Sona vs Neeko Counter Pick

Neeko concentrates her threat into two telegraphed moments, which is the main reason Sona holds 56.5% across 232 games on patch 16.13.1. Both champions attack from 550 units, both deal magic damage, and both depend on a partner to convert an opening. Neeko is listed for mid as well as support, and the kit shows it: her damage arrives in bursts rather than as a curve that lasts a whole lane phase.

• Pop Blossom requires a preparation window before Neeko leaps, knocks up everything nearby and stuns on landing.
• Tangle-Barbs roots what it passes through and grows larger after killing a unit or crossing a champion, so it becomes easier to see as it becomes stronger.
• Inherent Glamour lets her wear an ally’s appearance, but casting a damaging spell or taking immobilising crowd control breaks the disguise.

Song of Celerity answers all three, since bonus movement speed for nearby allies turns a preparation window into a miss. Neeko is quicker in the abstract at 340 against 325 and sturdier at 610 base health against 550, ending on 2,378 against 2,097, so Sona cannot win a fight she is standing inside. She wins the one she has already left, repairing chip damage with Aria of Perseverance while Neeko waits on her next setup. Their difficulty ratings, 5 against 4, leave little room for a skill excuse, and Blooming Burst rewards a stationary target twice.