Talk:Maokai/@comment-220.255.2.156-20111019144631/@comment-71.59.218.232-20111020064246

I love solo top Maokai - easily my favorite champ to solo top with.

Start by getting E. Since you're focusing on harassment and holding your ground, the saplings are an excellent way to do it. In fact, you should try to level it up as fast as possible. You should acquire W at some point because you need the snare when your jungler comes along for the gank.

As far as items, I usually begin with the health stone that builds into the HoG and on my first trip back to base I pick up the HoG and boots. Second trip I get Phil Stone, upgrade boots into Mercs and if I can, get a Warden's Mail. Usually by this time, everyone's mixing lanes so much that solo top ends.

In any case, your early game should utilize the saplings as much as possible. It's excellent harassment and you can get them up to a point where when you lob them at the mage minions in back, they die and you get tons of gold consistently. It helps a lot for early farming.