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(S4 Updated) Teemo Top Lane

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Malzahar General Guide by

(S4) Cheat Sheet on Malzahar

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Malzahar Build Guide By Updated on

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Choose Champion Build:

Malzahar vs. AD
Malzahar vs. AP

Spells:

Ignite

Flash

Items

Start

Core

Example full build

Ability Order

Malzahar Passive Ability

Introduction to the guide

This guide is pretty much just a quick cheat sheet to playing Malzahar as an AP mid laner.
If you wish to know what items to pick, what masteries and runes to choose, this is the guide for you; if you wish to know more about Malzahar in general, perhaps his gameplay and whatnot, you will have to turn to other guides.

Also; While many readers will fall into commenting about how under-detailed this guide is, I will read and answer to your opinions and then direct you back to the first part of this introduction. As I pointed out, this is a quick guide for those who already know basics about and only need help on finding the right way of playing him.

Itemization

Starting items

Possibly the strongest start for AP comes in the form of . The item adds up to you mana pool sustain with its regen and passive, and it also gives you a flat health bonus which is great because is squishy like most mid laners. If you're using flat AP quints x3, you will now have the damage of 2 s at the start, and the AP allows you to deal more damage with all of your abilities aswell as your AA's in certain matchups. The mana regen and passive in combination with your will allow you to take 2x s instead of taking a mana potion(s).

Sustains your mana
Grants another set of flat AP quints
You will benefit from the flat health bonus
You will have to sell this item later on
Grants no other defenses but health

The second best start for in general. This should be taken especially against skillshotters like or in order to avoid getting caught by either CC and/or high damage spells. Also offer a great deal to because of his low base movement speed (340). The should be taken instead of extra 2x s for a safer start because you can easily get ganked when an enemy laner decides he or she can't handle you alone, and asks for help.

Helps you dodge skillshots
Safer start
Will be built to an item later on
Offers no damage
Grants no defenses

This is the standard start for those going against an AD mid laner, most common examples possibly and . With this build you'll be rushing to protect yourself from the damage, and upgrade it later on. The s will keep you alive from their damage unless you get caught by a jungler which is dangerous with this start, as you will have low movement speed.

Grants defenses (armor)
Will be built to an item later on
Offers no damage

Core items

: Arguably best shoes for because he doesn't need CDR as much and the movement speed, while it's still low, will be enough in teamfights especially with boot enchantments.

: Offers quite the deal of health and mana after it's stacked, which is great for squishies like . Also, catalyst the protector already allows you to sustain your lane.

: Core item of any high scaling AP, allows you to raise your AP by a flat percentage, you should buy this after a couple other items as it scales better from more AP.

Pick it for the health bonus, this alongside with your other core items will keep you at high enough health to survive potential focus in teamfights.

Great item, especially since you're going to pick aswell. This item offers a nice deal of health and magic penetration.

Situational items

To counter heavy CC teams aswell as burst reliant champions, examples:
, , .

Great item against an assassin team or if you can't seem to do enough in teamfights. It revives you back to the fight for more output.

Great item against tanky champions, take this and use it right before your . The more health they have, the more damage you do.

Another great item against burst reliant champions. However do remember, casting its active will make you unable to take action, interrupting .

This is a great item if you need to protect yourself against another AP caster, while the is better for piercing resistances, take this instead if your team is AP heavy.

Great item for piercing enemy defenses, doesn't offer you any whatsoever, pick instead if you need it.

Rather great item for sustaining your mana pool. Get this if your team has little or no poke and you feel like you need to spam more spells in order to succeed.

Super strong item if you're able to snowball, it will constantly raise your AP when you get kills and assists. However, this item can lose its efficiency if you go on a death streak, so pick it carefully.

Runes

Precision

Fleet Footwork

Phase Rush

This is the most basic rune page of all, it allows you to have high early game defenses and damage, and it also offers a small amount of magic penetration to cover it all up.

Greater Mark of Magic Penetration: These offer some early game magic penetration. They're a great pick since most players even at lower elo games pick magic resistance glyphs against AP mid laners. These also help your late game magic penetration items such as Void Staff and Haunting Guise.
Greater Seal of Armor: Possibly the most used seals in the game, they offer you defenses in very early game against lane minions aswell as champion basic attacks as the game goes on. Even thought you might not need these on your lane, pick them because you will most likely not have armor items yet when the teamfights start.
Greater Glyph of Magic Resist: Flat MR allows you to stay in lane longer as you will block more damage from your opponent's spells. Can be replaced with scaling mr glyphs if you're against an AD laner.
Greater Quintessence of Ability Power: Also, very common caster quints as they offer you a second Doran's Ring on start. Pick these to boost up your early game damage aswell as your passive on Rabadon's Deathcap.

Masteries

Pretty decent runes for most casters, and as falls into the same category, he uses these aswell.
As these masteries are pretty self-explanatory just by looking at their description, we're not gonna go into more detailing. If you wish to look at more detailed mastery choices you might want to pick one of the other very great guides found on Mobafire.