Pyke vs Maokai Counter Pick

Maokai climbs to 123.4 armor at level 18, the higher figure of the two, and every point of it is aimed at the champion opposite him. Pyke deals physical damage, his finisher rewards missing health rather than raw burst through resistances, and 1,068 games on patch 16.13.1 return a 44.7% win rate with a Hard rating attached.

Sustain compounds the problem. Sap Magic heals him and adds damage to his next attack whenever he casts a spell or is struck by one, so poking him returns less than it costs, and his 665 base health rises to 2,518. Twisted Advance makes him untargetable while he dashes in and roots on arrival, which beats a Bone Skewer pull outright, because the pull needs a body to grab. Nature’s Grasp then rolls a wall of brambles forward and roots whatever it catches, punishing the straight-line approach Pyke’s kit prefers.

His edge is reach and concealment rather than speed: 150 attack range against 125, and camouflage from Ghostwater Dive that no sapling can follow, while move speed actually favours Maokai at 335 against 330. The practical route is to ignore the tank. Death From Below refunds a cast on each execute, so hunting the carry behind him is worth far more than any exchange with a champion who starts at 35 armor and heals on a short timer.