Hi everyone and welcome back to the latest in the Weird Pick Wednesday series! This week we're taking a look at a somewhat forgotten, but favorite weird pick of mine: AP Sona!
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Introduction
Hi everyone and welcome back to the latest in the Weird Pick Wednesday series! This week we're taking a look at a somewhat forgotten, but favorite weird pick of mine: AP Sona!
How to Play
Runes: Ability Power Quints, Hybrid Penetration Reds, Armor Yellows, Flat Magic Resist Blues
Masteries: 21-9-0, Standard AP Laner Masteries
Abilities: Q, W, Q, E then prioritize R > Q > W > E
Core items: Athene's Unholy Grail, Morellonomicon, Lichbane, Deathcap, Void Staff, Zhonya's Hourglass
Masteries: 21-9-0, Standard AP Laner Masteries
Abilities: Q, W, Q, E then prioritize R > Q > W > E
Core items: Athene's Unholy Grail, Morellonomicon, Lichbane, Deathcap, Void Staff, Zhonya's Hourglass
Why It Works
Level 1 Cheese BurstSona can quickly charge up her Q twice at base, come to lane, and instantly hit for:
auto (50) + Q (55) + Powerchord (50 + 53 boosted damage) = 203 damage lvl 1.
Very Low Offensive Cost
At 45 starting mana on an 8 second cooldown for about 50 damage at level 1, this works pretty well considering the fact that you don't even need to aim the spell. Without factoring in mana regen, Sona can throw out her Q at least 7 times in a minute.
Late Game Utility
After she gets her mana regen items and 40% CDR, Sona becomes an absolute machine of destruction. With her powerful AOE damage CCs, heals, and speed-ups, she's very similar to Lulu in how much sheer potential she can provide in a teamfight.
At 45 starting mana on an 8 second cooldown for about 50 damage at level 1, this works pretty well considering the fact that you don't even need to aim the spell. Without factoring in mana regen, Sona can throw out her Q at least 7 times in a minute.
Late Game Utility
After she gets her mana regen items and 40% CDR, Sona becomes an absolute machine of destruction. With her powerful AOE damage CCs, heals, and speed-ups, she's very similar to Lulu in how much sheer potential she can provide in a teamfight.
Potential Pitfalls
Weak waveclear
As a champion with a maximum of two little tendrils of magic damage, she does poorly against champions who can quickly clear the wave and push her up against her tower.
Needs to Play Offensively.
As a champion who needs to play offensively early game between levels 1-3 to be effective, this opens her up to potential ganks before she gets her E, which isn't that great at escaping 1v2 to begin with.
"Holds Powerchords"
Similar to Caitlyn, Sona needs to "hold" her powerchord while harassing, which means that she generally has to either give up CS or use it to last hit once she uses enough spells. Again, the fact that she has poor waveclear is a problem as she'll miss a lot of CS if she foregoes the usage of her Q except to harass.
As a champion with a maximum of two little tendrils of magic damage, she does poorly against champions who can quickly clear the wave and push her up against her tower.
Needs to Play Offensively.
As a champion who needs to play offensively early game between levels 1-3 to be effective, this opens her up to potential ganks before she gets her E, which isn't that great at escaping 1v2 to begin with.
"Holds Powerchords"
Similar to Caitlyn, Sona needs to "hold" her powerchord while harassing, which means that she generally has to either give up CS or use it to last hit once she uses enough spells. Again, the fact that she has poor waveclear is a problem as she'll miss a lot of CS if she foregoes the usage of her Q except to harass.
Conclusions
AP Sona mid late game is very strong once she gets a full build. However, where she cheeses opponents hard in lane, she can also be cheesed back. As a poor CSer, if she doesn't manage to get a strong early level 1~3 lead, she quickly falls behind when enemy champions start shoving her into turret.
Suggested Rating: Tier 3
What do you think about AP Sona? Comment below!
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I really like playing AP Sona mid, but I build a bit differently. For starters, I get Archangel's instead of Athene's, because an early Tear solves mana problems quite nicely and Sona can stack it extremely quick. CDR boots can make up for the loss, especially if your masteries include four points into Sorcery. Finally I find Luden's pretty much too strong on her to pass up. It's another source of damage which Sona definitely appreciates, and with her spamming and the mobility her E provides she can build charges very quickly. Plus Luden's and Lich make for a very speedy Sona. But yeah that's just my two cents o-o;
ReplyDeleteThis is just too easy to counter with Vladimir. Not worth.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I even played her mid, since I just build death on her as support.
ReplyDeleteLich bane all the way~
It does, I used to grab a tear on Sona as soon as possible and then get a nashors tooth for Cd purposes and more burst. Especially when your at 2 stacks on your passive. Auto, Q, straight up Q auto follow up. Adds 30% ap (30 damage base) ratio to her burst acting as if Lich bane wasn't nerfed. It should even be better now since they buffed that item in terms of ap.
ReplyDeleteI don't think so, I don't see Vlad being able to kill her at all since she can just heal and stay back and far away from most of his no counte0,r annoyance of a peck. He will out push her though and such but Sona can easily farm under the tower and get items to add to her pushing.
ReplyDeleteI used to get Nashor's until Luden's came out, and now that it's got AP on par with Morello's I might shift it into my build. It makes waveclearing as her so much easier too.
ReplyDeleteJust something I have seen recently was Jarvan IV mid, it was a ranked 5 and he just decimated our team, maybe you could do a weird pick on full ad j4 mid.
ReplyDeletewho play's vlad mid?...
ReplyDeleteLuden's ought to be in her build I think. Nashor's Tooth could be a situational item but might not be that good.
ReplyDeletePlenty of people. He is just as viable in the mid lane as he is in the top lane.
ReplyDeleteVlad is better mid lane where the enemy doesn't build tanky
ReplyDelete1 million times better in bot. Zeke->Talisman->Morello/Graal->Liche->Rabadon...and you become a weapon of massive destruction. You are the carry supp, your adc is on a cloud (+50% crit early game izreal), you deal massive, you heal massive and on the scoreboard you will get more dmg than your mid laner. What else?
ReplyDeleteLuden's was great on her before they changed how the charging works.
ReplyDelete40% CDR and Lich Bane is a good starting path.