AP Maokai Build

ARAM Build Guide for champion Maokai and build AP.

AP Maokai build with runes and items. AP Maokai guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play AP Maokai build in League of Legends Patch 14.21!

Updated: 2024-10-09 ()

TLDR

Starting items
Haunting Guise should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Maokai ability Sapling Toss should be leveled first.
E
Maokai ability Bramble Smash should be leveled second.
Q
Maokai ability Twisted Advance should be leveled third.
W
Final items
Sorcerer's Shoes should be final item in your build.
Liandry's Torment should be final item in your build.
Void Staff should be final item in your build.
Shadowflame should be final item in your build.
Blackfire Torch should be final item in your build.
Morellonomicon should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Dark Harvest from Domination tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Ghost as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

AP Maokai Runes

Domination
Domination major tree Electrocute rune.
Domination major tree Dark Harvest rune.
Domination major tree Hail of Blades rune.
Domination major tree Cheap Shot rune.
Domination major tree Taste of Blood rune.
Domination major tree Sudden Impact rune.
Domination major tree Zombie Ward rune.
Domination major tree Ghost Poro rune.
Domination major tree Eyeball Collection rune.
Domination major tree Treasure Hunter rune.
Domination major tree Relentless Hunter rune.
Domination major tree Ultimate Hunter rune.
Precision
Precision minor tree Absorb Life rune.
Precision minor tree Triumph rune.
Precision minor tree Presence of Mind rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Alacrity rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Haste rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Bloodline rune.
Precision minor tree Coup de Grace rune.
Precision minor tree Cut Down rune.
Precision minor tree Last Stand rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

How it works

General
  1. You play as Mage building Burn items.
  2. You rush Liandry's Torment.
  3. You burn your enemies. With DOTs. And debuffs.

How to play

General
  1. Playing AP Maokai build, your default rush is Liandry's Torment vs. HP, Blackfire Torch vs. squishes. Then get the other item
  2. Adapt to an enemy team. Are they full of tanks, and they rush tons of Magic Resist? You rush Void Staff as #2 or #3 item to counter MR stacking. Their team has champs with lots of healing? Rush Oblivion Orb as #2 item (upgrade to Morellonomicon as 4th or 5th item).
  3. Items like Morellonomicon or Oblivon Orb are extra effective with this build, thanks to damage over time effects from Liandry's Torment.
  4. In some rare cases, when an enemy team has an extremely strong shielding, you can even buy Serpent's Fang. It works with your DoTs, meaning shield reduction lasts longer.
  5. Somebody is going after you each fight? Always getting ulted by enemy assassins? Rush Zhonya's Hourglass.
  6. If you are doing well, are ahead and want to have some fun, you can buy The Collector item. It works off your damage over time effects!
Maokai AP specific
  1. Saplings Manipulation techniques - cast E on the very edges of the bush, so it starts running towards minions/enemies faster. Cast it deeper in the bush, so it will start running towards enemies, when they enter bush.
  2. You can even manipulate weaves with your Q to push them further from bushes, so Saplings will stay there for an enemy team to come.
  3. Sometimes, it is really OK to just cast E (Saplings) outside of the bush, just to poke enemy that is hugging the turret.
  4. Saplings scale off with your movement speed. So if an enemy team outruns your Saplings, buy boots sooner.
  5. There's a super good spot to use Saplings - it is bush behind first turret. However be careful, you might get poked or even caught. Spot is good for poking and clearing minions too.
  6. With this build, you should almost never ever go in. Spam E, use R, try to stay within Last Stand HP range (<30%), heal up when needed.
  7. R is great ability to force enemy out of their turret and position. Coordinate this with your minion weave. This way, you can push and take turrets.
  8. Last Stand is super important talent that does tons of damage. It has a lot of hidden power. You can manipulate your HP to be most of the time with damage buff. It is risky, however with this build, you should almost never ever go in. Also you can heal up with your passive.

Tips and Tricks

General
  1. You can use E for brush control.
Riot
  1. Saplings can be tossed into brush for empowered effect - but don't stack well.
  2. Try looking for flanks or other situations where Nature's Grasp is unavoidable or takes enemies by surprise.
  3. Maokai's passive makes him extremely durable against focus fire from spells - so long as he can still basic attack something.

Skill Order

  • Maokai [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Bramble Smash
  • Maokai [object Object] ability.
    W
    Twisted Advance
  • Maokai [object Object] ability.
    E
    Sapling Toss
  • Maokai [object Object] ability.
    R
    Nature's Grasp

Items

Starting items
Haunting Guise item.
Rush this
Liandry's Torment item.
Boots
Sorcerer's Shoes item.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Good items
Horizon Focus item.
Riftmaker item.
Shadowflame item.
Blackfire Torch item.
Rabadon's Deathcap item.
Situational items
Banshee's Veil item.
Morellonomicon item.
Zhonya's Hourglass item.
Against high MR
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Void Staff item.
Cryptbloom item.
Counter healing
Oblivion Orb item.
Morellonomicon item.
Counter shields
Serpent's Fang item.
Fun item that works with DoTs
The Collector item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Elixir of Iron item.
Seeker's Armguard item.
Example final build
Sorcerer's Shoes item.
Liandry's Torment item.
Void Staff item.
Shadowflame item.
Blackfire Torch item.
Morellonomicon item.