50.1%
Win Rate
Mid Lane · Control Mage
Malzahar Counters
Malzahar's suppression ultimate ignores mobility and projectile blocks entirely, making him one of the cleanest counters to dash-and-block-reliant duelists — mobile burst mages that close the gap before he can cast counter him back.
5.4%
Pick Rate
6.8%
Ban Rate
Low
Difficulty
Malzahar Overview
Malzahar is played across 1 roles, most commonly mid lane. Use the role links above to jump to role-specific counters — the data on this page reflects mid lane, his primary role.
How to Counter Malzahar — Step by Step
Rush him down fast rather than trying to dash or block your way out of his ultimate, and punish him hard before level 6.
Best Picks Against Malzahar
Ranked by win-rate difference in mid lane, Patch 14.14.
| Champion | Win Rate Diff | Games | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
 Pantheon | +2.1% | 460 | Point-blank stun punishes his lack of a hard escape. |
Computed by our stats engine from synthetic seed data, not live Riot match results — same aggregation pipeline that will process real match data once available. See our data methodology.
See the full Mid Lane counters breakdown, including worst matchups and lane-phase gold data →
Strong Against
| Champion | Why Aatrox Wins |
|---|---|
 Yasuo | Malefic Visions and his suppression ultimate can't be blocked by Wind Wall. |
 Yone | Suppression locks him down with no projectile block to save him. |
 Katarina | Suppression stops Death Lotus before it can even begin. |
 Ahri | Suppression lands regardless of her dash charges. |
 Zed | Suppression shuts him down before Death Mark can be used safely. |
Malzahar Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Nether Grasp ignores mobility and projectile blocks entirely
- Strong wave clear and poke from Malefic Visions
- Voidling summons provide extra late-game pressure
Weaknesses
- Almost no mobility or hard escape
- Very vulnerable once an enemy closes the distance
- Kill threat is heavily tied to his ultimate being available
Abilities Overview
P
Void Shift
Grants brief untargetability when hit by crowd control — a rare built-in defensive safety net.
Q
Call of the Void
A two-part skillshot that silences on the second hit — his core poke and lockdown tool.
W
Null Zone
A damage zone that ramps up the longer enemies stay inside it.
E
Malefic Visions
A damage-over-time spell that jumps to a new target on a takedown — his core wave clear and poke tool.
R
Nether Grasp
A channeled suppression that locks down a single target completely, ignoring mobility and projectile blocks — his signature lockdown ultimate.
Cross-check current tooltips on Riot’s official Malzahar page ↗ — abilities can change between patches.
Build, Runes & Setup
Best Items
Liandry's Torment
Amplifies his damage-over-time poke pattern
Rabadon's Deathcap
Scales his damage ceiling once ahead
Zhonya's Hourglass
Survives dives given his lack of a hard escape
Counter Items (for the enemy)
Quicksilver Sash
Removes an active Nether Grasp suppression
Mercury's Treads
Tenacity shortens his silence and other control effects
Runes & Skill Order
Primary: Sorcery (Arcane Comet) → Manaflow Band → Transcendence → Scorch. Secondary: Cheap Shot, Eyeball Collection. Max order: E → Q → W, taking R whenever available.
Playbook
Close the distance fast — he has almost no mobility and very little defense once an enemy reaches him.
Interrupt Malefic Visions' jump by killing the marked target quickly rather than letting it spread.
Punish him hard before level 6; his kill threat is heavily tied to his ultimate coming online.
Common Mistakes
Relying on a dash or projectile block to escape his ultimate — Nether Grasp ignores both.
Standing inside Null Zone longer than necessary as its damage ramps up.
Underestimating his poke-based wave clear when trying to freeze a lane against him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Malzahar?
Mobile burst mages like Diana and assassins who close the distance fast, since he has almost no defense once engaged directly.
Can you escape Malzahar's ultimate?
Not through mobility or a projectile block — Nether Grasp's suppression ignores both, so only cleanse-style effects or killing him mid-channel work.