How to win lane as Maokai against Vladimir · 45.67% win rate over 127 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Vlad is one of the weakest level 1s, but so are you with only one ability, so it is a pure last-hit standoff neither side owns. |
| Level 2 | Maokai | You complete W root into Q knockback before he has Sanguine Pool, and Sap Magic heals the trade, so you bully an escapeless Vlad. |
| Level 3 | Maokai | Your W-Q combo and constant Passive healing out-trade his pre-item E-Q poke while his only out is still on a long cooldown. |
| Levels 4-5 | Maokai | Your root and Q come back faster than he can reset, and Sap Magic eats his poke, so you repeat favorable trades on a pre-Rylai Vlad. |
| Level 6 | Maokai | Your R plus W root pin him for a chunk and a gank, but bait his pool first or it goes untargetable through your whole combo. |
| First item | Even / skill | Your Bami/sustain line keeps you durable and lane-stable, holding even as his first AP item starts to come online. |
| Two+ items | Vladimir | Full-AP Vlad out-drains your Sap Magic, pools your W and R untargetable, and kites your slow body, so he reclaims the game. |
Vlad is one of the weakest level 1s in the game and so are you with a single ability, so Skill stage 1 is just a last-hit standoff. The moment you hit 2 and complete W into Q, step up: he has no Sanguine Pool yet, so your point-and-click root lands clean and your Q knockback plus a Sap Magic proc means you win every trade he tries. Toss E onto his caster minions or his feet to deny Q last-hits and chip his health while it is too early for his drain to matter. Do not waste W when his pool is up later, but right now he literally cannot dodge it.
The full Maokai vs Vladimir 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? Vladimir vs Maokai guide →
All Maokai top lane matchups →