Leona
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Good (7/10)
High Investment Required
Paid Relics
Leona is a formidable control champion capable of completely locking down enemy boards through consistent Stuns and massive stat growth. While her reliance on specific engine pieces like Rahvun can result in a linear gameplay loop, her power spike at 6 stars significantly improves her pacing and viability in high-difficulty content.
The Solar Engine
Provides a crucial +1 starting mana, allowing for significantly faster deployment of board-controlling units.
Grants the stats needed to activate the mana-generation condition of Starforged Gauntlets while providing defensive utility.
Guarantees a 0-cost draw of Rahvun (provided no other 4-cost cards are drafted), which is essential for bypassing the once-per-turn Daybreak restriction.
Strategy
This build focuses on extreme tempo. By leveraging the extra starting mana and the guaranteed Rahvun draw, you can establish a board state where Daybreak effects trigger multiple times per turn as early as round 2 or 3, effectively neutralizing enemy threats before they can act.
Formidable Aspect
Converts Leona's high Health and defense-heavy stat growth into offensive pressure via the Formidable keyword.
Increases the survivability of the board with Tough and provides substantial Health buffs that directly scale damage in this specific build.
Ensures Leona is drawn consistently and reduces the cost of Morning Light, allowing for repeated board-wide buffs and stuns.
Strategy
Ideal for 6-star builds, this configuration transforms Leona into a stat-monster. Every Daybreak trigger provides massive Health increases which, under Strength of Stone, results in units that are nearly impossible to kill and capable of dealing lethal damage in a single wide swing.
Tactical Control (Budget)
Generates a Fleeting copy of Leona every round, providing a reliable source of Morning Light to maintain board control.
Once 6 mana gems are reached, this doubles the impact of Morning Light, leading to full board stuns and massive stat increases.
Provides the necessary spell mana to cast generated champion spells every round without sacrificing unit development.
Strategy
A highly effective control build that prioritizes long-term board dominance. While slower than Epic builds, it ensures that once Leona is on the field, the enemy board remains permanently stunned while your own units outscale the opposition.
Other Relic Options
A potent flex option that generates burst-speed barriers to protect key units like Rahvun and frequently triggers the Phalanx star power.
Provides essential protection against removal for Leona, who is often the primary target for enemy spells.
Enables an immediate game-ending rally upon Leona's level up, which typically occurs the moment she is played or on the following turn.
Leona also benefits from generic stat-boosting or keyword relics if specific synergy items are unavailable, though her effectiveness is heavily tied to her ability to draw her champion spell or Rahvun.
Constellation
Leona's constellation path is criticized for its linear layout, which often gates high-impact upgrades behind rare resources. However, the raw stat bonuses and utility provided are significant, transforming her from a slow midrange champion into a dominant late-game force. Priority should be given to mana-acceleration nodes.
Solar Power
Allies have "Daybreak: Grant me +1|+1."
Piety's Reward
+1 Starting Mana. When you level up an ally champion, create a Morning Light in hand. It costs 0.
Solar Power II
Allies have "Daybreak or when you activate another Daybreak: Grant me +1|+1."
Phalanx
When you target an ally, give it Barrier this round.Review
The Phalanx power provides a substantial defensive layer by granting Barrier when targeting allies. This is most effective when paired with repeatable targeting effects like Hex Core or champion spells, making the board much harder for the AI to disrupt.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.Review
Standard mana acceleration that is particularly vital for Leona due to her 5-cost base. This node often marks the threshold where she becomes viable for the highest difficulty Nightmare adventures.
Aspect of the Sun
Whenever an ally's Daybreak is activated, activate it again.Review
Doubling Daybreak activations is a massive power spike. While it does not accelerate Leona's level-up condition (as the second trigger is a copy, not a play effect), it doubles the efficiency of every stun and stat-buff, allowing her to outscale almost any enemy encounter by round 3.
Gameplay Tips
- The Rahvun Necessity
Establish Rahvun as early as possible. Without him, Leona's deck is restricted to a single Daybreak trigger per turn, which is insufficient for high-level content. Using Found Fortune to guarantee his draw is the most effective way to ensure deck consistency.
- Managing Hand Size
Leona is prone to hand-clogging, especially at 6 stars or when using The Grand General's Counterplan. Her level-up generates a 0-cost spell, and high-frequency Daybreak triggers can fill the hand with generated cards or copies. Aggressively cut low-impact cards from the starting deck to prevent burning essential spells.
- Strategic Stunning
Prioritize stuns over board development when facing aggressive AI. Leona’s stuns are primarily slow-speed (activated on unit play or through her spell), meaning you must anticipate enemy attacks. If the AI has the attack token, look for ways to trigger a stun on your defensive turn to prevent an open attack.
- Synergistic Drafting
When choosing support champions, look for units that provide fast-speed interaction or low-cost bodies that can benefit from Leona's wide board buffs. Avoid drafting other 4-cost cards if using Found Fortune to ensure Rahvun remains the guaranteed pull.
- Phalanx Exploitation
If the 4-star power is unlocked, use targeting spells (like Zenith Blade or generated Hex Cores) defensively. The resulting Barrier can bait the AI into unfavorable trades or protect Leona from high-damage spells.