How to win the jungle race as Maokai against Xin Zhao · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
Read from Maokai's seat: the race windows this plan plays for against Xin Zhao.
| Stage | Read | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Clear | Danger — Avoid Xin Zhao | Do not be seen at the first buff: the W challenge into Three Talon Strike knock-up chains you down before you can answer. On top of that, Three Talon Strike's knock-up plus passive healing wins the first buff-pit duel, so they get there first. Respect the river bushes and disengage before the third Q hit lands. Skip the level-1 crossing and farm the opposite quadrant until your spike lands. |
| Level 2 Skirmish | Danger — Avoid Xin Zhao | Hard no-contest for Maokai at level 2: Wind Becomes Lightning (W) challenge poke starts trades they finish for free, and the W challenge into Three Talon Strike knock-up chains you down before you can answer. Respect the river bushes and disengage before the third Q hit lands. Path opposite, ward your entrances, and let the clock carry you to your own spike. |
| Level 3 Route | Danger — Avoid Xin Zhao | The W challenge into Three Talon Strike knock-up chains you down before you can answer. The full knock-up combo with W slow is among the top three level-3 duels on top of that, so level 3 is a straight stat check Maokai loses — respect the river bushes and disengage before the third Q hit lands, and give the river vision-line respect. |
| Levels 4-5 Macro | Danger — Avoid Xin Zhao | Xin Zhao owns 4-5 outright. He dives lanes through 4-5, since Audacious Charge into the knock-up needs no setup at all, so treat every crossing as theirs and take the camps they are furthest from. |
| Level 6 Breakpoint | Respect Xin's R | The six-spike belongs to Xin Zhao, and Maokai's does not bridge the gap: Crescent Guard isolates you from your team and wins the resulting 1v1. Fight him with numbers before the R cast or poke the duel down from range. Your own ultimate is a tool here, not a trump card — spend it to escape or equalize, not to start fights. |
| First Item Spike | Sunfire Aegis Spike | Completing Sunfire Aegis gives you a constant area burn plus health, so camps melt while you stand in them and every extended fight with a brawler has free damage ticking on your side. Xin Zhao's first item is a sharp jump — the knock-up combo goes from a strong trade to a kill on most junglers. |
| 2+ Items Scaling | Maokai Favoured at Full Build | Two items on, the edge is yours. The one thing to plan around is that he isolates one target with Crescent Guard and wins the 1v1 he just created — take that away and the fight is a formality. |
Start your clear at the Raptors or Wolves camp utilizing your stacked E saplings to maximize early AoE clear speed without a leash. Xin Zhao clears fast and heals off Determination, so he reaches three healthy and looking for the first fight.
Ranked by the race windows in Maokai's plans — the jungle race carries no win-rate sample.
The full Maokai vs Xin Zhao 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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Xin Zhao pressures 5 of the 7 windows in this race — survive the early game and scale into your windows.
Not exactly — Xin Zhao pressures 5 of the 7 windows, so Maokai is playing catch-up and has to lean on the map.
Playing the other side? Xin Zhao vs Maokai guide →
All Maokai jungle matchups →
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