The problem Ive had with tanky, is the people who are focusing you, are still going to focus you and grind you down. The champs she does worse against are the champs with high mobility that can get past your teammates and pick you off (talon, wu-kong, kass etc) or just a general poor team comp with a lack of CC or tanky champs.

You really only need to build tanky if your getting focus fired or they have some champs with high mobility that are picking you off. I suggest CDR/AP starting with boots/wand or boots/tear. Upgrade to Ion, then look for your next CDR item being either morellos or Frozen Heart if you need the armor. If going Frozen Heart it might be a good idea to skip tear and go for an early sheen.

The Tear is a great item on sona as it allows you to build the mana and sustain you need to be continuously casting cords, you always want to be ready with a power chord up, and continuously providing mobility and health regen to your team. If you win top, it really allows you to hold point and last until the 5 min mark before you need to return for mana/items.

I like going AD sona. I start with sheen, build that into tri force. Then I go tanky from there. The next items are dependent of the opposing team.

Most good sonas go tanky sona. (FH, Aegis, Abysal scepter, Phage ,Spirit visage, Soul shroud, Odin's veil)

I like going Heavy ap poke sona. Can't really think of a standard build for her since she is pretty versatile but I always always always get Lichblade for her. Her burst is highly underrated and you will be amazed how much damage you can put out WHILE helping keep your team alive and more mobile.

Not sure why you'd build AP on her. Her ratios are horrible. If you build enough AP for Lichbane to be powerful, you're incredibly squishy. Maybe if you're grouped with gobs of CC champs, but for general solo queue, no way.

I never solo que is why :3

And though her ratios are **** indeed, I prefer it over TF.

I dont bother with Lichbane, I tend to do just fine building CDR/AP and sticking between 200-300. Lichbane rush doesnt directly benefit you as much as CDR. Having a sub 60 second aoe stun by 8 minutes allows you and your team to control team fights and defend points by yourself with pokes, 30% slow on your power chords and your stun.

You know I havent built Ryleis on her for some reason. I'll have to experiment with that in my CDR builds. It tends to get expensive though and it can be difficult sometimes to finish even half a build.

Boots + Prospectors Ring start always. You can work in a tear somewhere, simply spamming W and E as you kite around will keep it constantly charging. I've not found anyone else who makes more use of it than her, with it easily reaching 600 by the end of an average dom game. Rush a sweeper if the enemy has ANY stealth, its far too useful to put it off. Besides that get items that help you survive and/or kite. Abyssal, Rylais, and Wota if your team can use it effectively. Morellos is a good chunk of cdr but I find that if you can get 20% from masteries and runes then you will generally be ok. When you do get the chance to get sweeper which is quite often it will be at 30%.

I recommend 9/21/0 getting both cdr masteries.

Generic runes.. mpen marks, hp/level seals, mr/level glyphs, movement speed quints.

Pick up tear first with your boots, it puts you at around 850ish mana by the start of the game. By 5 minutes in you usually have over 1200 and plenty of sustain to never run out. I find it most useful in winning top, and then holding top in extended fights. Without the tear, if your not frugal with your powerchords you tend to be oom fairly quickly, as without any mana items she sits around 600 mana and little sustain.

My Runes: Insight Marks, Clarity Seals, Celerity Glyphs, Swiftness Quints
Masteries: 9/0/21 or 8/0/22 with improved Ghost and Promote

I always start with Catalyst and a mana potion. If I have huge piles of money by my first trip home, I finish my RoA, but usually I have to get a Blasting Wand and boots1. I finish my Rod before finishing my boots: either Ionian or Merc's. From there it's really, super, crazy flexible. I guess I can tell you my favourite items, in no particular order except maybe Sheen...

Sheen >> Lichbane
Rabadon's Deathcap
Thornmail
Glacial Shroud
Hextech Sweeper

inb4 OMG AP Sona?!?!? butbutbutbut her scaling! Yeah, of course her scaling's small, she has five second cooldowns.

One last thing: I don't like Tear on anybody, it delays one's effective health or cooldown items.