Malphite excels at whatever task you assign him: fighter or tank, jungle or solo top, it doesn't matter. He just kills stuff. Or makes it so that other people kill stuff and he gets an assist. It just works. Malphite has it all: a passive health shield, a spell that gives him armor, damage, tankiness, etc.

This build is a semi-standard tank build. Double GP10 early and held till late, Warmog's Armor, Force of Nature, Sunfire Aegis. It's pretty standard. Please note that these items are actually situational for the most part, but the Sunfire Aegis and Force of Nature are must-haves, as well as the opening double GP10.

I prefer these runes particularly for the early game buffs. During the middle and late game, you are tanky enough without runes. Feel free to change these as you see fit, but these runes give:
Health
Armor
Magic Resist
Health Regeneration

I choose 0-29-1 for Masteries simply for the pure defense. The point in the Utility tree is for the improved Summoner Spells, and can be changed as seen fit. Also, the Summoner Spells themselves can be changed.

I take:
Clarity for the extra mana sustain for long periods of harass. (I will get to this.)
and
Teleport because Malphite is not exactly fast without boots.
However, I can understand people using the following Summoner Spells:
Flash, although I don't particularly like this with Malphite's spells.
Cleanse
Heal
and
Promote, even though I do not like this because it pushes the lane.

This build is for solo top, but it can be played bot with a lane partner or in middle lane as needed. The power in this lies in the early tankiness and insane amounts of health regen early. You should not need to go back at all once you pass level 3 until ganks become almost constant.
Open with a Regrowth Pendant simply for the extra health regeneration. You will be slow, but the early regen is nice and you can spam your Seismic Shard if absolutely necessary. When you go back, pick up a Philosopher's Stone and a Heart of Gold to create a large difference in gold. Then proceed to pick up whatever boots you feel comfortable with. This includes Ninja Tabi, Mercury's Treads, Boots of Swiftness, or even Mobility Boots depending on your play style and your opponents.

These are your middle game items and the core of your build. If you feel comfortable without the Warmog's Armor, you may skip this step and proceed to the Force of Nature, picking up a second Regrowth Pendant to substitute for the missing Warmog's Armor. Proceed with the build as usual and substitute as you see fit.

You are tanky. You are fat. Finish the build and make sure to initiate every teamfight. If you are not initiating and they are initiating on you, use your ult when they are bunched up just after initiation. (Trust me, it happens a lot more than you would think.) Look for tight groups of 3 or more enemies, particularly their carries, and initiate on them. Other than that, just be a huge hunk of rock that gets in the way of everything. Don't be afraid to die in teamfights. (Your Sunfire Aegis will pick up the assists for you.) Go have fun with it.

Believe it or not, you are very painful early on. If you built damage, your damage output could be incredible. However, you are building to tank, so it falls to **** late except for your Seismic Shard and Unstoppable Force.
The reason I take Clarity is for mana sustain. With Malphite solo top, your goal is to harass your opponent off of the minions using your Seismic Shard. (Usually I end up spamming this.) If they are based on damage output ( Akali, Xin Zhao, Riven, etc.), they will eventually become frustrated and attempt to stake their claim to the minions by initiating on you. That is their mistake. FIGHT. Do not run. STAND AND FIGHT. So long as you already have some damage to their health done, you will most likely win the fight. If not, back out and do whatever possible to avoid dying. Eventually it will become more in your favor.
Your entire job is to deny their solo top farm while farming yourself. If done right, their solo top becomes a nonfactor in teamfights and you (although your team will not say so) win your team the game.

Eventually you will be ganked by the enemy jungle. Back out and turret hug. You cannot fight both people at once unless one is almost dead.
In order to discourage ganking, ward the river and, depending on ELO and whether or not the game is ranked, the bush behind your turret. Also, do not push past halfway more than necessary. Only last hit the minions, or autoattack if your opponent pushes the lane. For those in higher ranks, you know the drill.

• Feel free to upvote (or downvote) my guide as you see fit.
• Leave your comments
• Tell me your variations on this build
• Point out mistakes that I may have made in the guide
• Random miscellaneous stuff that I probably forgot in this guide

15 May 2012 - Build created
27 May 2012 - Second build added per suggestions of comments