Diamond Jungle Malzahar - The Void's Legion [26.15]
Build Guide By Aqua Dragon
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326
46
3,409,440
Views
387
Comments
Malzahar Build Guide By Aqua Dragon
3,409,440
Views
387
Comments
Malzahar Build Guide By Aqua Dragon
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Recommended Items
Runes:
Inspiration
Sorcery
+8 Ability Haste
+2.5% Movement Speed
+10-180 Bonus Health
Spells:
Flash
Smite
Items
Ability Order
Void Shift (PASSIVE)
Malzahar Passive Ability
Threats & Synergies
Threats
Synergies
Extreme
Major
Even
Minor
Tiny
Show All
None
Low
Ok
Strong
Ideal
Extreme Threats
Ideal Synergies
Jarvan IV
Jarvan is particularly nasty, able to throw out all of their lockdown before the Silence or Suppression can usually stop them. They also have very early gank pressure combined with enough burst to annihilate any Malz without some armor items.
Cho'Gath
A prophet and a monster. Malz Silence -> Rupture -> Suppression -> Cho Silence is enough guaranteed CC to kill any lane opponent, not to mention easy to combo into each other.
Synergies
Ideal
Strong
Ok
Low
None
Cho'Gath
A prophet and a monster. Malz Silence -> Rupture -> Suppression -> Cho Silence is enough guaranteed CC to kill any lane opponent, not to mention easy to combo into each other.
Champion Build Guide
Hi! I'm Aqua Dragon. I've hovered around Diamond and Master while playing off-meta builds for multiple seasons. In the early seasons, I was an AD Jungle Malzahar main.
I also play:
Also, check out these off-meta creations by community members!
-
Support Kayle by Kalakaua
-
Support Sion by Apos
Jung-ling
Malzahar Jungle conjures an innumerable swarm of Voidlings to tank and kill monsters. This makes Malzahar Jungle particularly adept at fighting for objectives! And beyond the Voidlings, Malzahar's teamfight impact is salient: silences, slows, skillshot-blocks, vision scouting, a suppress, and several different ways to support the team through items. Even without a high income, this utility-focused build can shut down fed carries, or at least annoy them to death.
Unfortunately, to do this, Malzahar Jungle cannot reliably build raw damage. It is not uncommon to have the lowest damage dealt to champions in the game despite the enormous damage dealt to objectives. Even after ample testing with damage keystones,
Sorcerer's Shoes, Liandry's Torment, Void Staff, and several other AP iterations, I was not able to deal respectable damage. There simply is not enough gold in the jungle to ramp up quickly while staying objective-focused.Fortunately, the camp-clear difference is not significant whether building AP or utility. Since the damage falls off a cliff anyway, the build spends its gold on haste, slows, protection, and other utility that remains useful.
Slow, Protect, Silence
Malzahar Jungle has access to different viable paths to choose from based on the kinds of opponents in the game.
The Slow Path is the most generic path. Many champions become much worse when they cannot stay in range, especially tanks, juggernauts, and fighters who need to remain close to accomplish anything.
The Protect Path is better for longer fights.
Diadem of Songs activates from Malzahar's ambient damage, and its heal activates Echoes of Helia. The rest of the Protect items can be chosen around the allies who need to survive and the enemies trying to kill them.The Silence Path is the most situational path. Some champions are nearly stunned by a two-second
Call of the Void silence, including Katarina, Samira, Kassadin, and other champions whose kits collapse when they cannot access their resets or escapes.All three paths preserve the same core identity: take objectives, disrupt fights, and build for the job the team actually needs.
✔ Pros
- Powerful objective taker; Voidlings tank very well.
- Nether Grasp makes ganking as easy as pressing R.
- Amazing build versatility allows teching into almost any composition.
- Can clear camps quickly without prioritizing damage.
- Call of the Void provides a two-second AOE silence.
✘ Cons
- Must become adept at using Unsealed Spellbook.
- Weak ganker until level 6.
- Overexerting mana can limit jungling speed.
- Susceptible to multiple divers.
- Quicksilver Sash starts limiting ult targets.
- Cannot reliably become a damage carry.
Customizlings
The rune page is built around utility, mana, and the versatility of
Unsealed Spellbook. Damage runes were tested, but they did not solve Jungle Malzahar's lack of damage income. Spellbook provides handy tools from the beginning of the game to the end.
Inspiration Primary
Unsealed SpellbookUnsealed Spellbook is always versatile and impactful, befitting a high-utility jungler like Malzahar.
Magical FootwearMagical Footwear is difficult to go wrong with. Once the free boots arrive, complete Ionian Boots of Lucidity as soon as possible.
