How to win the jungle race as Briar against Maokai · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
Read from Briar's seat: the race windows this plan plays for against Maokai.
| Stage | Read | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Clear | Briar Dominant | Head Rush's stun gives a clean engage trade at the first buff contest. Later in the game this bites, because Twisted Advance's untargetable root locks you down for the counter-trade. But before either of you has a second camp down none of it is online, so take the level-1 crossing and tax every camp Maokai concedes. |
| Level 2 Skirmish | Briar Dominant | Blood Frenzy sustain turns level-2 skirmishes into races she usually wins, while Twisted Advance root trades keep skirmishes on their schedule. Only one of those wins on the second camp, so press it: take the level-2 skirmish, then leave with the second buff and the tempo that comes with it. |
| Level 3 Route | Briar Dominant | Frenzy healing plus charged Chilling Scream is one of the hardest level-3 all-ins. Bramble Smash knock-back plus the W root is a solid pick kit, not a stat-check, and as the first scuttle timer lands that is not an answer. Take the level-3 river fight and make Maokai path away from the camps you want. |
| Levels 4-5 Macro | Briar Dominant — Keep Fighting | Nothing about 4-5 helps Maokai here: he plays 4-5 through sapling vision and root ganks into lanes that already hold the wave, while you can take any duel you can reach. Invade on the clear-timer, not on a whim. |
| Level 6 Breakpoint | Certain Death Favoured | Certain Death picks the target and the frenzy finishes it — your all-in has no half-measure. Maokai's six is not empty — a forest of roots arrives ahead of every objective contest. Take the duel from even health rather than from behind, and flank around the root wave — it is slow and dodgeable from the side. |
| First Item Spike | Sundered Sky / Eclipse Spike | Completing your core item triggers a massive physical damage and sustained fighting multiplier that completely overpowers traditional brawlers or isolated targets. Maokai's first item mostly buys health and cooldowns — his spike is durability, not damage, and it arrives early. |
| 2+ Items Scaling | Briar Favoured at Full Build | Two items on, the edge is yours. The one thing to plan around is that he is a root wall with a health bar — hard to kill, and the whole river is his zone — take that away and the fight is a formality. |
Start your clear at the Raptors or Red Buff camp utilizing your W frenzy to maximize early clear speed and sustain. Maokai clears comfortably with Sap Magic sustain and saplings, and he is close to full health at every crossing.
Ranked by the race windows in Briar's plans — the jungle race carries no win-rate sample.
The full Briar vs Maokai report continues with scuttle & dragon rules, invade windows and safety boundaries, the top-side objective fight, macro rotations and the win condition — plus the live enemy-jungle tracker that shows their start, clear and gank timers in game.
Read the full guide — plans from $1.99/month →🔒 Secure checkout · 💰 7-day money-back guarantee on your first payment · ✋ Cancel anytime
Lane Pass $1.99/mo · All Lanes $3.99/mo · Annual $24.99/yr. Renews automatically — cancel anytime.
Briar's race plan controls 7 of the 7 windows — Briar holds the tempo advantage in this jungle matchup.
Not exactly — Briar's race plan controls 7 of the 7 windows, so Maokai is playing catch-up and has to lean on the map.
Playing the other side? Maokai vs Briar guide →
All Briar jungle matchups →
More Briar jungle matchups: vs Lee Sin · vs Lillia · vs Locke · vs Master Yi · vs Morgana · vs Naafiri