Maokai is a utility tank jungler. He provides CC, vision with saplings, and a massive engage ultimate. He doesn't carry through damage — he carries through enabling his team with roots, knockbacks, and vision control.
Abilities
Skills Overview
P
Sap Magic
Passive
Maokai's basic attack also heals him and deals additional damage on a moderate cooldown. Each time Maokai casts a spell or is struck by an enemy's spell, this cooldown is reduced.
Sap Magic heals you every few auto-attacks. The cooldown resets faster when abilities hit you. Auto camps between abilities for passive healing.
Q
Bramble Smash
Skillshot · Knockback · Slow
Maokai knocks back nearby enemies with a shockwave, dealing magic damage and slowing them.
CD: 7/6.5/6/5.5/5 · Cost: 40
Q knocks back and slows. Use it to peel divers off your carry or chain-CC after W root.
W
Twisted Advance
Dash · Root
Maokai contorts into a mass of moving roots, becoming untargetable and dashing to the target. Upon arrival, he roots the target.
CD: 14/13/12/11/10 · Cost: 60
W roots the target and makes you untargetable during the dash. Use it to dodge abilities mid-dash.
E
Sapling Toss
Trap · Vision · AoE
Maokai flings a sapling to the target area to stand guard. More effective in brush.
CD: 18/17/16/15/14 · Cost: 60/65/70/75/80
Saplings placed in brush deal bonus damage and slow. Use them as wards — they last 30+ seconds in brush.
R
Nature's Grasp
Skillshot · Root · AoE
Maokai summons a colossal wall of brambles and thorns that slowly advances forwards, damaging and rooting any enemies in the path.
CD: 130/110/90 · Cost: 100
Nature's Grasp sends a wall of roots across the map. It covers massive distance. Use it to engage from far away.
Skill Leveling Order — Max E first, then Q, then W · R at 6 / 11 / 16
| Level | Q | W | E | R | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take E — sapling for vision + clear | ||||
| 2 | Take Q — knockback | ||||
| 3 | Take W — root + dash | ||||
| 4 | Level E | ||||
| 5 | Level E | ||||
| 6 | R — Nature's Grasp | ||||
| 7 | Level E | ||||
| 8 | Level Q | ||||
| 9 | E maxed ✓ | ||||
| 10 | Level Q | ||||
| 11 | R rank 2 | ||||
| 12 | Level Q | ||||
| 13 | Level Q | ||||
| 14 | Q maxed ✓ | ||||
| 15 | Level W | ||||
| 16 | R rank 3 | ||||
| 17 | Level W | ||||
| 18 | W maxed ✓ |
Itemization
Recommended Builds
Starter Items
Gustwalker Smite
MS for roaming.
450g
Refillable Potion
Sustain.
150g
Core Build
Sunfire Cape
Immolate + tankiness. Burn while you CC.
2700g
Plated Steelcaps
Armor.
1100g
Abyssal Mask
MR shred aura amplifies your team's magic damage.
2700g
Randuin's Omen
Crit reduction + AoE slow.
2700g
Situational
Thornmail
Grievous wounds + armor vs healing.
2700g
Force of Nature
MR + MS vs sustained AP.
2800g
Spirit Visage
Increases passive healing.
2900g
Sunfire → Abyssal → situational tank items. Your job is to be unkillable while CC-locking the enemy team.
Runes
Resolve Primary
Aftershock
Procs on W root. Free resistances during your engage.
Font of Life
W root marks enemies — allies heal on attacks.
Conditioning
Free armor + MR at 12 min.
Unflinching
Tenacity when low HP.
Precision Secondary
Triumph
Heal on takedown.
Legend: Tenacity
Tenacity stacking.
Shards
Ability Haste · Armor · Health
Gameplay
How to Play Maokai
01
Early Game
Sapling Vision, Safe Ganks
- Start Blue → Gromp → Wolves → Raptors → Red → Krugs. E saplings in brush for damage.
- Place saplings in river brush for free wards. They last 30+ seconds and damage + slow anyone who walks by.
