How to win lane as Swain against Maokai · 51.64% win rate over 548 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Swain | You win level 1 because your Q sweep and E range out-poke Maokai's short Twisted Advance. |
| Level 2 | Swain | You win level 2 by hitting the spike first and all-inning his sapling walk-up with your ADC. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | Level 3 is even as his sapling poke starts trading against your Q drain. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | Levels 4-5 stay even while his W cooldown and your shove cancel out. |
| Level 6 | Swain | You win level 6 because Demonic Ascension drain-turns his Twisted Advance all-in. |
| First item | Swain | You win first item as Liandry/Blackfire sustain out-values his sapling chip. |
| Two+ items | Swain | You win 2+ items as your R frontline out-lasts his single lockdown in fights. |
You out-trade Maokai at levels 1-2: your Q sweep and Nevermove out-range his short Twisted Advance, and hitting 2 first with a coordinated ADC all-in punishes any sapling walk-up. Respect that he wants to bait your E then W-engage, so don't blow Nevermove into a stationary target he can flash-dodge.
The full Swain vs Maokai 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? Maokai vs Swain guide →
All Swain support matchups →
Also played in: Top Lane