They and Braum seem to be the most used supports. Braum I can understand, since he can shield the ADC, but why Blitzcrank and Leona?
Call me old fashioned, but I thought in order for a character in any game to be called a support that they need to either, heal, cast a barrier, or cast buffs on their allies. Blitzcrank and Leona don't seem to do either of those three things.
They operate well with low-income (don't need income to start a fight with a Blitz grab; or a Zenith Blade into a Q stun or Leona ult), they can peel (Blitz knock-up/grab, Leona stuns), zone effectively (you get too close at the wrong time and you get initiated on and killed) and initiate ganks or teamfights (grab -> knock-up/ Zenith Blade -> Stun) despite a lack of money. This makes them good supports. They don't have to directly affect the status of their teammate if they can zone, peel and initiate as well as Leona and Blitz can.
3 stuns. enough said
brings a hook the affects games from start to finish. Anti-gapcloser op
Blitzcrank is kind of a pure-offensive type of support. His job is to mainly dish out CCs at your lane opponents to grant damage advantage to your ADC.
Leona is partly a offensive & defensive support, where her job is to hook & stun the target your own ADC wants to dish out damage to, and to soak up lots of damage for her team with her W, and then does and AoE stun/slow to the enemy team.
They don't need money, they can set up their ADC for kills, can peel for their ADC to escape. Also keep in mind things like Leona's passive (where her abilities make other people hit harder), etc.
It comes down to utility and securing your ADC's snowball capability.
Blitz is technically considered a Tank as a primary and Fighter as a secondary. If I recall correctly, he was originally released as a top laner? Back when top laners were those like Blitz and Taric.
Leona's primary role also isn't support, it's Tank. Although her secondary is. I see your point, as these two champs are played exclusively as supports, but they are not true supports. They focus on engaging and making picks, instead of the traditional "protect the carry" playstyle.
Also, a support isn't classified as someone who heals, shields or buffs, at least not anymore. Almost any champ in the game can be played as a support, and the definition of a support can be argued.
To be considered a support you do not need to provide heals, passive buffs or temporary shields. To be a support you just need to provide play making utility, which you focus on as the support of the team to further ensure your teams victory. Leona is a support because of her immense CC utility. She can provide a very unique amount of initiation and extended CC in team fights which is great utility for a champ to bring. Blitz can bring CC as well, not as concentrated however but definitely worthy of play making, with both a pull to pick off enemies and a knock up. Both are also tanky so they can maximize these skills because of their survivability.
because getting your ADC fed is considered as supporting too. Support is about... everything that useful for ADC and need not tons of gold.
it all depends on which version of the term 'support' you're talking about. 'Support' in this game can be used to describe either a role or a position.
The support role pretty much is as you're interpreting it; those of the support role specialize in buffing/healing/shielding allies and preventing enemies from harming those allies.
The support position is just a name for the non-ADc in bottom lane. It's called 'support' mostly because the typical champs that used to be taken there were those of the support role... you know, back when ADcs actually almost had weak early games and needed to be babysat and protected. Of course, now that ADcs have been repeatedly given more and more safety nets both within their kits and without, their partner in lane doesn't really need to offer any kind of protection to them, and so the person occupying that spot doesn't really need to be of the support role anymore, but the name 'support' still sticks to the spot because... well, frankly, what else are you gonna call them? The ADc's bitch? The team pauper (although the jungler's giving them a run for their money on that accord)?
Leona and Blitz are called 'supports' because they get taken to the support position. Their kits aren't inherently supportive or protective, aside from having some cc for peel/lockdown (which just about any bruiser can cover... hell, Darius can legitimately peel better than Leona), they just get called that because of where they go, and (very many) people can't distinguish between the two uses of the word so they assume (incorrectly) that this means Blitz and Leona must be considered of the support role; they are not, they are merely bottom-lane tanks/bruisers.
They always seemed the two easiest supports in the game. Leona is basically all about jumping on the adc, almost every time you can jump on the adc. Blitz is pretty much the same way, but with a pull instead of a jump
They arnt bad, but they are less complicated then the other supports.
Supports are not old fashioned. They are a new fabrication created by the player based. LoL originally did not have a support role and players were not expected to surrender gold to one specified carry.
Also, support champions should not be limited to champion who heal / shield, support champions can also provide utility to a team, like Zilean's speed boost / Guardian Angel ultimate, or champions with CC to assist in peeling for the carry.
Blitz and Leona offer utility to their ADCs. Heals and barriers are fine, but when it comes down to it, ADCs are fairly squishy even with an infusion of health. Supports such as Blitzcrank or Leona locks down enemies or protect their carries with their CCs. In a fight, they would initiate and tank the damage while their marksman finishes off the enemy laners.
I actually prefer this kind of "support" over a traditional healer role, since I would much rather bring Thresh to an all in than a Sona.
