League of Legends Malzahar Guide: Best Build, Runes, Items, Combos

Malzahar is one of the most reliable control mages in League of Legends, known for his incredible wave clear, oppressive lane presence, and game-changing suppression ultimate. Whether you’re looking to dominate mid lane or play a key role in teamfights, this guide will break down everything you need to know about Malzahar’s best build, runes, items, and deadly combos to keep your enemies silenced and helpless.

Malzahar Abilities Overview In League of Legends

Here’s a quick overview of Malzahar’s abilities in League of Legends:

Passive – Void Shift: After avoiding damage or crowd control for a few seconds, Malzahar gains a spell shield that blocks the next incoming ability or crowd control effect.

Q – Call of the Void: Malzahar opens two portals in a target area that deal magic damage and silence enemies hit. This is great for poking and interrupting enemy abilities.

W – Void Swarm: Summons Voidlings that target and attack enemies affected by Malzahar’s other abilities. They deal increased damage to targets affected by Malefic Visions.

E – Malefic Visions: A damage-over-time spell that spreads to nearby enemies if the target dies while under its effect. This is Malzahar’s core farming and poking tool.

R – Nether Grasp: A single-target suppression ultimate that locks down an enemy champion, dealing heavy damage over time. It’s perfect for picks and teamfight initiation when paired with his Voidlings.

How To Play Malzahar In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells For Malzahar

The best summoner spells for Malzahar are Flash and Teleport. Flash is essential for positioning, escaping ganks, or setting up your ultimate (Nether Grasp) safely. Teleport helps you control the map, return to lane quickly after a recall, and assist with objectives or teamfights. If you’re in lower elos or facing heavy all-ins, you can swap Teleport for Barrier or Heal for extra safety, but Flash is non-negotiable on Malzahar.

Best Runes For Malzahar

The best runes for Malzahar in League of Legends are from the Sorcery primary tree with a Domination secondary. Take Arcane Comet for consistent poke with your E + Q combo, followed by Manaflow Band, Transcendence, and Scorch to boost mana regen, cooldowns, and poke damage. For your secondary runes, go Cheap Shot and Ultimate Hunter from the Domination tree to deal extra damage with your suppression and get your ultimate back faster. For stat shards, choose Ability Haste, Adaptive Force, and either Armor or Magic Resist depending on your lane matchup.

Best Build For Malzahar

The best build for Malzahar focuses on maximizing poke, wave clear, and reliable suppression. Start with Liandry’s Anguish for sustained burn damage, then go into Rylai’s Crystal Scepter to slow enemies and help control fights. Follow up with Demonic Embrace for more damage over time and tank shredding. Next, grab Zhonya’s Hourglass for survivability during teamfights, especially after ulting. Finish with Void Staff for magic penetration and Rabadon’s Deathcap if you need a huge AP spike. For boots, go with Sorcerer’s Shoes unless you need Mercury’s Treads or Plated Steelcaps situationally.

Best Combos To Learn For Malzahar

The best combos to learn for Malzahar revolve around spreading your damage-over-time effects and locking down enemies with your ultimate. A basic poke combo is E (Malefic Visions) → Q (Call of the Void) to spread your E and silence the target. For a full burst and lockdown, use R (Nether Grasp) → E → Q → W (Void Swarm) — start with your ultimate to suppress the enemy, then follow up with your DoT and silence while spawning Voidlings for extra damage. In lane, a great wave clear combo is E → W → Q, which spreads your damage and lets the Voidlings finish off minions. Always keep an eye on spreading E for maximum pressure.

Conclusion

Malzahar is a powerhouse when it comes to controlling lanes, clearing waves, and shutting down key targets with his suppressive ultimate. With the right runes, build, and combos, you can dominate mid lane and bring consistent utility and pressure to every fight. Whether you’re pushing for objectives or locking down enemy carries, mastering Malzahar’s kit makes you a serious threat on the Rift.