Unearthing the Damage Potential of Maokai, the Twisted Treant
If you've found yourself on the Rift and encountered the stoic form of Maokai, you've likely wondered about the nature of his attacks. Is he a magical powerhouse? A brutal melee combatant? The truth is, Maokai, the Twisted Treant, deals a unique blend of damage that makes him a formidable presence in League of Legends. Let's break down exactly what kind of damage this ancient guardian of the forest can dish out.
The Core of Maokai's Damage: Magic Damage
At his heart, Maokai is an ability-power (AP) scaling champion. This means the majority of his damaging abilities deal magic damage. Magic damage, in the context of League of Legends, is the type of damage that is typically reduced by magic resist. This is a crucial distinction, as it means champions who build a lot of armor (physical resistance) might find themselves less threatened by Maokai's direct attacks, while those with high magic resist will be his primary targets.
Maokai's Abilities and Their Damage Types
Let's delve into each of his core abilities to see how they contribute to his damage output:
- Q - Bramble Smash: This is one of Maokai's primary damage tools. When he slams his sapling with his staff, he sends out a wave of thorny energy. This wave deals magic damage to all enemies hit and knocks them back. The damage scales with his ability power.
- W - Twisted Advance: While primarily a crowd control (CC) ability for engaging and locking down targets, Twisted Advance also deals magic damage upon arrival. This damage is a flat amount that scales with his ability power. It's a small but significant addition to his burst potential.
- E - Sapling Toss: Maokai tosses a sapling that, upon landing, begins to emit damaging pulses of energy. These pulses are also magic damage. If an enemy champion walks into range, the sapling will launch a larger, more potent burst of magic damage. Crucially, the damage of these pulses and the final burst scale with both Maokai's ability power and a percentage of the target's maximum health. This makes Sapling Toss effective against all types of champions, regardless of their defensive stats.
- R - Nature's Grasp: Maokai's ultimate ability, Nature's Grasp, unleashes a spectral hand that ensnares enemies. While its primary function is to root targets and slow them, the initial impact of the spectral hand also deals magic damage. This damage scales with his ability power.
The Role of Auto-Attacks and Items
While Maokai's abilities are his main source of damage, his auto-attacks deal physical damage, as is standard for most melee champions. However, due to his AP scaling, most Maokai players will prioritize building ability power items. This means his auto-attacks, while present, are not usually the focus of his damage output.
Itemization plays a significant role in shaping Maokai's damage. While he's often built as a tanky champion, items that provide ability power will directly amplify the magic damage from his abilities. Some common AP-focused items for Maokai might include:
- Liandry's Anguish: Provides ability power and burns enemies over time, dealing additional magic damage based on their maximum health.
- Demonic Embrace: Offers ability power and converts a portion of his ability power into bonus magic damage on his attacks and abilities, while also granting him damage reduction against spell damage.
Even when building defensively, items like Sunfire Aegis can add a layer of magic damage to his aura as he deals damage to nearby enemies.
Understanding Maokai's Damage Profile
In summary, Maokai is a champion whose primary damage threat comes from magic damage. His kit is designed to apply consistent pressure with his abilities, and he has the potential for burst damage, especially when his Sapling Toss hits multiple targets or its bonus damage scales effectively. While his auto-attacks deal physical damage, they are secondary to his magical assault. When facing Maokai, prioritize building magic resist to mitigate his most potent threats.
Maokai's Damage Breakdown:
Here's a simplified look at the damage types:
- Abilities (Q, W, E, R): Primarily Magic Damage (AP scaling, E has % max health scaling).
- Auto-Attacks: Physical Damage (less emphasized in AP builds).
- Item Effects (e.g., Liandry's, Demonic Embrace, Sunfire): Can add significant Magic Damage.
Frequently Asked Questions about Maokai's Damage
How does Maokai's Sapling Toss damage scale?
Maokai's Sapling Toss damage scales in two ways: with his ability power and with a percentage of the target's maximum health. This makes it a reliable damage source against both squishy and tanky champions.
Why does Maokai build ability power if he's often played as a tank?
Even when building tanky items, Maokai's abilities still deal significant magic damage. Investing in ability power allows these spells to hit harder, increasing his overall threat and allowing him to contribute more to his team's damage output. Many tank items also provide ability haste, which means more frequent casting of his damaging spells.
Is Maokai's ultimate Nature's Grasp a primary damage tool?
While Nature's Grasp does deal magic damage upon initial impact, its primary purpose is crowd control. The damage is a bonus to its ability to root and slow multiple enemies, making it more of a setup or follow-up ability than a direct damage threat.