Biscuit DeliveryBiscuit Delivery is the least bad option. The alternatives are somehow even more worthless as a jungler.
Jack of All TradesI actually like Cosmic Insight and think it's always good, but Jack of All Trades turns the build's weird mishmash of stats into one more advantage.
Using Unsealed Spellbook
The Smite Exception
Normally, using a swapped spell creates a brief lockout before the original spell returns. Smite is different: Malzahar can use the swapped summoner, and Smite is still immediately available for objectives—no lockout!
Normally, using a swapped spell creates a brief lockout before the original spell returns. Smite is different: Malzahar can use the swapped summoner, and Smite is still immediately available for objectives—no lockout!
Sorcery Secondary
TranscendenceTranscendence matches the goal of maximizing utility and is the largest reason for going Sorcery secondary.
Manaflow BandNimbus Cloak is tempting, but Manaflow Band keeps every branch functional without demanding a mana item.
Shards
Ability Haste, Movement Speed, and Scaling HealthTake haste for utility, movement speed for tempo, and scaling health because the jungle reaches its useful levels quickly.
Why Not Sorcery Primary?
The other trees contain several runes that look much better on the selection screen than they felt in actual games.
Stormraider's Surge could not be activated at useful moments reliably. Summon Aery and Arcane Comet barely added damage while Malzahar spent so much time in the jungle. Arcane Comet made the ult burst a little larger, but not enough to change kills. All they do is make Malzahar's damage output go from "last place" to "slightly less last place."
Manaflow Band and Transcendence are the two Sorcery runes Malzahar genuinely desires. The rest are merely fine. We have a name for a rune tree with two desirable runes and mediocre keystones: Secondary Tree.
Why Not Domination?
Electrocute and Dark Harvest promise stronger all-ins, especially beside damage-focused minor runes and Ultimate Hunter. Testing found the burst acceptable early, then rapidly irrelevant because Jungle Malzahar cannot keep purchasing damage.In mid- and late-game fights, the damaging runes also get spread across too many targets to do anything meaningful because Malzahar rarely gets the luxury of bursting down one target. The Domination tree is too burst-focused to appeal to utility-minded Malzahar.
A Void Order
Early Skill Order
Level 1
Q
Q
→
Level 2
W
W
→
Level 3
Q
Q
→
Level 4
E
E
Call of the Void deals more clear DPS than Malefic Visions at level 3, so take the second Q rank before unlocking E.
Max Order
Q
﹥
E
﹥
W
Max
Call of the Void (Q) first because the silence scales with rank.Max
Malefic Visions (E) second because it always adds more damage per rank than Void Swarm (W).Void Swarm has the worst rank up in the game. Every rank adds two Voidling damage. Two. Two extra Voidling damage per rank up is an insult.
(it's so bad, it makes me sad...)
Malzabilites
P - Void Shift
Malzahar periodically gains a shield that negates one harmful effect.
Malzahar periodically gains a shield that negates one harmful effect.
The cooldown restarts whenever Malzahar is hit by a harmful effect. Minion damage does not consume it, but monster damage does consume it.
While the passive is active, Malzahar can eat Honeyfruit without being slowed.
It is not technically a spell shield. A spell shield would cancel Lee Sin's
Sonic Wave outright. Void Shift blocks the initial damage, but the mark can remain.The cooldown falls substantially with Malzahar's level.
Q - Call of the Void
After a short delay, two portals form a damaging line that silences enemies caught inside.
After a short delay, two portals form a damaging line that silences enemies caught inside.
The silence duration scales with rank, eventually reaching 2 seconds of silence per cast!
Q provides vision, but the vision strip is thinner than the spell itself. Aim carefully when checking a bush or corner.
Silenced targets are unable to use summoner spells except
Smite. Silence is practically hard crowd control against some champions, though it is not nearly as impactful against others.The range, area, and lingering hitbox are all more generous than they look. Use them.
It also refreshes
Malefic Visions!
W - Void Swarm
Summon a Voidling, plus another for each Gathering Swarm stack. Casting spells builds up to two stacks.
Summon a Voidling, plus another for each Gathering Swarm stack. Casting spells builds up to two stacks.
Voidlings contain enough strange behavior to deserve their own chapter. Their targeting, aggro, and item interactions are covered in Understanding Voidlings.
Several thin walls allow a Voidling to be summoned across them. The most useful examples are the thin walls beside Blue and Red Buff.
Voidlings have a brief delay before they become interactable. Thus, while possible to block projectiles with Voidlings, it requires a preemptive summon.
