Hey , welcome to my first guide - Im gonna try and help you improve your malzahar.


So , Malz , a champion that has been considered kind oud out classed in the last few months, right now one of the least played aps , especially in ranked. In this guide i'll show you the best way i know how to play malz.(skill level 1600-1700 ish elo)


>>>Please keep in mind this guide is still a working process!>>>

Marks- magic pen is best in slot for any ap , not really much explaining to do about these
Seals- mana regen , definately , the other good options for seals really dont suit a mid champion , you could do armor , but thatd be totally useless to you in lane except for ganks from ad champions or minion damage , mana regen really benefits you more.
Glyphs-Your best choices are cooldown reduction or ap , both per level, i really prefer cooldown reduction , since your not quite maxxed with just blue.
Quints- Flat ap is cookie cutter , just very good , but you some other good options are health and movement speed, this comes down to personal preference like it usually does with quints

Definitely 21/0/9 , some people prefer utility , but im a massive fan of the new offensive masteries. i personally take minion damage over flat ap , the flat ap on that mastery is really **** , minion damage might save some of your CS for the rest the choices are pretty straightforward

Starting item - i really always start boots in mid , not only gives it mobility to harass , last hit , and dodge abilities. also it lets you get the health potions that you need.You can start dorans against champions that dont have anything that that you need to dodge, but it makes you vulnerable against ganks

Build - You have a few choices on malz :
Tripple dorans into rabadons: Standard on a lot of aps - this makes your early-mid game very dangerous, also gives you amazing regen , a very solid choice
Rod of ages into rabadons ( order as you can see above) this is choice is a bit more safe , gives you a nice amount of health and mana , the catalyst gives you very nice lane sustain.
WoTa into rabadons: This build is situational , i build this when we have a poke team and i need the sustain to keep going. (FE Nidalee , malz , trundle ,corki ,gp,etc)

After this the build is usually about the same , most of the time i build void staff after rabadons , but if they dont have any mr what so ever you can build rylais before you build void staff

After void staff if i went rod of ages or WoTa my prefered item is banshees , good mr , health , and mana and helps you when you ult so you dont get interrupted as fast.
If you went tripple dorans into rabadons , however , start selling you dorans and build zhonyas and then banshees because you'll need the ap first.

Maxing e first is mandatory on malz , its your main damage source on single targets , and very important in lane. The most common dilemma however, is maxing Q or W after.

Well , theres no straight up awnser , its really situational.

I usually max W first myself , it gives you the most straight up damage output. Maxing Q however , is a solid choice if you want more poke and improve the silence against other aps , but unless your mainly poking , just max your w.

The following summoner spells are viable on malz

Flash: Always a solid pick for a carry , i pick this on all my mid champions because position is essential , you need this in teamfights when the enemy asassin gets to you , you need this to do tricks like flash ult , you need this to dodge projectiles and cc.

Ignite: Really straightforward really , just so essential for ap carrys cause you need the killing power that it gives you , especially in lane

Ghost: Ive been liking this spell more and more , but its not what i usually pick on malzahar, i think this is a better summoner for melee champions that need it to stick to the enemys.

Exhaust:Do NOT pick this summoner if your mid , the only time this summoner is remotely viable on malz is if your soloing top against an ad and you really need another exhaust on your team.

Teleport:Another choice that i really wouldnt take for mid , its a solid summoner on solo top however.It lets the top player get all over the map and help with dragon control and early team fights so much better.

Cleanse:Been lovin' this summoner lately.Very solid with the recent change , it's almost back to its former glory. Pick this if the enemy has a huge amount of cc , some of which you cant avoid. Otherwise , just go for ignite!

Malz is really a pushing champion , its what he does , it makes him more vulnerable to ganks, i know, but its really what malz is designed to do , harass with your dot by putting it on minions and then killing them , making it jump over to the enemy mid player , otherwise just make sure you miss the least amount of CS possible , dont get overagressive before lvl 6.

When you hit lvl 6 is when your a huge threat. The enemy ap knows this. After a few games on malz you'll have as feeling for how much damage your combo does. Go for kills , play agressive , but not OVERagressive. Make sure you ward!

Also , your an excellent pusher champion , but this is not your only strength. A major part of doing your job as an ap mid is roaming top and bot lane to gank! Your ult is an amazing ganking tool , once you get it off on one of the laners they're as good as dead. Utilize this , be a team player!

At this point you'll allready be playing a lot more as a team , keep dragon and ward controll. keep ganking and keep pushing. Use your ult to catch people once you have one of them down you can push the lanes.Also make sure you get your jungler to give you the blue buff!

Late game: Right. Late game is allways the hardest.Play VERY safe , if you get caught at this point , it'll have horrible consequences.At this point , your null zone damage is freaking amazing, if somebody walks into it , and you ult them inside if it , odds are they're dead. Try to catch people with flash ult.

Team fights:You either have the choice the save your ult , on blow it on whoever you can catch , the best choice really varies. You can't always save it for the carries. If you have an asassin jump you , combo and ult them , your null zone will shred even bruisers/tanks. Make sure you communicate with the rest of your team. Remember: positioning is everything!!

This was my malzahar 101 guide. I hope this will help you out , if you have any tips, questions , or constructive criticism, Please feel free to leave a comment or send a message , Keep in mind : this guide is a working process!

Also , i apologize for my English , i know its not quite flawless
(Credit to DR cake for helping out with spelling ,ya cheap ****!:P)