How to win lane as Maokai against Gangplank · 45.24% win rate over 126 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Maokai | At Level 1 he can only barrel-poke and you out-sustain a single keg — deny his last hits and don't trade into a fresh barrel. |
| Level 2 | Maokai | Your W-root into Q-knockback combo lands before his barrel chain is online, and Sap Magic heals the trade he can't match yet. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | You still win the short trade, but once his W (Remove Scurvy) is up he can cleanse your root, so the window tightens to a skill check on his cleanse timer. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | His barrel chains and your sustain roughly cancel — whoever lands their setup first wins, but a stocked keg line starts out-damaging your Q poke. |
| Level 6 | Gangplank | His powder kegs and Sheen barrel hits now chunk through your armor faster than Sap Magic heals, and your R adds gank threat but no real 1v1 punch. |
| First item | Gangplank | His first-item spike (Sheen/Trinity) lets him detonate chains that out-trade you, and his W cleanses every lockdown you commit. |
| Two+ items | Even / skill | Full-build Gangplank crits through your resistances and kites your W with passive move speed — survive as the engage tank and let your team punish him. |
Levels 1-3 are the only window where I have the upper hand. At Level 1 he can already poke me with a barrel-Q, but he can't punish hard yet — last-hit at max range and don't eat free crits. The moment I hit Level 2-3 with W and Q, I look for him standing still to drop a barrel: W-Twisted Advance roots me onto him, Q-Bramble Smash knocks him off the keg, and Sap Magic heals the chip right back. Bait or beat his W (Remove Scurvy) — if I commit my root while it's up he just cleanses out, so step on him when it's on cooldown.
The full Maokai vs Gangplank 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.
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? Gangplank vs Maokai guide →
All Maokai top lane matchups →