Maokai Rework

Troll for Trump·May 3, 2017·1 votes·811 views

Maybe it's too early to complain about it, but I really think the idea to push him from a vanguard into a peeling tank is good.

He can't really top lane as well as before. His kit is worse for engaging on the enemy laner or helping the allied jgler gank, his overall waveclear and farming is less consistent(ranged farming with E)

A kit based on peeling with less engagement power shouldn't be doing too well in jg, especially if that jgler is a tank with slow clears that is weak to counterjgling. If the goal was to move him into the jgl position, shouldn't he have a kit more focused on engaging (vanguard), so he can gank? When you gank a lane, you aren't going to be peeling them.

His strongest ganks would probably be counterengages, which requires him to be constantly moving, and tanks/vanguards/wardens aren't exactly known for mobility

3 Comments

Pippen The ShortMay 3, 20171 votes

I'll make a video and post it here, but this rework was really more about empowering Mao'kai as a jungler, not a laner.

His ult, with a little bit of timing and practice can be used to cutoff an escape route of your opponent during a gank, his wave clear in jungle will be fairly stronger. His updated saplings will make him better at wave clear (not significantly but slightly) and give him harass potential while grouped. His ult gives him the ability to dive and root someone and then ult as a means of zoning off the enemy team for a short few seconds. So his engage if used right will be fairly potent for setting up team fights. His updated E, with lower mana costs, higher damage output, and ability to act like a temporary ward will help with counter jungling tactics.

The overall potential of Maokai has increased with his updates, but so has his skill cap. He's much more technical and is going to require a lot more practice. But I think his new kit brings a lot more to the table than his old one.

Troll for TrumpMay 3, 20171 votes

That' s good, I only played him jungle anyways.

How are his mana costs in jg?

Pippen The ShortMay 3, 20171 votes

{quoted}

That' s good, I only played him jungle anyways.

How are his mana costs in jg?

The real change is his sapling is 60 mana at all levels, and the costs in earlier levels are lower for his W, while his Q goes unchanged. His ult is only 100 mana now instead of being super mana intensive as it was.