Malphite vs Malzahar TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Malzahar

Malphite vs Malzahar

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Prioritize surviving early pressure and avoid extended trades before armor stacks and cooldowns matter.
Maintain a stable lane state to preserve health and mana, aiming to threaten level 6 engage with (R).
This is a control vs teamfight matchup where Malphite must blunt magic damage and leverage (R) for decisive fights.

Trading pattern

Take low-risk poke or defensive trades when your passive shield is up and (R) is down.
Punish Malzahar's Voidlings with (E) to reduce his push and auto-attack pressure.
Avoid wasting mana on low-value (Q) poke; save resources for meaningful trades or all-ins after level 6.

Danger windows

Respect (R) suppression window at level 6; avoid stepping forward without backup or cooldowns.
Be cautious when your passive shield is down, as poke damage becomes more effective.
Avoid engaging without (R) available, as your threat level is significantly reduced.

Early game

Focus on farming safely and using measured (Q) poke to avoid mana waste.
Avoid overcommitting to trades before level 6 when (R) unlocks your main engage threat.
Use (E) to reduce Malzahar's auto-attack damage when he attempts short trades or poke.

Power spikes

At level 6, use (R) for guaranteed kill setups or objective fights rather than low-value poke follow-up.
After your first armor item, physical trades become easier; preserve mana and take safer trades.
Respect Malzahar's level 6 (R) suppression and first completed mana/AP item powerspike by avoiding forced trades.

Win conditions

Survive the early lane by using armor stacking and attack speed reduction to blunt Malzahar's poke.
Use (R) to create decisive teamfight engages or pick opportunities once level 6 is reached.
Maintain stable lane control to reach grouped mid-game fights where your engage can turn the tide.