Maokai is the best rework of the group

Big Lincoln··3 votes·927 views

and it's not even close, in my opinion.

The % damage being put on saplings was a really smart idea. His jungle clear is fucking great now, especially once you get used to managing bushes to kill any camp besides the wolves with ease. Top lane took a hit but good riddance, he should've never left the jungle. W is now a one-point wonder, I think; the added time to bush saplings and the extra damage puts him on par with Shaco in terms of turning bushes into death traps. Ult gives him huuuge zoning power anywhere he tosses it, and thanks to it he might become the only champ to use Righteous Glory. And he actually manages to have a good amount of counterplay despite most of his kit being the same. I personally think you should still rework his W to offer some here, but that's besides the point. Saplings are visible and can be countered by vision when planted in bushes and they can be outran fairly easily post-early game; if he's counterjungling you then you can pull the saplings to the mobs and have them help you clear faster. His ult, which is now the bulk of his hard CC, is easily avoidable and requires clever use on Maokai's part to trap you, and you can prevent those situations with good vision. And he actually feels really good to play, especially with his new passive's late game healing potential MORE than making up for his loss of a traditional defensive steroid.

Zac's Q is really fun to use if not a little clumsy, but his ult just feels horribly misplaced and not as exciting as him bouncing his way through a teamfight. If his current and new ult were combined somehow I'd be a little more open to trying it.

and I've already established my feelings on Sejuani.

TL;DR Play Maokai next patch, he's great.

9 Comments

Tin of sardines1 votes

but, but, I like top laner Maokai (and AP maokai for the fun and profit). Why we can't have both? both the Jungler and to Laner Maokai why? why? give me a very good reason. BTW, I have this feeling about his ult being so powerful that the rest of the kit may end meh. but hey, it's a WIP rework, only after a few patchs on live server we can say if it's good/bad or is just "whatever".

Big Lincoln1 votes

I would say his top lane is still playable but his % damage being on E makes it much harder for him to trade. maokai was a jungler before he was ever a solo laner and I'm much more interested in playing him now that he's returned where he started.

Why we can't have both? both the Jungler and to Laner Maokai why? why? give me a very good reason.

Current maokai is awful for the game as a top laner. not really much of an issue now that he has new ult but with the powerful clear his saplings have, plus his great ganks, and how GOOD cinderhulk is on him now with his buffed passive, i dont see why you would want to play him top

Tin of sardines1 votes

for the fun of it. just that.

LongHair Fox1 votes

How are you clearing grump? there is no bush close to him, small raptors also body block for the big raptor not to mention that golems split so many times that you need continual damage not once every 11 seconds % health nukes for them. The rest of the kit I can get behind, and I can get behind wanting to create more gameplay around his saplings, heck I can even see why his laning pattern is uninteresting but I don't see him being any better in the jungle than he is now and currently his best place it toplane at 45% winrate.

Big Lincoln1 votes

Pull Gromp to one of the bushes near turret, its a little tricky but manageable and makes him easy to kill. Same thing for raptors, lure them to bush and saps will at least wreck the small ones for you

his jungling is very good. Sapling % damage isn't capped vs monsters so they eat them up

LongHair Fox1 votes

I did not realize his leash range was long enough to use that bush. It makes it better but you are kiting in the wrong direction for where you want to get next. For the raptors there are two things: Firstly there are many of them so % health damage does not do a lot, the other thing is that the small raptors will block the damage for the big raptor which the one you want to hit with % damage. Sapling damage is capped at 300 for non bush, and 600 for bush saplings, it should say in the pbe tooltip.

Also remember that his current clear is very bad. Not rammus bad but it is one of the reasons he is not used as a jungler now. As such it needs to be powered up very much for that aspect alone to make him a good jungler since the rest of his kit has not changed or likely gotten worse for jungling.

Big Lincoln1 votes

his leash and your Q lets you push gromp further against the bush to keep dropping saps on him. and you can do the same for the raptors to hit the big one but like i said, it takes a little effort to pull off. Saplings are AOE though so you'll apply the % damage to every mob they explode on

I'm considering taking flat CDR runes on him in place of MR so that I can put down more saplings, since they seem like his primary clearing tool for most mobs

Hupsis1 votes

Extended vision duration via saplings in brushes + anti-gank ult just might be enough for him to be a new support tank.

The healing on his passive is kinda ridiculous in the late game. I kinda wish it would also heal a portion (30%?) to a nearby ally just to give an extra reason to pick him as a support.

Tiniest Turtle1 votes

Maokai being a jungler now just feels wrong, he's like Ivern, but grumpier. He ain't the kind of guy to punch critters unless they're ghost critters.

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