Duo
| Style | All-in, very aggressive lane |
| Difficulty | High (timing of the entry and the crowd control) |
| Strong at | Levels 2-6 and fights with engage |
| Weak against | Poke, kiting and enemies with escapes |
| Patch tier | Pending |
| Win rate | Pending |
Why it works
- Leona's CC feeds Samira's passive. According to the 16.21 patch data, Samira's attacks against immobilized enemies slide her into range, and if the enemy has been knocked up they keep them in the air a moment longer. Leona immobilizes and stuns; Samira chains different abilities to keep her combo going.
- Leona's entry creates the window. Her Zenith Blade briefly immobilizes the last champion hit and pulls her to them; her stun on the auto-attack pins them while Samira goes in. On top of that, Leona's passive (Sunlight) marks the target and allies, Samira included, consume the mark to deal bonus magic damage.
- Samira's R needs style, and Leona speeds it up. With the enemy controlled, Samira reaches the range she needs to cast her R sooner. To verify
- Survival on the entry. Leona's Eclipse (armor, magic resist and damage reduction) and Samira's W (which destroys enemy projectiles) reduce the damage taken.
- Resets. Samira's E resets with assists and kills, so the combo can be extended.
Weak points: Leona is melee (range 125), the entry is predictable, and they depend on the engage connecting. Enemies with kiting or poke force them to spend resources before going in.
Powerspikes by level
| Level | What changes | How to play it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leona has her Q and a stun on the first auto-attack. | A threat, but don't force blindly. |
| 2 | First real engage: Leona with dash and stun. | First all-in if you have the wave and vision. |
| 3 | Samira and Leona with three abilities. | Full combos; look for a kill. |
| 4-5 | Rank-ups. | Keep the pressure, avoid being punished. |
| 6 | Peak: Leona's R and Samira's R. | Zone to lock the enemy in; Samira uses R once in range. |
| Samira's first item | More damage and survivability. | Force all-ins against fragile supports. |
| 9-13 | Leona with more cooldown reduction; Samira with 2-3 items. | Fight for objectives with engage. |
To verify
Combos by level
Notation: A = auto-attack. They're validated in practice.
Level 2: basic engage
- Leona: E (dash with root) toward the enemy.
- Leona: A with the Q stun.
- Samira: A + Q + E on a nearby target.
Level 3: kill
- Leona: E → A (stun).
- Samira: E toward the enemy → A → Q → W when the counterattack comes.
- Leona: W to reduce the damage. To verify
Level 6: full all-in
- Leona: E → A (stun) → R to lock the zone.
- Samira: E → Q → A → R once in range.
- Samira: W to cancel projectiles and leave with E if there's a reset.
Mistakes: going in without vision, using Samira's R before reaching range, or wasting Leona's E on a minion.
Lane plan
- Waves: push or let the enemy bring the wave toward your tower so there's less distance.
- Vision: place wards in the river bush so the entry isn't a trap.
- Recall: don't recall after a lost trade, take advantage of the rest of the wave.
- Jungle: ask for a gank at levels 3-6; this duo turns ganks into kills.
Runes and summoner spells
To verify
| Champion | Main path | Secondary | Spells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samira | Domination: Electrocute or Hail of Blades; Precision: Press the Attack by preference | Depends on the matchup | Flash + Heal / Barrier |
| Leona | Resolve: Aftershock or Guardian | Inspiration | Flash + Ignite |
Items by matchup
To verify
| Enemy | Samira (ADC) | Leona (support) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-range poke | Early health item | Armor boots | Arrive at the entry with health |
| Enemy with CC | Mercury's Treads | Resistance item | Don't lose the engage to CC |
| Duo with healing | Anti-heal | Anti-heal | Reduces their sustain |
| Tanks | Armor penetration | Damage or utility item | Real damage against defenses |
Matchups
| Enemy | Result | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Kiting and poke duos | Struggles | They avoid the engage with range |
| Engage against engage | Depends | Whoever connects first wins |
| Fragile duos with no escape | Wins | One entry decides the lane |
| Tanks with CC | Even | Long, depends on the jungle |
To verify
Who to ban and what to pick if you get banned
- Useful bans: long-range poke and supports with shields or cancels. Pending
- Alternatives: if Samira is banned, another engage ADC; if Leona is banned, another engage support. To verify
Common mistakes
- Going in without vision.
- Using Samira's R without the range needed.
- Using Leona's engage on a minion.
- Not taking advantage of the reset.
- Forcing with low health.
How to play against Samira + Leona
Keep your distance and your escapes ready. Don't fight in their bush without vision. A support with your own crowd control or an ADC with long range forces them to spend resources before going in. After surviving the first engage, the counterattack is usually yours.
Frequently asked questions
Is Samira + Leona good for climbing? It works with communication and good vision. If the entry fails, it's easy to punish. To verify
When should you cast Samira's R? Once she's reached the needed range and the enemy is controlled. To verify
Which level is best for an all-in? Level 2-3 with bush control, and level 6 with both ultimates.
Which runes should I take? See the table; adjust depending on the enemy's poke or CC.
Methodology and updates
- Data source: Pending.
- Last review: Pending.
- Changes in the last patch: Pending.
