Alright, so, I’ve been playing a lot of games lately, trying to figure out which ADCs work best with Maokai. You know, Maokai, that big, walking tree that loves to hug enemies a little too tight. It’s been a journey, let me tell you.
First off, I started by looking at what people were saying online. Some folks were all about Tristana. They were saying that she’s great because she goes all-in at level two, and Maokai’s all about locking people down. Makes sense, right? So, I gave it a shot.

I queued up, got my Maokai locked in, and sure enough, someone picked Tristana. We hit level two, I flashed in, W’d their ADC, and Tristana jumped in too. Boom, first blood! It felt good, like we were unstoppable. We won a couple of games like this, but then things got a little rough. Some teams were just too good at dodging my engages, or they had ways to escape Tristana’s burst. It wasn’t always a guaranteed win, but it was definitely fun when it worked.
Then I thought, “Okay, maybe it’s not just about the early game. Maybe I need to think about ADCs that can really take advantage of Maokai’s crowd control throughout the whole match.” So I started experimenting with Jhin and Ashe. These two, man, they’re something else with Maokai.
With Jhin, it was like a symphony of stuns and roots. I’d catch someone, he’d throw down his traps, and then it was just a matter of time before they were deleted. Plus, his long-range ultimate was perfect for finishing off anyone who managed to limp away. It felt so smooth, so coordinated. We were practically dancing around the enemy team.
Ashe was similar. Her arrows and my saplings made it impossible for anyone to run. And her ultimate? Forget about it. If I landed a good root, she could snipe them from across the map. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. I felt like a conductor, and Ashe was my orchestra of destruction.
I also tried a few other ADCs that people were recommending. Someone mentioned Kai’Sa, so I gave her a go. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t feel as natural as Jhin or Ashe. Another one that kept popping up was Smolder. Tried him a few times, but it just didn’t click for me. Maybe I wasn’t playing him right, or maybe he just doesn’t fit my style.
After countless games, a lot of wins, and some frustrating losses, I came to a few conclusions. Here is my conclusion:
- Tristana can be amazing with Maokai if you’re really good at coordinating that level two all-in.
- Jhin and Ashe are probably the most consistent ADCs to pair with Maokai. Their kits just mesh so well with his.
- The others? Well, they can work, but it really depends on your playstyle and your ability to communicate with your ADC.
At the end of the day, it’s all about finding what works for you. Maokai’s a great support because he can enable so many different ADCs. So, experiment, try different things, and most importantly, have fun! That’s what I did, and even though it was a bit of a rollercoaster, I learned a lot and had some great games along the way.