Pyke vs Maokai
Skill matchup
Build vs Maokai
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Pyke: Umbral Glaive, Youmuu's Ghostblade, Edge of Night, Boots of Swiftness, Celestial Opposition, Bloodsong, Serrated Dirk, Voltaic Cyclosword.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
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 Pyke
Tips to maximize your impact
- Hook from the fog of war
Charge Bone Skewer (Q) from a brush or the fog of war: when held, it pulls the first enemy hit, and refunds mana if it hits a champion.
- Dash through your target
Dash through your target with Phantom Undertow (E): the phantom left behind returns to you and stuns champions in its path.
- Leave their vision to recover
After a trade, get out of their vision: Gift of the Drowned Ones (passive) regenerates the damage champions just dealt you.
- Chain your executions
Cast Death From Below (R) on a target below the threshold: each champion who dies in the X lets you recast it, and your last assisting ally also gets the kill gold.
- Roam camouflaged
Roam or flank with Ghostwater Dive (W): you're camouflaged and gain a lot of move speed, which decays over time.
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 Pyke matchups
Patch 16.21.1