LoL: 3 Reasons Why Maokai Is So Strong
Maokai has been a really contested pick in pro play and is also great in solo queue. Let's see what makes this champion so great.
Maokai is a really strong character in League of Legends. His saplings allow him great zone control, while he himself has loads of crowd control. Combined with his tankyness he is one of the best frontliners in the entire game. It is therefore no surprise that he is frequently picked in both high elo solo queue and pro play.
What Makes Maokai Strong?
1. Maokai Is Easy
Maokai is incredibly easy. His Q is a wide skill shot in front of him that allows him to knock back his enemies. His W is a point and click root that makes you untargetable for a little bit while you travel to your target. Maokai's E is indeed a skill shot, but you basically sit down a sapling into a bush that automatically locks onto enemies whenever they walk into its range.
Maokai Ult might be his most skill expressive thing because he has to generally aim it at his opponents. You summon a wall of roots that quickly advance towards your targeted location and stun anything in its path.
Okay, I lied. Maokai actually has a combo that takes 2 fingers. You want to W an Opponent, walk behind them and Q-Knockback them into your team. Yes, that is it. He is THAT easy.
Of course, he is a tanky front liner so it takes a little bit of champion knowledge and limit testing to perform amazing, but all that is just extra.
2. Maokai Has SOOO Much Crowd Control
Maokai's Kit consists of 2 slows and 2 roots. On 4 Abilities. If you chain those together well, it is basically impossible for the enemy to move. And that's only from one champion.
In a competitive setting, Maokai alone can control the whole river. If you put Saplings in a bush, it is very dangerous for enemies to walk towards it because they are open to get caught from the slow. If enemies decide to walk towards the team or towards dragon/baron it is very easy for Maokai to find a great engage or even disengage safely.
3. Maokai Is Flexible
Usually Trees stand tall where they are and don't move. Unless you are Maokai (or Ivern, but he doesn't count here). Maokai can be played in Top, Jungle, and even Support. And he does a decent job in all of them. Maokai in the top lane is an immovable object that can make due with very little gold and doesn't mind getting pushed under his tower, as he will always find a use in team fights with his ult and peeling potential.
Maokai Jungle has really potent ganks and can secure objectives on his own. This also allows the option to pick a split pushing top laner as Maokai is great at stalling out fights for objectives.
Support Maokai might just be his best role. Again, you can do a lot with very little gold investment and with one or two tank items you can permanently sit on the enemy ADC, rendering them useless.
These are the reasons why Maokai is so strong. I don't think Riot can actually nerf this champion in a meaningful way, as his kit just has so much engage and disengage potential that the stats are only secondary. It might be an option to change him so that he can only be played in a certain role and not three of them.
What other champion would you like to know more about? Let us know in the comments!
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