Skins
Counters
Base Stats
Gameplay Ratings
Attack
Defense
Magic
Per Level
Abilities
E
Sapling Toss
Maokai flings a sapling to the target area to stand guard. More effective in brush.
Passive
Sap Magic
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.
Q
Bramble Smash
Maokai knocks back nearby enemies with a shockwave, dealing magic damage and slowing them.
R (Ultimate)
Nature's Grasp
Maokai summons a colossal wall of brambles and thorns that slowly advances forwards, damaging and rooting any enemies in the path.
W
Twisted Advance
Maokai contorts into a mass of moving roots, becoming untargetable and dashing to the target. Upon arrival, he roots the target.
Playing As Maokai
- -Saplings can be tossed into brush for empowered effect - but don't stack well.
- -Try looking for flanks or other situations where Nature's Grasp is unavoidable or takes enemies by surprise.
- -Maokai's passive makes him extremely durable against focus fire from spells - so long as he can still basic attack something.
Playing Against Maokai
- -Saplings will chase the first enemy that gets too close, but detonate after a few seconds or if they collide with other enemies. Be especially careful around brush sapling, as they are much more dangerous.
- -The cooldown on Maokai's self healing is heavily gated on how many time you hit him with spells. Careful about wasting abilities on him.
- -Maokai will avoid taking damage while he's using Twisted Advance, so don't waste your spells.
Lore
Maokai is a rageful, towering treant who fights the unnatural horrors of the Shadow Isles. He was twisted into a force of vengeance after a magical cataclysm destroyed his home, surviving undeath only through the Waters of Life infused within his heartwood. Once a peaceful nature spirit, Maokai now furiously battles to banish the scourge of unlife from the Shadow Isles and restore his home to its former beauty.
About Maokai, the Twisted Treant
Maokai is a rageful, towering treant who fights the unnatural horrors of the Shadow Isles. He was twisted into a force of vengeance after a magical cataclysm destroyed his home, surviving undeath only through the Waters of Life infused within his heartwood. Once a peaceful nature spirit, Maokai now furiously battles to banish the scourge of unlife from the Shadow Isles and restore his home to its former beauty.
How to Play Maokai
Playing Maokaieffectively comes down to understanding the champion's role, combo patterns, and power spikes. As a tank, Maokai benefits from the recommended runes and core items shown above, which reflect the current meta across ranked play.
Strengths & Ally Tips
- Saplings can be tossed into brush for empowered effect - but don't stack well.
- Try looking for flanks or other situations where Nature's Grasp is unavoidable or takes enemies by surprise.
- Maokai's passive makes him extremely durable against focus fire from spells - so long as he can still basic attack something.
Playing Against Maokai
- Saplings will chase the first enemy that gets too close, but detonate after a few seconds or if they collide with other enemies. Be especially careful around brush sapling, as they are much more dangerous.
- The cooldown on Maokai's self healing is heavily gated on how many time you hit him with spells. Careful about wasting abilities on him.
- Maokai will avoid taking damage while he's using Twisted Advance, so don't waste your spells.
Maokai Counters and Matchups
Maokai's toughest matchup this patch is Teemo. Conversely, Maokai performs strongly into MasterYi.
Difficulty and Who Should Play Maokai
Riot rates Maokai's difficulty at 3/10. That makes Maokai a good pick for newer players who want to focus on fundamentals rather than mechanics.