[Champion] Sona

Summoner Skills: Ghost/Clarity (preferred), Ghost/Clarity/Teleport/CV/Flash
Ghost/Clarity is what I prefer to run. You definitely need one skill in either Ghost or Flash for escaping/chasing purposes. Second skill is dependent on what your team needs. Clarity allows for stronger lane duration. Teleport can change the tide of any team fight when your allies suddenly has a healer with an AOE ulti. CV is good to keep an eye on enemy junglers and Dragon/Baron.

Masteries: 9 0 21
Standard 9 0 21 for Casters/Support. Be sure to select your upgraded Summoner Skill bonus depending on which Skills you have selected.

Runes:
Quints: Flat HP
Red: Magic Pen
Yellow: Mana per 5 per Level
Blue: Ability Power per Level

Flat HP for more survivability (Sona is rather squishy). Magic pen for a stronger Q attack. Mana Regen is needed so you can aura dance late game. I used to run CDR for Glyphs but I found that the extra 1 second between auras tend to not make much of a difference. Only real situation I needed a faster aura was for W for a quicker heal. But for the most part, CDR doesn’t make that much of a difference, so AP/Level instead.

Skill Order: QWQWQR, one point in E at level 10, R > Q > W > E (preferred) -OR-
QWWQWR, one point in E at level 10, R > W > Q > E
Item Build: Meki Pendant + 2 HP Pots => Tear of the Goddess + Boots => Mejai’s Soulstealer => Merc Treads => Mana Manipulator => Innervating Locket => Soul Shroud => Archangel’s Staff => Banshee or GA

Playstyle
Always start out with Q. While you’re at your fountain, activate Q 3 times to enable your Passive. You want to start out aggressive early on in lane.

The bottom lane composition will determine if you max Q or W first. In very obvious scenarios:
~ Sona + Twisted Fate vs Gangplank + Cho’Gath => Max Q first
The enemy is double melee vs your double range. It’s very unlikely they’ll be able to harass you or your ally. A high level of Q means you can zone them farther away from the creeps
~ Sona + Shen vs Janna + Taric => Max W first
Both sides have a Ranged and Melee, both sides have at least one healer. Chances of your team successfully harassing a Janna or Taric is very minimal. But at the same time, Taric can stun Shen, Shatter, allow Janna to auto attack with her Bubble up and Zephyr for a slow. Overall, it can be a considerable burst at levels 3 and 5. In this situation, max W sooner to heal Shen and it allows you to harass more in return, knowing you can heal yourself more too.

By midgame, Q and W should be near equal levels anyways, since you are heavily ignoring E. The skills you decide to invest in during levels 5, 7 and 9 can make a big difference during laning phase.

Midgame, you should have your Tear and Soulstealer done, so you’re building for Team Fights, Locket and Shroud. Q whenever you can in team fights so you’re assured at least 1 Mejai’s stack per assist.
Be sure to have Q as the main active aura when you are pounding on towers. Have W as your main active aura when you are sieging (to minimize enemy poking spells).

Late game, you faceroll QWE constantly, thanks to a built up Tear. Your Ultimate is what can turn the tides of a team fight in a matter of seconds. 3 situations where you use your ulti:
1. If you see the enemy grouped in the jungle, turn on E to speed up your team, Ghost/Flash in and Ulti all 5 enemies and begin the fight. Standard team fight ulti
2. Your team has been caught semi-out-of-position. Galio flashed in and started Idol of Durand. Your carry was too close to your tank and caught in the Galio Ulti. Use your ulti immediately in response. Two reasons, first you need to break the Galio Ulti somehow to allow your Carry to retreat and get into position. Second following Galio Ulti, the chances of the enemy charging in is very high, position yourself so you can AOE the entire enemy team while breaking Galio. Ulti to counter enemy initator’s Ulti
3. Olaf is caught trying to steal your side’s Golem. You have 3 teammates with you while your Carry is in a lane farming. You can ulti Olaf if your team is ready to kill. Ulti an enemy that is completely out of position but only if your team can net the kill

Tips
- During laning phase, practice “dancing” with Sona. That means stay in the brush, move close to enemy champions and activate Q. As soon as Q activates, move back. Q has a priority to hit champions over minions. Move in close to get into the champion’s range but then run back to avoid any spells thrown at you in return.
- Watch your passive. Whenever it is up, use it to auto attack harass the enemy. In tandem with Q harass, your passive can easily whittle down most enemy casters/support. Last hit with your passive only if you have no other choice (they are tower hugging and you don’t want to fall behind in farm)
- If you run Teleport, you can Teleport to wards and easily turn a fight in your favor. Teleport on ward, Ghost or E in, W to heal once you're in range. Then bide your time for your Ulti. If the enemy team is all running, try and position yourself where you can snare as many of them in a line.
- Whenever you are at home, spam your spells! These are freebie charges on your Tear. Typically you can get 3 to 5 Tear charges while you're at home healing. On the occasion where you are 20 gold short on an item, you may want to stay home and wait for gold to accumulate. Spam your spells while you wait!