This is my 1st Build and I expect some negative
feedback and will use it to help improve this build as i see fit. I do ask that you read
everything and at least try the build/strategy before voting. All feedback is welcome and i
accept any and all advice. Thanks in advance
this a build for running with the top group as Maokai. it is a build to help you maximize your damage output with your Aoe spells to help change the tide of team fights.

Here are his spells and how I believe they should be used to maximize Maokai's full potential:


Q - Arcane Smash

This spell is mostly used for the knock back. The slow is really not all that special. What I use this for is after I Twisted Advance an enemy, to prevent them from getting away after the root


W - Twisted Advance

this is your main initiator. Use it to trap an enemy who over extends themselves, or to initiate a team fight. This is what gives you the title of tank.

E - Sapling Toss

This is your main source of damage. I always grab this first because it lets you scout out bushes in lanes to prevent getting ganked.


R - Vengeful Maelstrom

People tend to underestimate the power of this ultimate.

as you can see i picked your basic Mage items with bonuses to health and mana. i want you to be able to do a lot of damage but also take some damage in return... Lich Bane and Void Staff are late game and can be substituted for Warmog's Armor and Thornmail to stop ganks and to make you an even bigger threat in team fights cause you will be able to take a beating threw out the whole fight and be the last man standing.

i picked 3 Quintessence of Ability Power and 9 Mark of Magic Penetration for early game damage, then i picked the 9 Seal of Scaling Mana Regeneration for mana regeneration as the game progresses, 9 Glyph of Scaling Cooldown Reduction for being able to use your abilities more often at then end for more damage out put late game..

i picked Heal because in the 1st early game fight it can change the tide from losing to winning it plus you can use to save someones life if they are getting killed cause you can heal then plus stun the person attacking so they can make a clean get away. i picked Garrison because this game mode is about getting and holding the different points on the map and it regenerates them fast so if your left alone a point you can heal it before the opponents get there and even while fighting with them it Makes the turret shoot much faster as well. if you really wanted to you could probably use Promote instead but being Maokai you will be left alone time to time to defend solo so having the ability to make the turret shoot faster is a plus cause you can stun opposing Champions in the turret fire

Pros+
+aoe for team fights
+can stun
+has a knock back
+self heal
+can solo if he has to


Cons-
-can be squishy early game
-slow movement speed
-Mana Dependant

to start the game you should pickup Catalyst the Protector and a Health pot also put a point into each Ability, then you should have the other 3 players who are going top pass the middle capture point and you will stop and get the middle capture point then join after its captured then head to the speed boost point and then head top to join the fight and start fighting by that time you might need to use your Summoner spell Heal and change the tide of the battle then use Sapling Toss at the champ with the lowest health or the biggest threat to keep them from gaining money/Experience on the other team then twisted advance the same Champ you tossed the sapling at and as soon as you hit with Twisted Advance hit them with Arcane Smash to knock them back to keep them unable to fight back while your team takes them out...

Note this is a team game and your main job is to support the team fights. use your aoe spells as much as you can and use you ultimate in most fights if its not on cool down it can do massive damage if placed well

well team work is the name of the game soo... so what do you do if you see a teammate running away and almost dead with Maokai?? you Sapling Toss and then Twisted Advance and then if you have to you Arcane Smash to Knock the opposing Champion back to give your teammate time to get away and sometime you might even to enough damage to get the kill... this champ is full of Crowd Control so he can jump into the middle of fights to help teammates escape or finish off the opposing Champions so this might even make you the main target for the opposing team o be ready for everyone to target you in team fights so if you use Sapling Toss then Twisted Advance then Arcane Smash to slow the opposing Champs from chasing you and maximizing your damage per second at the same time so while your retreating your team can win the fight

i hope this gives people some idea of what i do as Maokai in Dominion. i hope it also helps you with ideas about running Maokai in Dominion because he is a great champion for Crowd Control and that is what Dominion is all about