Sona + Lux Bot Lane Duo Guide
Sona and Lux bot lane is a hot topic right now. Seeing play in all ranks and even in esports, the two are very strong in the current meta. But what makes them so good and how does a duo Support lane work?
In this Mobalytics guide by PicklePants, we will break down how to play this unique combination in the bot lane and how you can abuse it before Riot guts it. This will be part 1 of a 2 part series: focusing on how to play as the two. In our next guide, we will tell you how to play against this lane.
Be sure to check back next time when we cover how to play against the Sona + Lux duo!
How does double Support work?
In previous seasons, we saw some exciting picks in the bottom lane which originated from pro play and found its way into solo queue. The likes of Garen + Yuumi bot lane and even Taric + Sona bot (and solo lane Support items among other things) forced Riot to introduce penalties for Supports: penalizing them for earning gold.
The way these two work around this is by farming fewer minions to avoid penalties. They only take the most valuable minions that give them the most gold, which are the Cannon Minions and Melee Minions. They, for the most part, ignore ranged minions as they do not give lots of gold. If done correctly, they should avoid earning penalties and reducing their gold income.
The key for this to work is to earn as much gold as possible without incurring a penalty. It’s played similar to every other Support. They’ll both try to complete their warding quest as quickly as possible so they can get and place vision.
A huge thank you to LOL Esports who created this amazing video. If you want to learn more about the dynamic duo in the bottom lane, definitely give this video a watch!
Starting Items
Both Supports should take Spellthief’s Edge. Spellthief’s works well with both champions kit as they give them AP damage which allows them to deal more damage with their abilities. It also gives then additional mana which increases their sustain in lane.
Thanks to the extra mana, Sona will be able to use her W more often so give both of them extra sustain and health. Lux will also be able to poke and shield more often too.
If you want to try Sona and Lux bot lane with a friend, make sure you check out this guide on how to complete your Support warding quest quickly.
Runes
Both champions should take a variation of a Guardian rune page. Guardian is a great rune for both of these champions as it offers them with additional protection in the lane. The shield can provide will increase their survivability and allow them to scale into the mid and late-game well.
I personally wouldn’t suggest taking anything else on these two as Guardian offers a lot of added protection and makes them safer in their weakest phase of the game. Still, you could take Summon Aery on Sona if you wanted to.
To find the most up-to-date runes for the current meta, be sure to check out our champion pages for Sona and Lux.
Builds
The builds for Sona and Lux are the exact same builds that they take when playing as Support. I would recommend that you continue to buy the same items you would normally do.
For Lux, her core items are Athenes and Ardent Censer which both increase her healing and damage output.
For Sona, her core items are Archangel’s Staff (stacked) and Athenes which offer her extra damage and increases her healing ability.
Remember that you can automatically import these builds during champ select if you’re using the Live Companion.
How to Play Sona + Lux during the Early Game
During the early game, the two shouldn’t be looking to fight very often until they have some levels behind them. Their goal is to out sustain and survive during the laning phase and they lack damage early on.
Playing safe, scaling and waiting for level 6 is a great way of playing this duo as they lack kill pressure up until this point. Once both champions are level 6, they can start to play more aggressive and look for picks with Sona’s Ultimate and Lux Binding.
As you don’t have kill pressure in the early game, don’t expect your Jungler to gank you until you’re at least level 6 and have your Ultimate. Avoiding getting yourself in a situation where you need jungle assistance by playing safe and not pushing too far forward or putting yourself in a position where you can get killed.
How to Play Sona + Lux during the Mid and Late Game
In the mid and late game, you’ll need to stick with your team and play for picks with Sona’s Ultimate and Lux Q. Ensure you’re always with them as after all- you’ll both be “Support” and building Supportive items (or following your core kill build path as if you were a Support). Both of you will be equally squishy as well which makes you more of a target for enemy hard engage.
Once you’ve completed 2 or 3 items, you’re shielding or healing will be very beneficial and it will be hard for the enemy to kill your allies in team fights if you’re with them. Even though you’ll both have damage at this time, your main goal will be keeping your allies alive and empowering them to win the team fight.
At level 16, you’re both going to be a considerable threat. Continue to go for picks at this time but be more mindful of the enemy trying to catch you out of position or ambush you.
Tips and Tricks
Let’s finish off this guide with some basic tips on how to play as the duo.
- You do not need to get kills or fight frequently. This pair is all about scaling and playing safe early. Once you’re level 6, you can look to play more aggressively.
- Make sure you hit level 2 at the same time as the enemy so you’re able to trade back or prevent an engage. If you’re up against a strong level 2 champion and you’re not going to hit 2 at the same time, play safer until you’re level 2.
- Stand near each other during the laning phase so you can both get the shield thanks to Guardian.
- Avoid getting penalized and earning reduced gold by leaving some minions to die naturally without last-hitting them. Secure each of the Cannon minions whenever possible though!
- In the mid and late game, avoid going to ward alone unless your team is nearby to help you as both champions are very squishy and die quickly if they’re caught out.
Check out our champion pages
With the increased popularity of this duo lane, we have created new champion pages for both Sona and Lux in their appropriate roles. If you want to learn some additional tips on how to play as either of these champions, make sure you check out our champion pages to find out some extra information including how to play as and against them.
Conclusion
At that concludes our short guide on how to play as Lux and Sona in the bottom lane. Stay tuned for the second guide to follow which will detail how to counter this lane. If you haven’t already, make sure you try out this lane before Riot nerfs it!
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