Maokai is a powerful tank champion who excels at crowd control and team fight initiation. His natural sustain and multiple CC abilities make him an excellent choice for beginners and experienced players alike.

Passive - Sap Magic Maokai's next auto attack deals bonus damage and heals him every 20-30 seconds. The cooldown reduces by 4 seconds when using or being hit by abilities, and by 1.5 seconds from large monsters.

Core Abilities

• Q (Bramble Smash): Knocks back and slows enemies, dealing magic damage
• W (Twisted Advance): Becomes untargetable and roots target enemy
• E (Sapling Toss): Throws a sapling that chases and explodes on enemies
• R (Nature's Grasp): Creates a wave of roots that travel forward, rooting enemies

Ability Maxing Order Q > W > E

• Max Q first for waveclear and consistent damage
• W second for increased root duration
• E last as cooldown doesn't improve with ranks

Standard Combo E > W > AA > Q > AA For ultimate engages: R > E > AA > W > AA > Q > AA

Strengths

• Multiple crowd control abilities
• Strong sustain through passive
• Excellent team fight initiation
• Easy to learn mechanics

Weaknesses

• Needs two items to become tanky
• Vulnerable to early lane bullies
• Struggles against tank shredders

Strong Against

• Long-fight champions (Sion, Tahm Kench, Cho'Gath)
• Teams that lack mobility
• Close-range fighters

Weak Against

• Lane bullies (Quinn)
• Tank shredders (Gwen, Olaf)
• High-mobility champions

Advanced Tips

• Buffer Q with Flash for surprise engages
• Use E in bushes for increased damage and vision control
• Cast R sideways for immediate root effect
• W follows flashing targets, can be used to counter escapes

This champion excels in team fights and objective control, making him a reliable pick for both solo queue and competitive play.

Related Articles

Previous Articles