Talk:Maokai/@comment-3532889-20110416034822/@comment-3486816-20110416055330

tanking is initiation (W), CC (W, Q), multitarget spells (E, Q), saving your teammates (W,Q,R, arguably E when acting as a ward), and absorbing damage and CC(R, base stats, and your build). Maokai does them all very well. I prefer to build him full tank with Shurelya's reverie (for the active, the mana regen, and the cdr), but the proponents of tanky AP are many. I don't mind not doing much damage as long as I'm CCing the hell out of anyone that's trying to attack my carries and singling them out for my team to burst down while ignoring their and the rest of their team's damage. Does he count as a tank? YES. Is he the best tank? Debatable, but honestly a moot point. Riot has done an exceptional job of providing variety in gameplay between tanks. Try all of them out (they're all free fairly often) and play the one you have the most fun with ;).

Lastly, thanks for being a team player and picking a tank when your team needs one. I know how being trapped in that situation feels, but following through for your team is a sign of a good player.