Overview
If you want to make sure the enemy mid laner doesn’t get to play the lane phase, then look no further than Malzahar. He has a kit that provides one of the easiest and safest wave clearing prowess in the game, and at level 6 gains access to a point-and-click ultimate that locks an enemy in place. Click here for the latest data on his best builds, including Runes, Items, Summoner Spells, and more.
Keys to Remember About Malzahar
- You should be able to have perma-shove with Malzahar thanks to your ability to safely clear waves. Malzahar is one of the best picks in the game when it comes to negating the lane phase and not interacting with your opponent.
- Your ultimate essentially becomes a "kill this guy" button in the end game as your allies will jump on whoever you suppress -- you don't have to blow it at the beginning of the fight, though.
Strengths
He has extremely good wave clear, especially after even your first buy, and will be able to constantly shove in his wave and disappear from the map. This means you can lean towards where your jungler is playing so that you’re always first to any plays that may erupt in the river or around neutral objectives. Combine this with the passive shield and Malz is a super safe champion early in the game. At level 6, you’re also one of the premier champions at setting up a gank thanks to being able to suppress your target.
Weaknesses
While you can be the first to move towards the action, if you get caught out in space, it can be difficult for Malzahar to win the 1v1 -- after you use your ultimate, if you still haven’t killed your opponent, it’s can feel like you’re a bit of a sitting duck. This means you’re also susceptible to enemies who are able to all-in you -- good opponents will constantly poke at you to knock off the shield, which will make you play more passively because of your lack of mobility.
Game Plan
- Early Game: Play safe and look to clear waves -- you don’t have very high kill potential, but you can get some good chip damage off if your opponent isn’t careful around Malefic Visions. At level 6, you can look to make plays with your jungler.
- Mid Game: Malzahar isn’t great in side lanes because of his lack of 1v1 potential, but he’s still good enough at managing wave states. You can also look for plays with your ultimate at this stage in the game, but unless you Flash, you’re often going to need someone else to start the party for you.
- Late Game: You’re best served playing front-to-back here, and because your damage is a little lacking, your main value is going to be in who you use your ultimate on. Typically you want to hit someone that your ADC can help burst down, but any enemy carry gets too gungho, a good Flash + R can win you a fight.
