The most effective core build consists of Sunfire Aegis, Winter's Approach, and Thornmail, which boasts a high 70.0% win rate. For boots, you should typically pick Plated Steelcaps, and your starting items should be Doran's Shield and a Health Potion.
The recommended rune page uses Grasp of the Undying as the primary keystone with Demolish, Second Wind, and Overgrowth. For your secondary tree, select Sorcery with Manaflow Band and Transcendence, which has a 46.3% win rate and 37.0% pick rate.
Maokai Top is currently classified as a Tier C champion. This ranking reflects his low 43.7% win rate and a very niche pick rate of 0.3% in Platinum+ games.
In Patch 16.2.1, Maokai Top has an overall win rate of 43.7% based on 146 games analyzed. His build-specific win rate is slightly lower at 43.1%.
Based on Platinum+ data, Maokai Top is currently struggling with a 43.7% win rate and a low carry score of 4.0 out of 10. These metrics suggest he may be difficult to climb with in lower tiers where individual impact is often more critical.
With a low pick rate of 0.3% and a Tier C status, Maokai Top is not in a strong position in the current meta. His 43.7% win rate indicates he is underperforming, so he might only be worth maining if you are a specialist in his crowd-control-heavy playstyle.
His win rate is low at 43.7% because he has a very low carry score of 4.0/10 and minimal presence in the meta with a 0.3% pick rate. He lacks the individual agency to carry games consistently in his current state.
Sunfire Aegis is the best first item, holding a 54.7% win rate over 53 games with a 36.3% pick rate. It is essential for providing the necessary waveclear and durability required to survive the early laning phase.
You should pick Maokai when your team needs a dedicated tank and reliable crowd control, as his difficulty is low at 3 out of 10. However, be cautious as his current win rate is only 43.7%, making him a risky choice in most matchups.
Maokai spikes significantly once he completes Sunfire Aegis and follows the Q > W > E skill max order, which has a 59.6% win rate. During this time, focus on using your durability and lockdown to facilitate kills for your team in skirmishes.
Maokai is generally a mid-to-late game teamfighter who relies on his core items like Winter's Approach and Thornmail to scale. However, his overall win rate of 43.7% suggests he is struggling to find success in any stage of the game currently.
Maokai received no direct champion changes in Patch 16.2.1. Furthermore, there were no changes to his core items such as Sunfire Aegis or Winter's Approach in this update.
The most common and effective setup is Grasp of the Undying with Sorcery secondary, used in 37.0% of games. While you should always consider the enemy team, this specific configuration is the standard for Maokai in the current patch.