Support Poppy build with runes and items. Support Poppy guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Support Poppy build in League of Legends Patch 25.12!
Even though Poppy is not typical support, you are gonna support your team very effectively. With heals, shields and buffs:
Heal summoner spell.
Guardian and Font of Life runes.
Redemption, Locket of the Iron Solari and Moonstone Renewer and other items.
How to play
General
Your first rush is Redemption.
Your second rush can be Locket of the Iron Solari (vs AoE), Moonstone Renewer (sustain).
Also, Echoes of Helia is pretty good because you can proc it consistently.
Rush second Locket if your team already doing teamfights or when an enemy team has champions with super aoe damage (example: like Fiddle's ult). Otherwise, get Moonstone Renewer #2. The third item should be whatever you did not buy - Locket of the Iron Solari or Moonstone Renewer. That's your core.
Another decent item if you have carry/strong bruiser/strong tank is Knight's Vow.
Try to use summoner spell Heal on cooldown. With Moonstone Renewer, ideally there should be at least two people for maximum healing effect.
Later in the game, for maximum support - you can sell boots for sixth item.
You can get items like Ardent Censer (some auto attackers needed) or Staff of Flowing Water. It will be triggered often enough that it will be worth.
Interesting item is Cryptbloom. If you want to go full healing, you can get it like #4+ item.
Runes
With Cosmic Insight rune from Inspiration tree:
Redemption and Locked of the Iron Solari has 81.92 sec cooldown (down from 90 sec).
Shurelya's Battlesong has 68.12 sec cooldown (down from 75 sec).
Guardian is important rune. It is going to provide tons of shielding. Remember that you need to be close to your allies to proc it.
You can also manipulate it - for example, you can stick to one ally, or avoid some spells that's gonna only waste it.
You will be triggering Font of Life effect, which will heal your allies. It also chains off Moonstone Renewer!
Font of Life total healing is not properly calculated in a post-game lobby. Value is bigger in the game vs. what's displayed in statistics. You heal more!
Another important rule is Cosmic Insight, it reduces cooldown for your active items (so more heals/shielding) and Heal summoner spell.
Redemption
Try to use Redemption on cooldown, when your allies are missing some health. It is best to use when they are grouped. Especially if you already have Moonstone Renewer, it is best to wait (or ping) until they group together, so you can have them all healed.
Remember that you can use Redemption for the damage. However, in general, it is not worth it. Keep it to heal your team!
Be careful when using Redemption while you are dead, and you are about to be respawned. The camera will go to your position, and you can cast it in the spawning pool by mistake. Watch out for bad timing!
Tips and Tricks
Champion
Thanks to Iron Ambassador (Passive) and Steadfast Presence (W), you are tanky. You get even tankier below 40% maximum health — don't hesitate in clutch moments; that's when you're at your toughest.
You are awesome peeler. You can do it super well for carries (especially when playing off-meta roles)
Long Keeper's Verdict (R) can knock enemies away, short Keeper's Verdict (R) can knock them in the air.
Steadfast Presence (W) grounds and knocks enemies up if they are dashing for your carry.
Heroic Charge (E) carries enemy and stuns them.
Iron Ambassador (Passive)
If you kill minion with your Iron Ambassador (Passive), shield gets back to you and you gain shield immediately (you don't need to pick it up). Use this for your advantage.
Remember to pick shield from Iron Ambassador (Passive) as often as possible! It prevents tons of poke and lets you play more aggressively.
Your Iron Ambassador (Passive) count as ranged attack, which means some runes and items will give you an effect as if you were ranged champion. For example: Grasp of the Undying - less heal, less Health, less dmg. Hubris - less ad. First Strike - less gold.
Credit: Alex.
Steadfast Presence (W)
Do not use W too early. Enemies will hold anticipating your W. The more you wait, the more pressure you put on them (for example, they cannot go for your carry right away).
Heroic Charge (E)
You can use Heroic Charge (E) as escaping tool as well! Target minions or enemies that are far away to escape.
You can use E to pick up your shield!
You can stun enemies by using Heroic Charge (E) against champion-created walls and terrain!
Riot
Iron Ambassador tends to land near walls, try to take advantage of this with Heroic Charge.
Keeper's Verdict can be released immediately to send the enemy straight up, take advantage of this in duels.