Leona Counters
The best Leona counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Braum, Maokai, Milio, Swain, Brand. The best Leona counter is Braum, with Leona having only a 42.99% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Leona counter choices are Sona, Nautilus, Xerath, Nami, Yuumi. Below are the top Leona counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
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.
Shield of Daybreak
Leona uses her shield to perform her next basic attack, dealing bonus magic damage and stunning the target.
Cost:- 30/
- 35/
- 40/
- 45/
- 50
Cooldown:- 5
Range:- 100
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.
Cost:- 60
Cooldown:- 14/
- 13/
- 12/
- 11/
- 10
Range:- 450
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.
Cost:- 40/
- 45/
- 50/
- 55/
- 60
Cooldown:- 12/
- 11/
- 9/
- 8/
- 6
Range:- 875
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.
Cost:- 100
Cooldown:- 90/
- 75/
- 60
Range:- 1200
- Tank,
- Support
These champions are Leona's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Braum is Leona's biggest counter with only a 42.99% win rate for Leona. When facing these Leona counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Leona matchups.
Braum
Maokai
Milio
Swain
Brand
Sona
Nautilus
Xerath
Nami
Yuumi
When facing Leona in League of Legends, understanding Leona's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Leona deals primarily magic damage, which means prioritizing magic resist in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Leona's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Leona include Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide substantial magic resist stats that directly mitigate Leona's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Leona counters are Braum, Maokai, Milio, and Swain. These champions either out-trade Leona in lane, have abilities that negate Leona's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Braum in particular exploits Leona's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Leona involves understanding Leona's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Leona when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Leona in team fights before Leona can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Leona to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Leona's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Leona's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Leona is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Leona may look for extended trades. Avoid long fights and kite with slows. Short trades favor you against sustained damage.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Leona becomes increasingly tanky mid game. Focus on kiting and percent health damage. Avoid fighting in choke points.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Leona is very durable late game. Use armor penetration or anti-tank items. Focus squishier targets first if Leona is too tanky.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Leona in lane or team fights.
- Pick Braum or similar champions with kits that exploit Leona's weaknesses
- Build Mercury's Treads or Hexdrinker early to reduce Leona's damage in lane
- Track Leona's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Leona's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Leona during vulnerable windows
- Avoid extended trades where Leona can stack sustained damage
- Kite Leona with slows and crowd control
Leona performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Rell is Leona's best matchup with a 60.32% win rate. When playing Leona into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Leona can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Rell
Rakan
Karma
Blitzcrank
Zyra
Zilean
Lux
Soraka
Lulu
Senna
Leona Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Leona?
The best Leona counters are Braum, Maokai, and Milio. These champions have favorable matchups against Leona and can exploit Leona's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Leona's hardest counter?
Braum is Leona's hardest counter with Leona having only a 42.99% win rate in this matchup. Maokai (44.83% WR) and Milio (46.08% WR) are also strong Leona counters.
Who does Leona counter?
Leona performs well against Rell, Rakan, and Karma. These are Leona's best matchups where Leona has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Leona in lane?
To beat Leona in lane, pick a counter champion like Braum or Maokai. Focus on trading when Leona's key abilities are on cooldown, and build magic resist items to reduce Leona's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Leona gains an advantage.
What items counter Leona?
The best items to counter Leona are Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide magic resist which directly reduces Leona's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Leona in lane.
When is Leona weakest?
Leona is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Leona's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Leona before Leona can set up fights on Leona's own terms.
How do I play Leona into counter matchups?
When playing Leona into counters like Braum, focus on safe farming, waiting for jungle assistance, and playing around power spikes. Avoid extended trades in unfavorable matchups and look for opportunities to scale into mid and late game.
What champions are similar to Leona's counters?
If Braum, Maokai, or Milio are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Leona's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Leona's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.