How to win the jungle race as Ivern against Maokai · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
Read from Ivern's seat: the race windows this plan plays for against Maokai.
| Stage | Read | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Clear | Respect Maokai | At level 1 this window belongs to Maokai: Sapling Toss bush-bombs poke contests for free, and Twisted Advance's untargetable root locks you down for the counter-trade. His damage is front-loaded CC, not DPS — dodge saplings and out-trade after the root. Skip the level-1 crossing and bank tempo on the opposite side of the map. |
| Level 2 Skirmish | Respect Maokai | Twisted Advance's untargetable root locks you down for the counter-trade — Ivern has no answer to that at level 2. Twisted Advance root trades keep skirmishes on their schedule on their half of the map too, so refuse the level-2 skirmish and answer the pressure cross-map. |
| Level 3 Route | Respect Maokai | Bramble Smash knock-back plus the W root is a solid pick kit, not a stat-check, and Ivern has no clean answer to it at the opening scuttle — Twisted Advance's untargetable root locks you down for the counter-trade. His damage is front-loaded CC, not DPS — dodge saplings and out-trade after the root, and give up the first scuttle rather than the kill. |
| Levels 4-5 Macro | Respect Maokai — Path Opposite | Levels 4-5 still belong to Maokai in a straight fight — farm the opposite side, answer their ganks cross-map, and wait for your spike. |
| Level 6 Breakpoint | Respect Maokai's R | A forest of roots arrives ahead of every objective contest — Ivern loses the straight post-6 duel. Flank around the root wave — it is slow and dodgeable from the side, and shift your pressure to the side of the map Nature's Grasp is not on. |
| First Item Spike | Utility Item Spike | Your first utility items multiply your shields and roots into team-wide stat advantages. Camps remain free, so your gold curve funds vision and gifts without losing item pace. Force nothing; enable everything — Maokai cannot counter-jungle a grove economy. Maokai's first item mostly buys health and cooldowns — his spike is durability, not damage, and it arrives early. |
| 2+ Items Scaling | Respect Maokai Late — End Early | Maokai out-stats you from two items on — stop taking straight 1v1s, close through objectives and picks, and keep the game on a clock. |
Mark both your buffs and the adjacent small camps, then path toward your first gank angle while the groves cook. Maokai's start side only matters for where you place the minute-two deep ward — you fear no invade because there is nothing to invade. 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 Ivern's plans — the jungle race carries no win-rate sample.
The full Ivern 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.
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Maokai pressures 6 of the 7 windows in this race — survive the early game and scale into your windows.
Not exactly — Maokai pressures 6 of the 7 windows, so Ivern is playing catch-up and has to lean on the map.
Playing the other side? Maokai vs Ivern guide →
All Ivern jungle matchups →
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