In League of Legends Season 11, the tree champion Maokai is shining in an unexpected role – Support. Numbers don’t lie, and with a win rate of 53.23% and a high pick rate, Support Maokai is incredibly strong. So, what has made Maokai shine like this?
The first reason that makes Maokai strong in the Support role is his incredible laning and crowd control abilities. Maokai’s E – Sapling Toss is an excellent tool for controlling bushes. If the enemy Support wants to ward or gain vision, they must pay the price with their health.
Moreover, Maokai’s W – Twist of Fate has the ability to root enemies and cannot be dodged. This is the perfect tool for Maokai to initiate fights and help the jungler secure successful ganks. With just a few aggressive plays, your chances of winning the bot lane will increase significantly.
Additionally, Maokai synergizes well with the Imperial Mandate – the top Support item in Season 11. All three of Maokai’s basic abilities provide crowd control effects (slow, root, knock-up), allowing this champion to continuously activate damage from the Imperial Mandate. This adds a significant amount of damage for the ADC in lane.
Remember that ADC champions need time to farm and reach necessary power spikes. This makes them extremely weak in terms of damage during the early game when they don’t have much itemization. Thus, the additional damage from the Maokai – Imperial Mandate combo is crucial for ADC champions at this stage.
Regarding the build for Support Maokai, the Guardian rune is the most suitable for this champion. With W – Twist of Fate, Maokai can easily activate the Guardian rune’s effect. In the secondary Inspiration tree, you should choose points like Biscuit Delivery and Time Warp Tonic to ensure health and mana while laning.
For itemization, Relic Shield is the perfect starting item for Support Maokai. After that, you should complete the Imperial Mandate as quickly as possible. You should choose Sorcerer’s Shoes as your third item since the magic penetration effect also applies to the damage from the Imperial Mandate. In the late game, tank items like Thornmail, Randuin’s Omen… or even countering opponents with Morellonomicon also suit Support Maokai well.
In summary, Support Maokai is an extremely strong choice, providing a significant amount of crowd control and damage (from Imperial Mandate) for teammates. If you’re looking for a fresh breeze in the Support role, Maokai is an excellent choice.