• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 15:35
CEST 21:35
KST 04:35
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
BGE Stara Zagora 2025: Info & Preview27Code S RO12 Preview: GuMiho, Bunny, SHIN, ByuN3The Memories We Share - Facing the Final(?) GSL46Code S RO12 Preview: Cure, Zoun, Solar, Creator4[ASL19] Finals Preview: Daunting Task30
Community News
[BSL20] ProLeague: Bracket Stage & Dates9GSL Ro4 and Finals moved to Sunday June 15th12Weekly Cups (May 27-June 1): ByuN goes back-to-back0EWC 2025 Regional Qualifier Results26Code S RO12 Results + RO8 Groups (2025 Season 2)3
StarCraft 2
General
The SCII GOAT: A statistical Evaluation BGE Stara Zagora 2025: Info & Preview Magnus Carlsen and Fabi review Clem's chess game. Jim claims he and Firefly were involved in match-fixing GSL Ro4 and Finals moved to Sunday June 15th
Tourneys
Bellum Gens Elite: Stara Zagora 2025 Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament SOOPer7s Showmatches 2025 Master Swan Open (Global Bronze-Master 2) $5,100+ SEL Season 2 Championship (SC: Evo)
Strategy
[G] Darkgrid Layout Simple Questions Simple Answers [G] PvT Cheese: 13 Gate Proxy Robo
Custom Maps
[UMS] Zillion Zerglings
External Content
Mutation # 477 Slow and Steady Mutation # 476 Charnel House Mutation # 475 Hard Target Mutation # 474 Futile Resistance
Brood War
General
Mihu vs Korea Players Statistics BGH auto balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW General Discussion [BSL20] ProLeague: Bracket Stage & Dates Will foreigners ever be able to challenge Koreans?
Tourneys
[ASL19] Grand Finals NA Team League 6/8/2025 [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL20] ProLeague Bracket Stage - Day 2
Strategy
I am doing this better than progamers do. [G] How to get started on ladder as a new Z player
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread What do you want from future RTS games? Path of Exile Mechabellum
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
LiquidLegends to reintegrate into TL.net
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0 Simple Questions, Simple Answers
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Vape Nation Thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
Maru Fan Club Serral Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Korean Music Discussion [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2025 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion NHL Playoffs 2024
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread Cleaning My Mechanical Keyboard
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Cognitive styles x game perf…
TrAiDoS
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Heero Yuy & the Tax…
KrillinFromwales
I was completely wrong ab…
jameswatts
Need Your Help/Advice
Glider
Trip to the Zoo
micronesia
Poker
Nebuchad
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 22215 users

[Champion] Maokai - Page 8

Forum Index > LoL Strategy
Post a Reply
Prev 1 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next All
Scip
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Czech Republic11293 Posts
September 06 2012 07:16 GMT
#141
Just want to make a quick comment regarding the Wraiths camp start.
First, you need some amount of AP to do it (11 I think?) so that scales a little bit worse than what you would usually have (movement speed in quints). Second, you can't use your saplings to scout for enemy, which makes it much easier to invade you. Third, wraiths start makes sense only if you plan to go Wraiths-Blue-Wolves-Wraiths, which makes it very very easy for enemy jungler to steal your red buff (particularly if Maokai is purple side).
So I'd generally not reccomend doing it.
"It may be pleasurable for some of us to imagine being ravished" - Christopher Hitchens in a debate with feminists RIP 2011 Psalm 2:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
cLutZ
Profile Joined November 2010
United States19573 Posts
September 06 2012 08:03 GMT
#142
Maokai strat for low ELO:

Say to your team, "I'm a smurf, just don't feed."

Then your team is magically 5-0 after 10 mins.
Freeeeeeedom
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
September 06 2012 15:15 GMT
#143
I just explained two pages ago on how you don't need any AP to do the wraith start after the jungle remake.
sylverfyre
Profile Joined May 2010
United States8298 Posts
September 06 2012 15:46 GMT
#144
On September 07 2012 00:15 koreasilver wrote:
I just explained two pages ago on how you don't need any AP to do the wraith start after the jungle remake.

You'll be at blue late if you're staying there to auto the blue wraith. And it isn't even the biggest argument against doing wraiths first - the biggest reason is that it's very easy to invade against, since you can't use saplings as level1 wards. It's not a substantial acceleration in exp or gold above the wolves-blue-wraiths start, either - it ranks poorly in a Risk v Reward analysis. You put yourself into a position where you are very ineffective if an invasion comes, for very little gain.
Zess
Profile Joined July 2012
Adun Toridas!9144 Posts
September 06 2012 17:45 GMT
#145
I've done wraiths -> blue -> wolves -> wraiths without AP and it isn't much of a difference in terms of getting to Blue.

