How to win the jungle race as Nunu & Willump against Maokai · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Read | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Clear | Nunu Favored | Start with Consume (Q) to secure a massive burst of true damage against the large monster while providing an immense instant heal. Utilize your Call of the Freljord passive to cleave the smaller monsters, drastically accelerating your initial camp speed. This establishes an exceptionally fast and undeniably healthy tracking path across your starting quadrant. |
| Level 2 Skirmish | Nunu Dominant | Unlocking Biggest Snowball Ever! (W) provides an impactful movement speed steroid and area-of-effect knockup that transforms you into a lethal level 2 ganker. If Maokai attempts an uncalculated early entry into your quadrant, release your snowball into them before utilizing Consume to easily win the health trade. This completely secures your early map pressure and punishes static laners or bold invaders with guaranteed crowd control. |
| Level 3 Route | Nunu Peak | Tempo Access to Snowball Barrage (E) completes your lethal ganking portfolio by introducing a rapid-fire slow that culminates in a devastating root. Use this tool immediately after your W knockup to infinitely chain crowd control and prevent Maokai from escaping deep jungle collapses. This grants an elite operational flexibility allowing you to turn almost any early brawl or lane gank into a guaranteed kill. |
| Levels 4-5 Macro | Tempo Generation Focus | Your basic abilities now hit severe early utility thresholds, letting you dictate the entire tempo of map pressure through hyper-aggressive spam ganking and immediate objective rushing. Keep constant tabs on Maokai's jungle clearing lines and use your extreme movement speed to out-rotate them to every play on the map. Prioritize rapid champion kills and snowballing your laners over executing slow, farm-heavy horizontal resets. |
| Level 6 Breakpoint | Absolute Zero Domination | Absolute Zero (R) introduces an immense combat ultimate that provides a massive shield, an extreme slowing aura, and catastrophic burst damage upon detonation. Execute a precise snowball engage into an E root before charging Absolute Zero in a brush to obliterate Maokai from fog of war. This massive mechanical spike turns you into an absolute map-wide teamfight threat who dictates fight geometries through brush traps. |
| First Item Spike | Bami's / Liandry's Spike | Completing your core item triggers a massive area-of-effect wave clear and health multiplier that completely overpowers traditional brawlers or isolated targets. Your camp clearing loops become entirely automated, allowing you to instantly clear out quadrants before forcing highly aggressive neutral pit takes. This priority shatters their capacity to duel you evenly in the river while you hold your Q-Smite combo. |
| 2+ Items Scaling | Unstoppable Vanguard | Nunu transitions into a high-impact teamfight vanguard who relies entirely on generating immense pressure by engaging with maximum speed and securing every objective. Your late-game raw damage scaling shifts into a purely utility and peel line, making it imperative to use your ultimate to zone the enemy frontline from your carries. Maintain extreme technical precision around high-tier objective pits to cleanly consume-smite the objective, making it mathematically impossible for the enemy to steal. |
Start your clear track at the Red or Blue Buff camp utilizing your Consume true damage to maximize early clear speed without needing a heavy leash. Monitor Maokai's opening lane arrivals to confirm their starting location, allowing you to path efficiently toward a brutal level 2 lane gank or rapid full clear.
The full Nunu & Willump 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.
Become a Founding Member — $1.99/month →🔒 Secure checkout · 💰 7-day money-back guarantee · ✋ Cancel anytime
Early Access price — $3.99/month for new members after launch.
Playing the other side? Maokai vs Nunu & Willump guide →
All Nunu & Willump jungle matchups →