Support Maokai Build

Support Maokai Build.

Support Maokai build with runes and items. Support Maokai guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Support Maokai build in League of Legends Patch 26.2!

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Guardian's Horn should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal 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.
Knight's Vow should be final item in your build.
Fimbulwinter should be final item in your build.
Kaenic Rookern should be final item in your build.
Bandlepipes should be final item in your build.
Sunfire Aegis should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Aftershock from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Support 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)).

Optional Summoner Spells

Heal summoner spell

Heal

Good option if you want extra healing and sustain for your team. Provides movement speed burst and can be used in clutch situations.

Exhaust summoner spell

Exhaust

Defensive option. Exhaust for more peel and protection against enemy divers and assassins.

Ignite summoner spell

Ignite

Offensive option and fun button to press. Reduces your going-in potential, but adds some damage and Grievious Wounds for enemy healing. Good to score some kills early.

Looking for another support build? Check this:

Imperial MandateMaokai

How it works

General

  1. You play Support who goes tanky.

Playstyle

  1. Identify your role: engage, peel, or frontline. 🛡️
  2. Soak damage and protect your carries. 💪
  3. Use CC and utility to control fights. ⛓️
  4. Adapt items to counter enemy. 🎯

How to play

General

  1. Identify your role within the team (engage, peel, frontline)

Adaptation

  1. If your team needs engage, go Trailblazer and Shurelya's Battlesong.
  2. Your team getting poked to death? Consider getting Redemption AND/OR Locket of the Iron Solari next.
  3. If your team needs peel, go Knight's Vow and Locket of the Iron Solari.
  4. Knight's Vow is a surprisingly good item. Buy it and use it if you have carry or bruiser/fighter who is doing well.
  5. 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.

Buffing your team

  1. Bandlepipes is a great utility item for engaging and buffing your auto attackers when you CC enemies.

Runes

  1. Be careful to not waste Aftershock. Try timing it and keeping it for going in.

Tips and Tricks

Champion

  1. You can use Sapling Toss (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
Guardian's Horn item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Boots
Plated Steelcaps item.
Mercury's Treads item.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
For peel
Knight's Vow item.
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
For engage
Shurelya's Battlesong item.
Trailblazer item.
Good tank items
Warmog's Armor item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Protoplasm Harness item.
Bandlepipes item.
Fimbulwinter item.
Good MR items
Hollow Radiance item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Force of Nature item.
Spirit Visage item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Good Armor items
Thornmail item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Frozen Heart item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Unending Despair item.
Situational items
Titanic Hydra item.
Liandry's Torment item.
Wit's End item.
Zeke's Convergence item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Example final build
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Knight's Vow item.
Fimbulwinter item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Bandlepipes item.
Sunfire Aegis item.