- Level 3 ganks are decent. W root → Q knockback → auto for passive healing.
- Avoid early 1v1s. You're not a duelist — you're a team player.
- Auto between abilities to proc passive healing on camps.
02
Mid Game
CC Chain Engage
- R covers half the lane. Use it to engage from far away — it roots everyone in its path.
- W → Q → R is your full CC chain. Root, knockback, then R for a second root.
- Saplings in brush around dragon/baron provide vision without spending Control Wards.
- Peel for your carry. W root the assassin diving them, then Q knockback.
- You're the engage. Walk forward, R the enemy team, W the carry, Q the divers.
03
Late Game
Teamfight Control
- R from fog of war for surprise engages. Nature's Grasp is one of the best engage tools in the game.
- Sapling bushes create kill zones. Enemies walking through them take massive damage + slow.
- In teamfights, W the enemy carry for a point-and-click root. You're untargetable during the dash.
- Q peels perfectly. Knockback + slow on any diver saves your ADC.
- Passive healing in extended fights makes you surprisingly durable. Auto between abilities.
Teamfighting
How to Teamfight as Maokai
Maokai is a CC machine in teamfights. Root, knockback, root again, and R for a massive AoE engage.
1
Engage — R From Distance
Opening
01
R from far away. Nature's Grasp covers massive distance.
02
Follow behind the wall of roots.
03
W the first carry that gets rooted.
R is slow-moving. Don't use it at point-blank range — enemies will sidestep. Use from distance.
2
Lockdown — W + Q Chain
CC chain
01
W root the carry. You're untargetable during dash.
02
Q knockback immediately after. Chain CC.
03
Auto attack for passive healing.
3
Peel — Protect Your Carry
Defensive
01
Q any diver. Knockback + slow saves your ADC.
02
W the assassin targeting your backline. Point-and-click root.
03
E saplings in brush around the fight for zone control.
W makes you untargetable during the dash. Use it to dodge critical abilities like Syndra R or Zed R mid-cast.
Tips & Tricks
Advanced Mechanics & Hidden Tech
Advanced mechanics for Maokai.
Basic
Sapling Vision
Place E saplings in brush. They act as wards for 30+ seconds AND damage enemies who walk by. Free vision everywhere.
Intermediate
W Dodge
W makes you untargetable during the dash. Time it to dodge abilities like tower shots, skillshots, or targeted ultimates.
Basic
Passive Healing
Auto-attack between abilities to proc passive heal. It heals more when you're low HP and cooldown resets when enemies hit you with abilities.
Advanced
R Angle
R sends roots in a LINE from you. Aim it sideways across the enemy team to hit the most people, not straight at one person.
Intermediate
CC Chain
W root → immediate Q knockback → R follow-up. The enemy is CC'd for 3+ seconds total. Enough for your team to kill anyone.
Basic
E Brush Bonus
Saplings placed in brush deal MUCH more damage and slow longer. Always place them in brush for maximum effect.
Matchups
Counters & Matchups
Maokai struggles against invading junglers and champions who can kite him. He excels against melee-heavy teams he can chain-CC.
Click any matchup to expand tips & how to play against them
Loses Against
Graves kites you with E dash and outbursts you. His range keeps him safe from your W.
Don't chase Graves. Focus on ganking his lanes. Your CC is more useful than fighting him.
Kindred kites you endlessly. Her R negates your team's follow-up burst after your CC.
W root Kindred when she uses Q. She's vulnerable during Q cooldown.
Nidalee pokes you from range and invades freely. You can't catch her.
Give up contested camps. You outscale massively. Force grouped fights.
Wins Against
W root stops Yi's damage. Q knockback interrupts his auto-attacks. He can't fight through your CC.
Save W for when Yi uses Q. Root him the moment he appears from Alpha Strike.
Karthus can't escape your W root. He has no mobility against your CC chain.
W root him, Q knockback, he dies. Invade freely.
Shyvana has no CC to stop you. Your CC chain locks her down. She can't fight through your tankiness.
Root her when she ults in. She's a sitting duck after burning R.