Volibear vs Malzahar TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

Back to matchup selector

Champion

Opponent

RoleGenerate matchup

Volibear

VS

Top

Malzahar

Volibear vs Malzahar

Updated Jun 4, 2026

Overview

Use Volibear's high early lane pressure and durable brawling to deny Malzahar a passive lane and control tempo.
Prioritize forcing health leads and leveraging level 6 dive threat to snowball before Malzahar's scaling kicks in.

Trading pattern

Start trades with (Q) to close distance and stun, then position (E) to slow and shield yourself during brawls.
Commit to extended trades only if you can land the second (W) hit for healing and outlast Malzahar's poke.
Avoid trading when (Q) or (E) is missed, as Malzahar can disengage or punish your cooldown downtime.

Danger windows

Respect Malzahar's level 6 (R) suppression; avoid committing without (Q) ready to follow up or interrupt.
Be cautious when (Q) is on cooldown, as your engage and stun threat is significantly reduced.
Avoid extended trades if you miss (E) shield and slow, as Malzahar can kite and punish you effectively.

Early game

Aggressively contest early wave control to push Malzahar under tower and punish his vulnerable Voidlings.
Use (Q) to engage and force trades where you can land second (W) for healing and durability.
Avoid chasing when (Q) is on cooldown to prevent losing engage potential and sustain.

Power spikes

At level 3, use full ability combo (Q)(W)(E) to threaten complete brawls and force Malzahar to play cautiously.
At level 6, leverage (R) to dive and force Malzahar off the wave or under tower, threatening kills or recalls.
After your first bruiser or tank item, pressure trades and skirmishes confidently, using increased durability to absorb poke.

Win conditions

Snowball early lane pressure by forcing repeated (W) trades and securing health leads before level 6.
Use level 6 (R) to execute tower dives or force Malzahar off the wave, denying his scaling and map presence.
Transition leads into durable teamfights or side pressure, leveraging your tankiness and engage to control objectives.