Lee Sin vs Maokai
Build vs Maokai
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Lee Sin: Eclipse, Black Cleaver, Death's Dance, Mercury's Treads, Sundered Sky, Voltaic Cyclosword, Profane Hydra, Maw of Malmortius.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Maokai's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Maokai's basic attack also heals him and deals additional damage on a moderate cooldown. Each time Maokai casts a spell or is struck by an enemy's spell, this cooldown is reduced.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7s | 14s | 18s | – |
| 6 | 6s | 14s | 18s | 2m10 |
| 9 | 5s | 13s | 18s | 2m10 |
| 11 | 5s | 12s | 18s | 1m50 |
| 16 | 5s | 10s | 16s | 1m30 |
| 18 | 5s | 10s | 14s | 1m30 |
Playing as Lee Sin
Tips to maximize your impact
- Kick your target into your team
For the Insec, land Sonic Wave (Q), reach the target, ward behind them and jump to it with Safeguard (W): Dragon's Rage (R) kicks them toward your team.
- Recast Q on a low-health target
Wait until your target has lost health before casting Resonating Strike (Q): its damage scales with missing health, and you have 3 seconds to cast it.
- Ward hop to escape
Cast Safeguard (W) on an ally, minions included, or on a ward to dodge or escape: it has a 7-second cooldown and also shields the targeted allied champion.
- Get ahead early
Look for invades, ganks and objectives early on: Lee Sin is strongest early, and his impact drops once the others have their items.
Playing against Maokai
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Watch out for brush
Watch out for the brush near him: Sapling Toss (E) lasts longer there, explodes wider and slows more.
- No targeted spells during his dash
Don't cast targeted spells during Twisted Advance (W): he's untargetable during the dash, then roots you when he arrives.
- Don't waste time on him
In teamfights, go for his carries instead: each spell Maokai takes lowers the cooldown of Sap Magic (passive), which heals him on his next auto.
- Get out of his wall's path
Get out of the path of Nature's Grasp (R): the wall moves slowly, and the root lasts longer if it has traveled a long way.
Other Lee Sin matchups
Patch 16.21.1