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Jhin & Maokai vs Smolder & Leona

Bot Lane Matchup

Jhin vs Smolder (with Maokai & Leona) BOT matchup tips: who wins, how to trade, wave control and common mistakes.

You

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Who Wins

Pre-6, you lose the 2v2 if Leona gets onto you — your 4th shot and W trap are strong poke tools but Leona's all-in at level 2 with E+Q is faster than your setup requires.
Post-6, you still lose a straight 2v2 unless Maokai lands W first, because Leona's R into your immobility is a near-guaranteed kill.

Your best pattern is to place W in the brush or lane chokepoint before Leona can engage, so any all-in attempt triggers the snare and buys Maokai time to follow up — then use your 4th shot to chunk Smolder from range.
Never commit to a trade without your W already placed, as you have no mobility to escape Leona's chain CC.

You want a slow push into a freeze near your tower when possible — this forces Leona to overextend to engage and makes Smolder farm under pressure where your 4th shot poke is most punishing.
Avoid shoving blindly into their tower, as that gives Leona a safe engage angle with jungle follow-up.

Do not stand in predictable positions after using your 4th shot — the reload animation is your most vulnerable window and Leona will time her engage around it.
Always reposition behind Maokai or into a brush after firing your 4th shot.

Created on 09/08/2026

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