How to win lane as Maokai against Vladimir · 45.39% win rate (293 Emerald+ games, lolalytics, sampled July 2026) · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
Build MR — W-root him, out-sustain his early.
Track: Vladimir's W — Sanguine Pool (28–16s cooldown). Dodges your combo. Bait it.
Read from Maokai's seat: which stage windows this plan plays for against Vladimir.
This is Maokai's own plan; across 293 pooled games the lane is leaning Vladimir.
| 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 Hollow Radiance 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.
Pooled Emerald+ win rates from Maokai's side, sampled July 2026.
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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Vladimir, slightly — Maokai wins 45.39% of 293 games; winnable with the right plan.
Mostly — Vladimir has a small statistical edge (54.61% win rate), but execution decides this lane far more than the pick does.
No — if anything Vladimir has the slight edge (Maokai wins 45.39%), though it stays close.
Maokai takes Grasp of the Undying on the Resolve tree with Demolish, Second Wind and Overgrowth, and Precision secondary (Triumph and Legend: Haste) vs Vladimir.
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 Mercury's Treads.
Playing the other side? Vladimir vs Maokai guide →
All Maokai top lane matchups →
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