Maokai is a great support jungler, he is tanky got lots of peels and his ganks are great, he fits into any team comp or just soloque fun, altou he is really teamdependent since he dosent bring alot of dmg, he has fast jungle clear with this build and hopefully you will do like playing any support jungler, get your team fed trough ganking and help with warding.

he is my must succesful jungler in ranked soloque

Hello there,i am minipancakess from EU-West and am doing my first guide and it will be on one of my favorite junglers

I main jungler and hoping this guide will help newcomers to the jungler
i am not high elo (highest 1554) and i hope this will help newcommers to the jungle

sorry for my english its not my native language, leave any feedback in comment good or bad i really appriacte it

Attackspeed Marks: i choose theese mainly for faster clear time in the jungle, magic penetration works aswell for more dmg during early ganks.

Armor Seals: Theese are standard for almost every jungler so you take less damage in the jungle

Magic Resist per lvl glyphs: i choose them over the flat one for more tankyness mid to late game, the flat MR glyphs works aswell, but i feel that the per lvl glyphs will benefit you more.

Ability power Quints: i took theese for slightly better clear time early game and stronger ganks, other quints that i recommend are the Movement speed quints wich are good

Theese runes are my standard on alot of tanky junglers, i choose theese for maximum tankyness with more mobility trough the utility tree

Hardiness : for the tankyness
Tough skin: to not take so much dmg in the jungle/creep during ganks
Summoner`s Resolve: for the extra 10gold used with smite
Durability: for better tankyness
Veteran`s scar: more hp, always good
Indomitable: couse when tanking every bit helps when its reduced damage
Bladed armor: faster clear time in the jungle
Enlightenment: so you can use your spells more often, works wonders with your ult since its short cd and your W to root them more often during teamfights
Honor Guard: just for more tankyness
Juggernout: a must have, just to good to pass up

Utility tree
Expanded mind: more mana, can stay in the jungler longer
Summoner`s insight: 15sec shorter cd on flash means your flash will come up before others will wich help during ganks or getting away
Swiftness: so you can run faster wich is nice
meditation: one point here just couse there is no better place to put
Runic Affinity: longer buffs from the golems

You can switch around some spells like take Initiator instead of Honor guard in defensive tree for more mobility or take meditation instead of swifteness for better mana regeneration, otherwise i wouldn`t recommend moving around points,

So i start with the regrowth+1HP pot couse of longer jungle time + safer
You can also start boots+3pots for early ganks

Then i go for philo stone for the gp5, after i get boots of mobility for easier time to gank and moving around,

Heart of gold for more gp5 couse you can never have enough money

then i will get oracles and start working on my Aegis of the legion for the team or i get glacial shroud if their team has strong AD champs (and it helps with your CDR)

Lategame i would change my boots of mobility into either merc threads or ninja tabi depending on enemy team setup

Remeber your a support jungler so be tanky and support your team with them

Remember to always buy Wards and ward for your team and get oracles to clear them ward once your feel you can stay alive for a long period of time

Force of nature: i would get this fast if they have alot of AP damage

Warmogs: would get theese only if they have alot of AP damage, force of nature is slightly better

Frozen heart: i almost never have time to finish this in a game since i always save it for last

Randuins omen: this one i finish almost everygame, but sometimes i save the Heart of gold if they dont have enough AD damage

Shurelyis : i build this every game for the great initatons it gives or escapes for your team, but you can save it for another items

Abyssal scepter: i never get this one but some like the extra dmg + MR it gives, can help your team if you have alot of AP

Banshees veil: can be good to get if they have CC like Ryze, blitzcrank or amumu

feel free to leave in comment if there is any item you feel should be here

I start my E at level one so i can put 3 saplings at wolves and then throw a 4:th one just as they spawn so you can instaclear it without help from team (wich you should be getting anyway

then i get Q at lvl 2 for easier clear.

lvl 3 you get Q if your gonna keep clearing jungle or you get W if your planing to gank.

i max R-Q-W-E for fastest jungler clear.
You can max W first if your planing to gank alot but your jungle will fall behind alot if the ganks fails so i recommend Q for faster jungle clear, and more dmg during ganks

I get Smite for obvious reasons, no jungler should be without it, i heard from alot of people that every jungler dont need smite but that is wrong, its a must have otherwise the enemy can smite steal baron/buffs/dragon and nothing you can do about it

Then i get Flash, for easier time to gank couse you can Flash + W and cover alot of ground with it, or use flash to get away if ***** goes wrong

Ghost: not recommended at all
Exhoust: not recommended since maokai dosent have easy time to escape
Ignite: nope, just no

All other spells are not worth mentionen

+Moakai is super tanky in this build
+He has great peels with W and Q
+His ultimate will reduce all dmg taken for your team if you fight inside it
+He is a tree
+still good without alot of items
+saplings acts a low duration ward
+really fun to play

-Not alot of damage
-can not carry games as good as other junglers
-mana dependent troughout the game
-really team dependent
-no escapes

i start at wolves and i throw saplings there at 1:06 so i can 3 of them before wolves spawns, and you throw the 4:the sapling at 1:39 (it will land on them at 1:40 and dmg when land + explode) for maximum dmg

you can also use this tactic at the enemy wraiths to instasteal them for more exp and screwing over his jungler, alot more risky

then we go to the blue and hopefully you have a leash (if you get nosmite leash then rush your red and take it)


normal route: Wolves-Blue-Wraiths-Golems-Red- gank at lvl 3 or 4 then base or keep clearing depending how low your HP is

lvl 2 gank : wolves-blue - gank (get Q at lvl 1 and W at lvl 2)

Safe route: Wolves-Blue-Wraiths-Wolves-Red- keep clearing or gank

Hope you find this guide usefull and i will update it later with icons and picture once i know howto, this is my first guide written and to summerize

take Maokai in the jungle if your team need a tank, cc or just good peels, he works in all teamcomps and with this build you will have a easy time in the jungle and hopefully get higher elo or a good fundation on how to jungle as him, feel free to leave feedback in comments even if its something you dont like or something you like

Author : Minipancakess lvl 30 1554 elo (current) when this guide was written