The problem is it requires at least two guys leashing blue for the .5-1s it takes you to get there and that you have no protection against invasion because you are at two points on the map.

You hit lvl 4 at around the same time, so I would only do it if you want the fast lvl 3 for a mid gank AND the enemy jungler clears slow as well AND you don't need more than 1 pre 1:05 sapling to scout what the enemy team movement is.
Administrator@TL_Zess
| (• ◡•)|八 (❍ᴥ❍ʋ)
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
September 06 2012 17:56 GMT
#146
I already did talk about why the wraiths start isn't viable all the time. Even prior to any talk about jungle invasions, many people now simply just check your wraiths if you're Maokai to pop your saplings, Just one sapling pop makes the wraith start unviable. But aside from that, if you start with boots then you get to your blue less than 1 second after blue spawns if you do the wraith start, so there really is no actual time delay. That argument only works if you're talking about regrowth openings but regrowth openings are really bad. This was all talked about 1-2 pages ago.
Acertos
Profile Joined February 2012
France852 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-09-06 20:02:47
September 06 2012 20:01 GMT
#147
On September 07 2012 00:46 sylverfyre wrote:
Show nested quote +
On September 07 2012 00:15 koreasilver wrote:
I just explained two pages ago on how you don't need any AP to do the wraith start after the jungle remake.

You'll be at blue late if you're staying there to auto the blue wraith. And it isn't even the biggest argument against doing wraiths first - the biggest reason is that it's very easy to invade against, since you can't use saplings as level1 wards. It's not a substantial acceleration in exp or gold above the wolves-blue-wraiths start, either - it ranks poorly in a Risk v Reward analysis. You put yourself into a position where you are very ineffective if an invasion comes, for very little gain.


dude the biggest reason is that u can do wolves before blue pops and all the wolves ! if u start ghost u wont get the blue one and if u do u will only annoy ur mid who will lose xp.
if u rly want to start ghost, do it at the ennemy, but again just killing the small ones doesnt make a big disadvanteage to the ennemy jungler and if u get the blue one ur mid will be late for xp.
Cuddle
Profile Joined May 2010
Sweden1345 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-10-10 12:37:32
October 10 2012 12:37 GMT
#148
Any tips for playing Maokai?

How do I get the most out of my ultimate in team fights? In ganks?
Who is my target in team fight? Do I peel from our carries or do I disrupt enemy carry?
I understand WQE-combo when ganking (or WEQ when stun is long enough) but what combos do I use in team fight?
Am I prime initiator during dances or is too risky cause it puts me away from team if I W in?
Is "Always autoattack" how I max utility of my passive in fights?

Any and all insights are appreciated! TY!
nyxnyxnyx
Profile Joined April 2010
Indonesia2978 Posts
October 10 2012 12:45 GMT
#149
On October 10 2012 21:37 Cuddle wrote:
Any tips for playing Maokai?

How do I get the most out of my ultimate in team fights? In ganks?
Who is my target in team fight? Do I peel from our carries or do I disrupt enemy carry?
I understand WQE-combo when ganking (or WEQ when stun is long enough) but what combos do I use in team fight?
Am I prime initiator during dances or is too risky cause it puts me away from team if I W in?
Is "Always autoattack" how I max utility of my passive in fights?

Any and all insights are appreciated! TY!


1. put ult at where u think the bulk of the engage is gonna happen / around current target of focus by enemy. this could be you after you shurelia+flash/W into an out of position enemy champ. could go something like flash/shurelia+W onto some guy, immediately put R with the circle around you. the decision to place the ult with you at the centre or top/bottom tip of the circle is purely dependent on whether you think the enemies are going to counterengage or run.

2. your target in teamfights is the bulk of the action. Q is a real OP slow/miniknockback so hit as many people as you can with it as often as you can.

3. just mash all buttons no joke. cast skills off cooldown. W->Q targets that require positioning / movement to deal dmg. examples include most bruisers and any priority targets who would be out of range of influencing teamfights if you rooted / slowed them.

4. yeah maokai initiate is really good because of that R and the Q following up the W.

5. yes. you can easily get 1-5 stacks of your passive off depending on the length of teamfights
cool beans
Abenson
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Canada4122 Posts
October 10 2012 13:51 GMT
#150
On October 10 2012 21:37 Cuddle wrote:
Any tips for playing Maokai?

