How to win lane as Maokai against Neeko · 54.25% win rate over 365 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Neeko | Neeko wins level 1 — her Q poke out-ranges and out-damages your approach. |
| Level 2 | Neeko | At level 2 her E root can catch your W dash and set up her burst combo. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | Level 3 is even as your tank stats start to offset her poke. |
| Levels 4-5 | Maokai | Through 4-5 you take over — you tank one E and walk her squishy frame down. |
| Level 6 | Maokai | At level 6 your R can catch her or interrupt her Pop Blossom windup. |
| First item | Even / skill | First item is skill-even — her E-into-Q trades with your engage. |
| Two+ items | Maokai | By two-plus items your AoE R and frontline dive her before she detonates. |
Neeko takes levels 1-2: her Q Blooming Burst pokes you and your ADC hard through minions, and her E Tangle-Barbs is a long root that stops your W Twisted Advance cold if she reads your dash. Don't engage into a held E — respect its ~1075 range and its cooldown before you commit. Her disguise passive can also bluff a roam, so ward and don't get baited out of position.
The full Maokai vs Neeko report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.
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Playing the other side? Neeko vs Maokai guide →
All Maokai support matchups →
Also played in: Top Lane