Hey this is my first guide and I'm just going to start with the bare bones of it for now. Basically I have found Maokai to be an extremely versatile and powerful champ and this build is what I find that works best for my play style.

I chose to go with the standard 9/0/21 mastery tree because this will help with maokai's mana issues and help you lane longer while packing an extra punch.

you are going to want to max out your sapling toss first because this is your main harassment and farming skill. twisted advance will be the next skill that you want to max out because this is a very important piece of your combo. for one v one fights u want to throw a sapling right behind your enemy and then use your twisted advance immediately after. Note: when you toss the sapling behind your enemy make sure it is still close enough to them so they will take the immediate damage too. for team fights u will want to activate your ult over where the team will most likely take place and then target the squishiest enemy. hit them with a sapling use your advance followed by your arcane smash.

This is one of the most important aspects of playing a successful maokai imo. stay in lane, farm up, and play smart and you will have no problems.