How do I get the most out of my ultimate in team fights? In ganks?
Who is my target in team fight? Do I peel from our carries or do I disrupt enemy carry?
I understand WQE-combo when ganking (or WEQ when stun is long enough) but what combos do I use in team fight?
Am I prime initiator during dances or is too risky cause it puts me away from team if I W in?
Is "Always autoattack" how I max utility of my passive in fights?

Any and all insights are appreciated! TY!


I always find Mao's passive to be insanely strong in teamfights but usually overlooked.
It heals 7% of max health, with 2.5k hp that's 175hp every second autoattack in teamfights
As for using it in teamfights you can usually just run after the carry and whack them with your tree-arm
Alaric
Profile Joined November 2009
France45622 Posts
October 10 2012 14:12 GMT
#151
I dunno, I generally prefer sticking to my carries after the initiation and just W any melee trying to engage them and Q anything that is channeling and/or trying to move where I don't want them to be (bruisers near us, carries running away). During the clean-up phase I usually try to W whoever's trying to get away if we won, or I just run, eating the pursuit spells for my carries and WQing anybody diving them (with its short cooldown, Q is very good during chases once you've got some cdr).
Cant take LMS hipsters serious.
Tooplark
Profile Joined October 2008
United States3977 Posts
April 09 2013 05:13 GMT
#152
So, top lane tree is pretty crazy strong.
WHAT POW'R ART THOU WHO FROM BELOW HAST MADE ME RISE UNWILLINGLY AND SLOW
Haasts
Profile Joined October 2011
New Zealand4445 Posts
April 09 2013 11:45 GMT
#153
On April 09 2013 14:13 Tooplark wrote:
So, top lane tree is pretty crazy strong.


OK, I'll bite (can't be worse than the bark!) - running him Cho'Gath style up top? Maxing E or Q? I imagine some sort of RoA/Spirit Visage/Sheen(Iceborn?) thing could work, maybe a Chalice? The S3 jungle hasn't been kind to him, and I miss throwing saplings at people's faces :/
PaniaoftheReef in Path of Exile TotA SSF SC // Lovelin fanclub // GreenTea #1
Tooplark
Profile Joined October 2008
United States3977 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-04-09 14:22:32
April 09 2013 14:21 GMT
#154
He's pretty flexible, is the great thing. Max Q first against most people, and E first against anyone who can zone you. Basically you just Q their face every time they get near, and your passive keeps you alive through just about everything.
RoA/Spirit Visage/Sheen is pretty much what I've been building, though not precisely in that order, but you can get pretty creative with your items.
My build order is usually a flask start (works well with teleport), into either fast cata or fast sheen depending on how hard I'm bullying them. If I got Cata, I get Sheen, then finish RoA. Then I get Locket against physical damage or Spirit Visage against magic. Always build Mobos by the way. You can just run at them for easy initiates.

If you want to just throw saplings, try running him 1v2 bot. He's hard to dive, thanks to Q, W, and ult, and he can safely clear waves from a long distance thanks to saps. With proper runes I *think* he can even oneshot the ranged minions at level 3 (level 2 saplings) which is pretty crazy if you ask me.
WHAT POW'R ART THOU WHO FROM BELOW HAST MADE ME RISE UNWILLINGLY AND SLOW
Seuss
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States10536 Posts
April 09 2013 17:55 GMT
#155
You can't one shot the caster minions at level 3 with just Saplings, even if you run a full AP page, Amplifying Tome, and Offensive masteries. However, you can one shot them with Q + Rank 2 E with just AP Glyphs or AP Quints or Offensive Masteries or a Doran's Ring (etc. etc.).
"I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me." -Moses (Numbers 11:14)
sylverfyre
Profile Joined May 2010
United States8298 Posts
April 09 2013 18:09 GMT
#156
What about rank 3 saplings?
Fyrewolf
Profile Joined January 2010
United States1533 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-04-09 19:28:16
April 09 2013 19:19 GMT
#157
On April 10 2013 03:09 sylverfyre wrote:
What about rank 3 saplings?

Not too hard to math out.

Rank 3 sapling does 110(+0.4) impact and 180(+0.6) explosion for 290(+1.0) total damage.
Caster minions have 280 hp(+15/3min) and 0 mr(+2/3min).

