League of Legends best Maokai build guide: Counters, Itemization, Strategy, and more

The best Maokai builds make the Twisted Treant versatile enough to be flexed in three different roles in League of Legends season 14. While he is traditionally a jungler, Maokai has seen a fair amount of success in the Top Lane and as a Support.

He is one of the perfect lane duos for a Fasting Senna, and he has enjoyed a very high pick and ban rate in the recent meta. His build versatility and the amount of CC his kit provides gives him incredible teamfight potential.

He fits most team compositions which is why Maokai has stayed relevant throughout multiple patches. He is frankly one of the more reliable picks who will help you have a considerably easier time climbing the rank ladder.

Contents:

• Best Maokai Ap build
• Best Maokai Tank build
• Pros and Cons of playing Maokai
• Maokai Tips and Tricks for Early Game, Mid Game, Late Game
• Maokai counters, matchups, and Champion synergy

League of Legends 14.11 Best AP Maokai build (Jungle/Support/Top)

Runes 

Itemization

Spells

• Flash
• Smite/Ignite/Exhaust

Skill Unlock Priority

Q: Bramble Smash			3											14	15		17	18
W: Twisted Advance		2						8		10		12	13
E: Sapling Toss	1			4	5		7		9
R: Nature’s Grasp						6					11					16

League of Legends 14.11 Best Tank Maokai build (Jungle/Support/Top)

Runes 

Itemization

Spells

• Flash
• Smite/Ignite/Exhaust

Skill Unlock Priority

Q: Bramble Smash			3					8		10		12	13
W: Twisted Advance		2												14	15		17	18
E: Sapling Toss	1			4	5		7		9
R: Nature’s Grasp						6					11					16

Maokai Pros and Cons in League of Legends Season 14

Pros:

• Maokai’s teamfighting potential makes him a great pick for any composition in League of Legends. He has a good amount of engage and disengage, which makes it significantly easier for the rest of his team to collapse on the enemy. Each of his abilities comes with a degree of CC which when used right, can be invaluable.
• Maokai’s Sapling Toss is a great tool for gaining more vision across the map. As a Support or a jungler, he will not have to rely on Wards all the time. Throwing out a Sapling in a bush is a good way of spotting the enemy jungle. It will also make it easier to set up for a neutral objective in the later stages of the game.
• In the early game, Maokai has a surprising amount of damage for a tank. This is especially true if you are building some AP on the best Maokai build that you are going for. 

Cons:

• Maokai is very team-dependent. While he has a lot of engage tools at his disposal, he will not be able to do much alone if the rest of this team does not follow up. When playing him in any role you will always have to make sure that you and your team are on the same page. So pull the trigger on Nature’s Grasp only when you are quite certain of the outcome.
• Maokai might have a good deal of burst in the early game, but he still is a weak laner and a jungler early on. He is prone to getting invaded and ganked. Maokai will struggle quite a bit to scale if he falls behind and is at a significant gold disadvantage.
• His Twisted Advance is a double-edged sword. It takes a while for the animation to complete when he gets on top of the enemy to root them. As soon as he presses W on an enemy, they have a brief period to Flash away into their team. This will isolate Maoki from his own team, allowing the enemy some time to burst him down. This is precisely why picks that come with a lot of dashes and mobility, counter him.

How to play Maokai: Tips and Tricks for League of Legends Season 14

Early Game:

• Jungle: As a jungling Maokai, your Early Game focus will be on farming and helping him scale. Even with the best Maokai build paths, the Treant needs some time to come online, so your goal will be to stay relevant in farm and experience till you start hitting some item spikes. Look to gank only when you are sure that you will either get a kill or force the enemy laner to blow their Summoner Spells.
• Top: Depending on the Top Lane match-up you will either have a great time in the lane or struggle a lot. Irrespective, Maokai doesn’t have much kill pressure without his jungler around. So if you are not getting much attention in the lane, just farm under the tower and don’t push up too much. Maokai is not about securing early leads but more about enabling the rest of his team.
• Support: Maokai has great all-in potential at level 3 especially if he is paired with an aggressive ADC. He is also a great pick for a Fasting Senna comp as it allows him more agency to scale incredibly well into the late. 

Mid Game:

• Jungle: As soon as you hit your first item spike, start looking to make plays across the map. As a Tank Maokai, you will have unparalleled tower-diving potential. So look to make some aggressive plays to get kills for your laners, or set up for objectives. If you aren’t getting successful ganks, settle for the Drake, the Grubs, and the Rift Herald.
• Top: Top Lane will remain an island in the Mid Game. If there isn’t much happening around you, just keep farming and pushing in the lane. Make the most of your Teleport as well. Maokai is great at flanking, so you will be able to make it easier for your team to dive onto the enemy backline.
• Support: Vision is everything in the Mid Game. As a Maokai Support your main goal will be to get deep wards in the enemy jungle and use your Saplings to scout out areas. Also make sure that you are helping your ADC stay alive longer in a skirmish by peeling for them. 

Late Game:

• Jungle: Irrespective of the build that you are going for, the role of a jungling Maokai will be to constantly look for angles to engage on the enemy team. As he scales extremely well in the Late Game he will be able to help your team get objectives an zone zone the enemy team out of the Dragon and Baron pit.
• Top: Once you have some items under his belt, the best Maokai tank build will make him extremely difficult to kill. You will act as the frontline for your team in a fight. However, you can also look for a flank angle. If you get the jump on the enemy team, you will instantly get access to their backline.
• Support: You will need to continue extending your vision score while taking out enemy wards with your sweepers. Keep placing your saplings around the map and peel for your ADC once a fight breaks out. Only for a flank if you have a majority of your core items built. 

Maokai counters, matchups, and Champion synergy

Maokai Top:

Countered by: 

• Vayne
• Quinn
• Yorick
• Illoi 
• Jayce

Maokai top struggles quite a bit in lane against the above picks.

Favorable Marchups:

• Garen
• Gragas
• K’Sante
• Darius
• Camille

Maokai doesn’t struggle quite as much in the top lane against the above picks.

Jungle Synergy:

• Shaco
• Kha’Zix
• Rengar
• Lee Sin
• Elise
• Bel’Veth

Maokai’s kit pairs perfectly well with juglers that comes with a lot of upfront burst damage.

Maokai Jungle:

Countered by:

• Brand
• Talon
• Shaco
• Nocturne
• Kayne
• Nunu
• Lillia

As a jungler Maokai does not do well into picks that can invade and counter-jungle him.

Favorable Matchups:

• Bel’Veth
• Kindred
• Nidalee
• Hecarim
• Ivern
• Poppy
• Master Yi

Maokai has a much easier time in lane against junglers who do not have great camp clear speed early.

Lane Synergy:

• Akali
• Brand
• LeBlanc
• Jayce
• Darius
• Garen
• Zed
• Talon

As a jungler, Maokai will pair well with laners that have a lot of burst in lane.

Maokai Support

Countered by:

• Brand
• Lux
• Karma
• Lulu
• Taliyah
• Senna

Maokai doesn’t do well against Supports who come with a lot of poke.

Favorable Matchups:

• Blitzcrank
• Nautilus
• Pyke
• Leona
• Rell
• Braum

Maokai has an easier time in lane against hook and engage Supports.

ADC Synergy

• Senna
• Kalista
• Samira
• Nilah
• Lucian
• Draven
• Miss Fortune

As a Support, Maokai’s kit pairs well with ADCs who are aggressive and come with a lot of Early Game damage.