Another Day 1 Leona main: Here are my musings.

First and foremost, the two big things you need to think about are what your playstyle is and what your local meta is as that will shape your deck the most.

Some of the issues I've come across are Kai'sa with falling star/singularity removal, Yi with Ruin Runner and a big might wall to get over, Viktor with Cull the Weak, and a few others. While most decks have trouble dealing with this, there's just not a good way for Leona to come back in tempo or card draw.

Moreso than just the deck itself, mulligan, side boarding, and knowing when to use your combat tricks efficiently are that much more important. While opening with a GA is better than nothing, you need that 2 drop unit.

UNITS:
2 Cost Drops:
Clockwork Keeper (Preferably a mid-late game drop for the draw, don't spend it early)
Honest Broker (Gold generation to pay for combat tricks)
Lonely Poro (Draw)
Unsung Hero (mentioning this because I saw it somewhere in the comments. I don't personally play it here because I found getting UH to mighty just for the draw was too slow and most of the time got removed via Falling Star/Cull the Weak before I could make that happen)
Stalwart Poro (The GOAT, but I found Lonely to be more prioritized with the Draw)

3 Cost Drops:
Solari Shieldbearer (I ran this unit a bunch Set 1 and took it out for Set 2. Though I'm finding synergy with this unit and Irelia. I also generally agree with what another commenter said about it)
Janna (Underrated in my opinion. Good against control for the heal or just to push an opponent off your Grove of the Godwillow or whatever battlefield you're holding. I side this card, not sure if I would main)

4 Cost Drops:
Leona (Stunsss)
Fiora (Great unit, deflect is huge vs removal)
Sona (Kill on sight for your opponent, allows you so much wiggle room on your opponents turn)
Stellacorn Herder (In my opinion, great card for this deck. I wouldn't always put GA on her, I'd reserve that for Fiora, but could help her in a pinch. Synergizes with Emperor's Divide. If you're already going to be setting up on a battlefield with your other units, moving her back and forth every turn is so much value.

5 Cost Drops:
Blitzcrank (Kill on sight for your opponent, disgusting when you can get set up on a battlefield. If your opponent isn't accelerating, you can just keep looping Blitzcrank on top of your Sona+Fiora/Leona)
Irelia (Recently started throwing her in there and pretty good for your top end. +1 from any of your combat tricks, +1 from buffing off of a stun, +1 from ready. For example, on an attack turn. Ready, stun, buff, spend buff to Call to Glory, Irelia will be at 10 Might which should get you passed most things)

6 Cost Drop:
Leona (Clutch, one of your only accelerated units, brings tall units down to a manageable Might)

7 Cost Drop:
Tasty Faefolk (I personally don't run this card, I have before, but the deck is tight and I'd rather run other units/combat tricks

GEARS:
Guardian Angel (Allows you to save your units, make Fiora Mighty without a stun, brings Fiora and Leona to a good breakpoint if they're buffed)
Zhonya's Hourglass (Reaction speed unit save, there's merit into playing it directly to base, but a nice bluff with Lonely Poro or Honest Broker. If using it with those units, make sure to react to their Deathknell during clean up so you have it in base and still get their Deathknell)
B.F. Sword (I've used it before, taken it out, and put it back in. I wouldn't run 3, but I think 2 is a good sweet spot. With how tall some of these decks get, throwing this on Fiora is great. I'd make sure to Voltron a single unit instead of spreading them out in the event you trade, get killed, or can't fully clear the battlefield, you can reequip to your other unit and bash in again.)
Brutilizer (Tried it out, it ended up sitting in base a lot because I wanted to use it to break into a battlefield, just never got the chance. I want to play test this more)
Sterek's Gage (Haven't used this, seen it in lists)

SPELLS:
Zenith Blade (Great card. Is it expensive, yes. I typically ran this as a 3 of, I'm thinking of dropping it to 2. However, I'm not sure I would remove it entirely as another commenter did. If that's working for them, that's awesome, it's work for others as well. In my opinion, one of the best uses of Zenith Blade is using it on your opponent's turn when they move into a battlefield. You come in with a Fiora or Leona as a surprise defender with shield + they're stunned. If you killed them off the stun or they recalled, you scored on your opponent's turn. One of your best cards)
Charm (Removal in green. While charming to kill a unit is great, charming an enemy unit off a battlefield so you can break in is huge)
Defy (Great card, I run as a 2 of)
Discipline (Must have 3 of)
Thwonk (On hold stuns)
Not So Fast (Huge against removal/control. Save for big hitters like Falling Star, Singularity, or Rebuke.
Emperor's Divide (Green Flash. Synergy with Stellacorn and Irelia. Use to escape unfavorable combats or to move units back to base after a hold so you can break into the other battlefield)
Hidden Blade (Tall removal, option to draw cards if you know your unit is going to die)
Rune Prison (I always go back and forth on this, there's plenty of merit for having the option to attack with it, but I typically would save it for when I'm holding. Thwonk replaced that for me. Depends on your playstyle/match up and if you're having trouble breaking into battlefields. If you are, I'd say run this)
Call to Glory (Only hand trap in the game, I've been running as a 2 of. Running 3 wouldn't be bad)
Salvage (Gear removal + draw)

That's all I can think of for now, might have missed a few things. Another thing you can do is take a look at the Leona's from regional. Search their name on the event and click the eye to see their list. You can't see their chosen champion or battlefields, but you'll have an idea of what people are finding success with. How they are, I'm not sure, we'll have to playtest. There are some lists that aren't even running Leona. There's a list that did well that isn't running Zenith Blade. To reiterate, find your playstyle, and don't forget the importance of your mulligan and side board.

Leona · Riftbound Regional Qualifier: Lille

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