Zac vs Maokai

Zac
vs
Not enough games
Maokai
Heavy CCStrong engageVery tankyHeavy AP damage

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

Doran's Shield
Health Potion

Core build

Sunfire Aegis
1
Spirit Visage
2
Thornmail
3

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Randuin's Omen
5

Summoner spells

FlashDot67%
FlashTeleport33%

Other options

Randuin's Omen
Unending Despair
Jak'Sho, The Protean
ResolveResolve
Grasp of the UndyingGrasp of the Undying
DemolishDemolish
Second WindSecond Wind
RevitalizeRevitalize
PrecisionPrecision
Last StandLast Stand
Legend: HasteLegend: Haste
Attack SpeedHealth ScalingHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Maokai's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Sap Magic (P)

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

LevelQWER
37s14s18s–
66s14s18s2m10
95s13s18s2m10
115s12s18s1m50
165s10s16s1m30
185s10s14s1m30

Playing as Zac

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

  1. Watch out for brush

    Watch out for the brush near him: Sapling Toss (E) lasts longer there, explodes wider and slows more.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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