Assuming mpen marks and 8% mpen mastery for lane maokai, then:
0-3 min = 1-shot (but doubtful you have rank 3 sapling)
3-6 min = need +5 ap (+1 ap/lvl prerequisite mastery for 8% mpen mastery is enough)
6-9 min = need +20 ap
9-12 min = need +35 ap
12-15 min = need +50 ap
*(not sure if the minion level up starts from when they spawn at 1:30 or actual game time)

After that it will take a little over 15 ap per 3 min since they will have more mr than just mpen marks and 8% will take care of.
"This is not Warcraft in space" "It's much more...... Sophisticated" "I KNOW IT'S NOT 3D!!!"
Capped
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom7236 Posts
May 28 2013 14:41 GMT
#158
So i love the tree but havent played him S3, due to other OP junglers out there (heca / zac op + nunu / xin) but i want to start playing him more as i beast-mode in ARAM and love his style.

Whats a decent build for mao nowadays? In S2 it was just pure tank with abyssal, im thinking you could do something better in S3?? his numbers seem op.

Something like

Machete +5
Boots + Stone
Seekers
Tabi + Tank stone
Zhonyas
Abyssal
Rylais
Frozen / Athenes

Seems like a good power build to me.
Useless wet fish.
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
May 28 2013 18:37 GMT
#159
How in the world are you going to afford to build a NLR on Maokai jungle? Maokai's jungle farming is really really really bad with the current jungle right now. Everything hinges on your ability to make successful ganks right now and you have to accept that you're going to be very poor so you have to make do with cheap cost efficient items.
Capped
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom7236 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-05-28 19:52:43
May 28 2013 19:52 GMT
#160
Ap -> power -> Jungal, with some AP you can tax your lanes 2-4 CS everytime you gank with an E, its np np.
Useless wet fish.
Prev 1 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
BSL: ProLeague
18:00
Bracket Stage: Day 2
HBO vs Doodle
spx vs Tech
DragOn vs Hawk
Dewalt vs TerrOr
ZZZero.O295
Liquipedia
Fire Grow Cup
15:00
#10 - Playoffs
CranKy Ducklings281
MindelVK71
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
mouzHeroMarine 564
IndyStarCraft 229
BRAT_OK 146
ROOTCatZ 112
MindelVK 60
CosmosSc2 43
EnDerr 5
StarCraft: Brood War
Calm 3351
Rain 2096
Horang2 686
ZZZero.O 323
firebathero 185
Aegong 62
PianO 37
League of Legends
Dendi1702
JimRising 508
Counter-Strike
fl0m6548
olofmeister2520
Stewie2K131
Super Smash Bros
C9.Mang07181
Chillindude26
Heroes of the Storm
Liquid`Hasu542
Khaldor215
Other Games
tarik_tv43915
FrodaN1906
summit1g1626
B2W.Neo940
Pyrionflax189
ArmadaUGS101
ViBE30
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Secondary Stream8608
Other Games
gamesdonequick833
BasetradeTV160
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 19 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• HeavenSC 61
• Adnapsc2 24
• Dystopia_ 5
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• sooper7s
• intothetv
• Migwel
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
StarCraft: Brood War
• 3DClanTV 8
• HerbMon 8
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• masondota21547
• Ler129
Other Games
• imaqtpie1355
• Shiphtur299
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
1d 4h
Replay Cast
1d 14h
WardiTV Invitational
1d 15h
WardiTV Invitational
1d 15h
GSL Code S
2 days
Rogue vs GuMiho
Maru vs Solar
Online Event
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
GSL Code S
3 days
herO vs Zoun
Classic vs Bunny
The PondCast
3 days
Replay Cast
4 days
[ Show More ]
WardiTV Invitational
4 days
Korean StarCraft League
5 days
CranKy Ducklings
5 days
WardiTV Invitational
5 days
Cheesadelphia
5 days
GSL Code S
6 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2025-06-05
BGE Stara Zagora 2025
Heroes 10 EU

Ongoing

JPL Season 2
BSL 2v2 Season 3
BSL Season 20
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 2
NPSL S3
Rose Open S1
CSL Season 17: Qualifier 2
2025 GSL S2
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25
ECL Season 49: Europe
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
MESA Nomadic Masters
CCT Season 2 Global Finals
IEM Melbourne 2025
YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025
PGL Bucharest 2025
BLAST Open Spring 2025

Upcoming

CSL 17: 2025 SUMMER
Copa Latinoamericana 4
CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
K-Championship
SEL Season 2 Championship
Esports World Cup 2025
HSC XXVII
Championship of Russia 2025
Murky Cup #2
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.