keystone Choice
Summoner Aery. Manaflow, Transcendence, Gathering Storm. Secondary Resolve (Revitalize/Conditioning). You need scaling.
Skill Max Order for Sona
Max Q (3 points) then W max? No, usually W max first for survival unless lanes is free. Q max for poke.
Mastering Sona's Kit
Hymn of Valor. Bolts to 2 enemies. Aura grants On-Hit damage to allies.
Aria of Perseverance. Heals Sona + 1 ally. Aura shields allies.
Song of Celerity. Move speed for Sona. Aura grants Speed to allies.
Crescendo. Passive: Reduces basic ability cooldowns (CDR). Active: AOE Stun (Dance). Flash-R is instant.
The Sona Matchup Sheet
Nightmare. If she E's you, you die. Cleanse might be needed.
Farm lane. Poke with Q. Outscale.
Boring. You both scale. You engage better with R.
Engage Without ADC
Stop fighting at Level 2! You are a squishy minion. Sona has one of the lowest base HP pools in the entire game—you have less health than a melee creep at Level 1. If you walk up to auto-attack the enemy ADC without your passive shield or power chord ready, you will lose the trade every single time. Poke with Q at maximum range only, and do not step forward for autos unless you are 100% certain you won't be retaliated upon. You scale. You don't need to win lane; you just need to not feed. Also, use the correct Power Chord for the situation: Blue (Q) for burst damage on squishies, Green (W/Diminuendo) for reducing assassin damage, Purple (E) for slowing runners. Most Sona players spam blue, but green is often more valuable in teamfights.
When Your ADC Is Doomed
Dodge Blitzcrank, Pyke, Nautilus, Leona. Any hook/hard engage kills you instantly. You are made of paper.
Nautilus and Leona will try to sit on you. Use your Q-poke to keep them at bay early. If they engage, save your Flash for their primary CC. You're the priority target—don't let them have you.
Dodge Blitzcrank/Pyke/Nautilus. If you get hooked, you die. You have the durability of a caster minion. Don't risk it.
Peel or Engage?
In teamfights, roll your face on QWE. Ideally, keep W chord ready for the diver. Flash-R the enemy carry to start the fight. Keep the Moonstone healing chain going. You are a mobile fountain.
Your W-chord is your best friend. It acts like an Exhaust. Use it on the diver. Your E-chord is for the chase. Flash-R is the game-winning play. You are a silent conductor of destruction.
Power Chord W (Green) reduces damage. Use it on the assassin. Flash-R to engage if you see a 3-man angle. Otherwise, hide and spam W.
The Support Carry Build
Shotgun Sona (Lich Bane + AP). Luden's -> Lich Bane -> Rabadon's. Your Q-Auto one-shots enemy ADCs. 'Support' btw.
Liandry's into Archangel's. You'll never run out of mana and you'll burn through everyone. Sona scales harder than any other enchanter. By level 16, your abilities have zero cooldown. URF mode active.
Archangel's -> Moonstone -> Staff of Flowing Water. Infinite mana means infinite heals. You are a walking fountain. Spam spells until your keyboard breaks.
When Sona Comes Online
Level 11 (Ult Passive CDR). Moonstone/Staff of Flowing Water spike. Late game URF mode.
Around 20 minutes when you have two items and level 11. That's your prime. You're a mobile healing station with a massive AOE stun. Control the tempo of the game.
Level 11 (Ult Passive CDR). Moonstone completion. Late game URF mode. You basically have no cooldowns. Roll your face on the keyboard and win.
The Playmaking Moment
Being silent but annoying. Half-healthing the ADC with one Q-Auto level 1. Out-sustaining their entire combo.
Flash-R (Crescendo) hits 5 people. It's beautiful. Power Chord (W) reduces enemy damage by 25%. Use it on the assassin. It saves lives.
Flash-R 5 people. It's the Sona dream. Type 'Sona diff' in chat. Healing your team from 10% to 100% in a siege is also hilarious.
Recent Patch History
Recent Balance Changes
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V14.7 | Apr 3, 2024 | ADJUST | P buffed, Q nerfed |
| V13.21 | Oct 25, 2023 | ADJUST | Q adjusted |
| V13.17 | Aug 30, 2023 | ADJUST | Base stats adjusted |
| V12.19 | Oct 5, 2022 | BUFF | Q buffed, E buffed |
| V12.11 | Jun 8, 2022 | NERF | W nerfed |
