Imperial Mandate Maokai Build

ARAM Build Guide for champion Maokai and build Imperial Mandate.

Imperial Mandate Maokai build with runes and items. Imperial Mandate Maokai guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Imperial Mandate Maokai build in League of Legends Patch 14.19!

Updated: 2024-05-20 ()

TLDR

Starting items
Bandleglass Mirror should be final item in your build.
Tear of the Goddess should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Maokai ability Sapling Toss should be leveled first.
E
Maokai ability Twisted Advance should be leveled second.
W
Maokai ability Bramble Smash should be leveled third.
Q
Final items
Ionian Boots of Lucidity should be final item in your build.
Imperial Mandate should be final item in your build.
Knight's Vow should be final item in your build.
Morellonomicon should be final item in your build.
Kaenic Rookern should be final item in your build.
Spirit Visage should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Guardian from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Exhaust as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Imperial Mandate Maokai Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching 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

Imperial Mandate Build specific
  1. This build is all about Imperial Mandate.
  2. And also all about slows.
  3. You support through disrupting fights, being annoying, Slowing/Healing/Buffing and soaking damage.

How to play

Imperial Mandate Build specific
  1. You rush Imperial Mandate. That is only mandatory item for this build. Then you need to adapt to an enemy team.
  2. Your slows trigger Font of Life AND Imperial Mandate, healing and buffing your allies.
  3. Remember that you need to keep close to your allies to trigger Guardian.
  4. Since LoL Patch 14.1 Imperial Mandate is changed. Now you need your team to proc it to deal any damage. So you need to play a little bit differently. Do not spam mindlessly. Try coordinating it with your team - when they are about to poke or when they go in.
  5. Font of Life heal can trigger various support items, like Ardent Censer or Staff of Flowing Water or even Moonstone Renewer!
  6. You need to adapt your items to the game. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR. They heavy on AD? Buy Armor. You need some damage? Well buy that.

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
Bandleglass Mirror item.
Tear of the Goddess item.
Rush this #1
Imperial Mandate item.
Boots
Mercury's Treads item.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Good support items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Staff of Flowing Water item.
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
Shurelya's Battlesong item.
Ardent Censer item.
Redemption item.
Moonstone Renewer item.
Good tank items
Fimbulwinter item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Knight's Vow item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Good MR items
Spirit Visage item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Force of Nature item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Good Armor items
Thornmail item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Unending Despair item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Frozen Heart item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
For mana problems
Tear of the Goddess item.
Fimbulwinter item.
Situational dmg items
Liandry's Torment item.
Zhonya's Hourglass item.
Rabadon's Deathcap item.
Blackfire Torch item.
Cosmic Drive item.
Cryptbloom item.
Rod of Ages item.
Counter healing
Oblivion Orb item.
Morellonomicon item.
Counter shielding
Serpent's Fang item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Seeker's Armguard item.
Example final build
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Imperial Mandate item.
Knight's Vow item.
Morellonomicon item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Spirit Visage item.