How to win lane as Illaoi against Maokai · 52.2% win rate (569 Emerald+ games, lolalytics, sampled July 2026) · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
Dodge his W root — anti-heal, build tentacles, grind him.
Track: Maokai's W — Twisted Advance (14–10s cooldown). His lock-on root. Dodge it.
Read from Illaoi's seat: which stage windows this plan plays for against Maokai.
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Maokai | Level 1 Maokai out-sustains and can W-root you before you own a gap-closer. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | By Level 2 you gain W to stick and swing, flipping short trades your way. |
| Level 3 | Illaoi | Level 3 gives you the E grab, and his only counter is spending his W root. |
| Levels 4-5 | Illaoi | Through Levels 4-5 stacked tentacles out-damage his sapling sustain decisively. |
| Level 6 | Illaoi | At Level 6 your R field overwhelms him while his R is just a slow engage wall. |
| First item | Illaoi | At first item bruiser scaling keeps you out-slamming his passive healing. |
| Two+ items | Maokai | Into 2+ items tank Maokai shrugs off tentacles and out-values you in fights and roams. |
Level 1 Maokai out-sustains you with saplings and can W-root you for a free trade before you have your dash, so play the minions and wait for W.
Pooled Emerald+ win rates from Illaoi's side, sampled July 2026.
The full Illaoi 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.
Read the full guide — plans from $1.99/month →🔒 Secure checkout · 💰 7-day money-back guarantee on your first payment · ✋ Cancel anytime
Lane Pass $1.99/mo · All Lanes $3.99/mo · Annual $24.99/yr. Renews automatically — cancel anytime.
Illaoi, slightly — a 52.2% win rate edge over 569 games; execution can flip it.
Mostly — Illaoi has a small statistical edge (52.2% win rate), but execution decides this lane far more than the pick does.
Not a hard counter — Illaoi has a slight edge (52.2% win rate), and play quality decides the rest.
Illaoi takes Grasp of the Undying on the Resolve tree with Demolish, Second Wind and Overgrowth, and Precision secondary (Triumph and Legend: Haste) vs Maokai.
Start Doran's Shield + Health Potion and back for Executioner's Calling (≈800g) — cuts his healing. Build Iceborn Gauntlet (the slow makes tentacles land) first, then Sterak's Gage, with Mercury's Treads.
Playing the other side? Maokai vs Illaoi guide →
All Illaoi top lane matchups →
More Illaoi top lane matchups: vs Locke · vs Lucian · vs Malphite · vs Master Yi · vs Mel · vs Mordekaiser