How to win lane as Maokai against Swain · 52.67% win rate over 562 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Swain | Swain's E Nevermove roots your W dash and his Q out-pokes you at level 1. |
| Level 2 | Swain | At 2 his E-into-Q combo stops your engage and wins the trade. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | Level 3 evens as your Sapling zone trades with his poke — a skill window. |
| Levels 4-5 | Maokai | Through 4-5, before his ult, your W-Q lock lets your ADC burst him first. |
| Level 6 | Swain | At 6 his R Demonic Ascension drain out-sustains your dive. |
| First item | Swain | First item his DoT-drain sustain peaks and punishes facechecked W. |
| Two+ items | Maokai | At 2+ items your R roots him out of drain range and your team outscales his single-target sustain. |
Levels 1-2 favor Swain: his E Nevermove hard-counters your W by rooting you mid-approach, and his Q Death's Hand out-pokes you in any standing trade. Don't facecheck a W into his E — wait for him to whiff it, then punish. Level 3 evens out as your Sapling zoning matches his poke.
The full Maokai vs Swain 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? Swain vs Maokai guide →
All Maokai support matchups →
Also played in: Top Lane