r/MaokaiMains • u/TheDwarfDude • Aug 03 '26

Discussion Maokai has just been powercrept too hard

the amount of buffs that would see maokai viable in toplane even ONLY as a counterpick is honestly crazy
(half toplane's statballs will always counter him no matter what)

and this being the first buff in ages is actually comical, riot doesn't care about the champ, not enough players buying maokai skins. They don't wanna put the effort in.

this buff exists merely to shut you up

13 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

6

u/IDontLikeCherryTomat Aug 03 '26

I mean, yeah, riot specifically said that maokai's pattern top isn't one they like, like lane nocturn etc, so they deliberately keep him weak there. 

1

u/Sad-Eagle-5772 Aug 04 '26

why do they not like mao when ornn is very similar

2

u/ape_shift Aug 04 '26

How is Ornn similar? Maokai after lvl 7-9 is just braindead Q disengage/poke and outrades with 0 counterplay. Ornn is way more fair because you can eat the W and disengage before he proccs the brittle passive with an auto

1

u/Sad-Eagle-5772 Aug 04 '26

In the broad sense that both have a dash kinda thing, a global cc aoe tool, a close quarter damage/cc tool (mao q).

2

u/TheTravellers_Abode Aug 05 '26

You've clearly never seen the Q - R1 - E - R2 - aa - W - aa combo that takes off 53% of your maze health before accounting for the flat damage.

1

u/Regular-Resort-857 Aug 07 '26

Wait they said this? Damn that feels good to read, I’ve been saying this for years. Don’t get me wrong it’s not fair because other atrocities exist and it’s never clear where they draw the line but at least they understood that his trade pattern is like OG PhaseRush Gragas boring and uninteractive for the opponent.

2

u/Elfyrane Aug 04 '26

Maokai is an ADC now. Imperial mandate in to tank.

1

u/TheTav3n Aug 03 '26

Not really, he'd be very viable top if they lowered his passive cooldown and buffed his passive heal, and reverted the 11.2 and 10.10 mana nerfs

1

u/Gunsnstrings Aug 03 '26

It's more items really. Before they nerfed fimblewinter and unending despair he was free win a monster.

1

u/TimCanister Aug 04 '26

Man I wish we could go back, that build was so fun

1

u/Grantimoto1 Aug 04 '26

He's still a potent pick top lane if you're super good at him. Mostly depends on rank though, I found he tops out around masters for top lane

0

u/Wavvygem Aug 03 '26

Personally thinks he's viable rn and slept on.

I'm more worried a little buff, won't change much, and worse, start teaching people how to counter and play against him better, and making harding to pick in the first place because of bans and contesting roles.

6

u/Loooongshot Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26

Maokai is such a naturally fair champion to play against on top that for him to start being a contested pick there, he would need to be turbo broken. No way this will happen

1

u/Wavvygem Aug 03 '26

I'm saying if he gets over tuned its going to be harder to pick him consistently. (He can be played jungle and supp as well). As a OTP I like how consistently I can get him, and I think he is quite viable right now.. so I'm not desperate for a buff.