Zac vs Maokai
Build vs Maokai
The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup
Recommended items for Zac: Sunfire Aegis, Spirit Visage, Thornmail, Mercury's Treads, Randuin's Omen, Unending Despair, Jak'Sho, The Protean.
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 Zac
Tips to maximize your impact
- Smash them into each other
After Stretching Strikes (Q) on one enemy, hit a second enemy with your auto: you fling them into each other, and if they collide, they and those nearby take damage.
- Pick up your Goo
Pick up the chunks of Goo you shed when your spells hit: Cell Division (passive) heals you for each one, and Unstable Matter (W) comes back 1 second sooner.
- Charge your Slingshot out of sight
Charge Elastic Slingshot (E) from the fog of war: the enemy has less time to react, and the longer the charge, the longer the knock-up on landing.
- Bounce into the middle of them
Cast Let's Bounce! (R) into the heart of their team: the first bounce knocks back each enemy hit, the following ones slow them, and you can cast Unstable Matter (W) at the same 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.
Patch 16.21.1