How to win lane as Maokai against Nasus · 50.17% win rate (291 Emerald+ games, lolalytics, sampled July 2026) · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
Deny his stacks — W-root into Q, sustain up.
Track: Nasus's W — Wither (15–11s cooldown). His only kite. Root through it.
Read from Maokai's seat: which stage windows this plan plays for against Nasus.
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | You both have one ability and no kill pressure at level 1 — he's stacking Q, you're waiting on your W-Q combo, so it's a wash. |
| Level 2 | Maokai | Your W (Twisted Advance) root into Q (Bramble Smash) plus Sap Magic healing wins the melee trade before his Q stacks are dangerous. |
| Level 3 | Maokai | Adding E (Sapling Toss) gives you a full root-poke-heal pattern that bullies a Nasus who can only farm back, so you own the overstep. |
| Levels 4-5 | Maokai | Your W and Q cooldowns come back faster than he can answer and Sap Magic keeps you healthy — keep repeating the favorable trade. |
| Level 6 | Even / skill | Your R (Nature's Grasp) is a gank/engage tool not a 1v1 button, and his R only makes him tankier and heals him — a modest, even spike. |
| First item | Even / skill | You're durable and lane-stable on your first sustain item, but you can't kill him and every minute feeds his Q stacks, so it's even at best. |
| Two+ items | Nasus | A stacked Nasus W-withers you, ignores your resistances with empowered Q, and out-sustains your tank damage with lifesteal — this window is his, hard. |
Levels 1-2 are even at best — I only have one ability at level 1 and no combo, but Nasus is just stacking, so neither of us kills the other. My real window opens at 2-3: W (Twisted Advance) roots him in place, I follow with Q (Bramble Smash) at the wide tip for max knockback, drop a Sapling on the wave, and Sap Magic heals back whatever his Q-and-auto trade costs me. This is the one stretch I genuinely own, so I want to land every root trade and use E (Sapling Toss) to body-block his last-hits and slow his stack count.
Pooled Emerald+ win rates from Maokai's side, sampled July 2026.
The full Maokai vs Nasus 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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Nobody on paper — a 50.17% win rate over 291 games makes this a coin flip decided by play, not champion select.
Yes — Maokai vs Nasus is a genuine skill matchup: 50.17% win rate, and the favour swings window to window rather than being set at champion select.
No hard counter either way — the Maokai vs Nasus win rate is 50.17%, an even lane decided by execution.
Maokai takes Grasp of the Undying on the Resolve tree with Demolish, Second Wind and Overgrowth, and Precision secondary (Triumph and Legend: Haste) vs Nasus.
Start Doran's Shield + Health Potion and back for Executioner's Calling (≈800g) — cuts his healing. Build Heartsteel (the HP engine) first, then Thornmail / Spirit Visage, with Plated Steelcaps.
Playing the other side? Nasus vs Maokai guide →
All Maokai top lane matchups →
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