Thornmail Leona Build

Thornmail Leona Build.

Thornmail Leona build with runes and items. Thornmail Leona guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Thornmail Leona build in League of Legends Patch 26.4!

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Bramble Vest should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Leona ability Eclipse should be leveled first.
W
Leona ability Zenith Blade should be leveled second.
E
Leona ability Shield of Daybreak should be leveled third.
Q
Final items
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Abyssal Mask should be final item in your build.
Dead Man's Plate should be final item in your build.
Jak'Sho, The Protean should be final item in your build.
Randuin's Omen should be final item in your build.
Sunfire Aegis should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Aftershock from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Thornmail Leona Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching rune.
Precision
Precision minor tree Absorb Life rune.
Precision minor tree Triumph rune.
Precision minor tree Presence of Mind rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Alacrity rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Haste rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Bloodline rune.
Precision minor tree Coup de Grace rune.
Precision minor tree Cut Down rune.
Precision minor tree Last Stand rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

Optional Summoner Spells

Exhaust

Exhaust

Defensive option. Exhaust for peeling against enemy divers and assassins and protecting your carries.

Ghost

Ghost

Ghost for extra mobility - great for chasing down fleeing enemies or staying on top of slippery AD carries.

Ignite

Ignite

Offensive option if you are feeling spicy. Grievous Wounds + some damage. Good in early fights and you can score some kills, but reduces your going-in potential. Especially later.

Optional Runes

Grasp of the Undying

Grasp of the Undying

Grasp of the Undying is a solid alternative. You become more tanky over time as your HP grows, you get some sustain and you get some damage as well.

Presence of Mind

Presence of Mind

Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.

Demolish

Demolish

If you are into taking objectives, you can consider taking Demolish rune. Usually it is worth it and lets you push turrets quicker. Utility slash team oriented option.

Looking for another tank build? Check these:
HeartsteelLeonaTankLeona

How it works

  1. You rush Thornmail and stack as much Armor as you can.
  2. You become auto-attackers' worst nightmare.
  3. Hit or miss. Works great if the enemy team is full of physical damage and auto-attackers. Less effective against full AP - but still viable since players auto attack anyway.

Playstyle

  1. 🌵

    Rush Thornmail to punish all enemies who auto attack you.

  2. ⚔️

    Stay in fights - the more they hit you, the more they hurt themselves.

  3. 🧰

    Adapt: if they are heavy AP, pivot to regular tank items.

How to play

Thornmail Leona

  1. You get extra spikey because of your Eclipse (W), thanks to additional Armor.
  2. Eclipse (W) also indirectly increases Thornmail's damage as it increases your effective HP (flat damage reduction) and you can take more hits.

Getting started

  1. Start with Bramble Vest and Ruby Crystal. Rush Thornmail #1, then keep stacking Armor items.
  2. This build is aimed to counter AD comps. Since you don't know the enemy team before loading in, you need to adapt. If they are heavy AP, you can just fall back to a regular tank build.

During fights

  1. Stay in the middle of fights as long as possible. The more enemies hit you, the more damage Thornmail reflects.
  2. If you manage to proc Aftershock during the fight, you are gonna deal tons of damage from Thornmail, try keeping it for it, if you can.
  3. Randuin's Omen is great for engagements - it slows enemies on activation and reduces their crit damage.
  4. Late game, you can consider selling boots for a 6th item - for even more sweet Thornmail damage!
  5. You can use Bandlepipes to give your whole team an attack speed boost whenever you CC enemies. Great synergy with auto attackers.

Runes

  1. Be careful to not waste Aftershock. Try timing it and keeping it for going in. It increases your Armor greatly, which in turn increases Thornmail damage!
  2. You can also take Grasp of the Undying as an alternative rune if you prefer scaling.
  3. Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.

Tips and Tricks

Champion

  1. Timing of your CC is essential. Do not use Shield of Daybreak (Q) right after Zenith Blade (E)! Wait a while, then use Q. With enough Ability Haste, you can use E and Q right after to chain CC.
  2. For absolutely 100% hit Zenith Blade (E) or Solar Flare (R) you can first stun with Q, then cast the other ability the right away for certain CC.
  3. You trying to snipe with Solar Flare (R)? Pretend that you don't and face other direction

Riot

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

Skill Order

  • Leona [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Shield of Daybreak
  • Leona [object Object] ability.
    W
    Eclipse
  • Leona [object Object] ability.
    E
    Zenith Blade
  • Leona [object Object] ability.
    R
    Solar Flare

Items

Starting items
Bramble Vest item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Rush this
Thornmail item.
Good tank items
Fimbulwinter item.
Protoplasm Harness item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Good MR items
Spirit Visage item.
Force of Nature item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Good Armor items
Frozen Heart item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Thornmail item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Unending Despair item.
Situational items
Zeke's Convergence item.
Trailblazer item.
Titanic Hydra item.
Knight's Vow item.
Bandlepipes item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Wrath item.
Example final build
Thornmail item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Sunfire Aegis item.