They deal 50% damage to Epic monsters.
E - Malefic Visions
Afflict a target with damage over time. When it dies, the visions bounce to a nearby enemy. Q, R, and each bounce refresh the duration.
Afflict a target with damage over time. When it dies, the visions bounce to a nearby enemy. Q, R, and each bounce refresh the duration.
During early clears, Malzahar does not cast E often. It is mainly used to build Swarm stacks, direct Voidlings, bounce through Raptors or Krugs, or push a minion wave.
Each bounce returns a little mana. Voidlings deal 200% damage to afflicted minions (not monsters!!), and Malefic Visions executes minions with tiny amounts of HP remaining.
In champion fights, E becomes much more valuable for targeting Voidlings and maintaining various item effects like
Rylai's Crystal Scepter or Diadem of Songs.
R - Nether Grasp
Channel void energy to suppress one target. Moving or casting cancels the channel early.
Channel void energy to suppress one target. Moving or casting cancels the channel early.
Suppression is one of the strongest crowd control types in the game. Suppressed targets can't do anything, not even Smite!
Against engage champions such as Zac, click R before they enter range. Malzahar will cast the moment they get close.
The spell interrupts movement already in progress, making it excellent for stopping dashes, blast-cone jumps, and engages. It also grants vision during the channel.
Though the beam and its Max-HP% damaging Null Zone deal some damage, it's mostly ambient without lots of AP. Don't be afraid to let go if it will let you get away.
When an enemy is particularly fed, keep an eye on their inventory to see if they bought
Quicksilver Sash. If not, they will learn the price of tax evasion.
Null Set
Create Item Set
Ward the other side of the jungle before starting Blue.
Gustwalker is the preferred Smite pet, useful for dancing around fights.
↓
Swap to Oracle Lens on the first recall.
Finish Lucidity Boots as soon as
Magical Footwear allows it.
↓
Choose one primary path depending on the opponents in the game.
Choose one primary path depending on the opponents in the game.
Slow
Slow is the most generic path. It is especially useful against tanks, juggernauts, and fighters who need to stay in melee range.
Malzahar litters the battlefield with spells that rapidly apply slows to multiple targets. It is good for peeling, chasing, confirming, backscratching; useful in any situation where ample slows matter, which is most.
Frozen Heart double-dips against physical melee champions. Rylai's makes reaching the team harder, then Frozen Heart makes attacking slower once they arrive. Choose it when the dangerous enemies need to stay close and attack repeatedly.
Bandlepipes stays active as long as Rylai's is slowing an enemy, which is basically always due to Malzahar's ambient damage. Choose it when you have Rylai's and the team has many autoattackers.
Shurelya's adds engage power when the team needs help starting fights. Speeding up is basically reverse slowing anyway, right? Generically useful after Rylai's.
Straightforward. Grievous Wounds. Slow down the enemy healing. That's a kind of slowing... right?
Protect
Protect is more situational than Slow and is best when fights last long enough for repeated healing to matter.
Despite the awful wording, Diadem activates from Malzahar's ambient damage, and its heal then activates Echoes of Helia. This two-item core can produce thousands of healing in longer fights; I've sometimes exceeded 10,000 over the course of a game.
Echoes of Helia. This two-item core can produce thousands of healing in longer fights; I've sometimes exceeded 10,000 over the course of a game.
Redemption synergizes with the Diadem-Helia core and is hard to go wrong with, unless you mistime it (not that I'd know...). Generically useful in the Protect path.
Staff of Flowing Water turns the repeated healing into extra offensive value for spellcasting allies. Choose it when allies worth protecting can make good use of the stats.
Locket is excellent at blunting large AOE ultimates and preventing reset champions from starting a chain. Somewhat situational; choose it when absorbing the enemy's burst window can halt an engage or reset chain.
Mikael's Blessing protects the ally whose death would come from one cleansable disable rather than raw damage. Very situational; choose it when you have a super-fed carry and the enemy has a telegraphed hard CC to cleanse.
Silence
Silence is the most situational path and is reserved for champions who are nearly stunned by the full two-second Q silence. Some champions like Katarina, Samira, and Kassadin are walking dead weight without their spells.
Redemption provides plenty of ability haste and remains generically useful, including when cast from the jungle into a nearby fight. A good generic choice for ability haste and broad team utility.
Shurelya's Battlesong is another generically useful source of ability haste, though its active tends to shine more in mid- and late-game fights. A second generic pickup for ability haste, especially later in the game.
Horizon Focus offers haste and long-range vision, helping expose artillery champions, flankers, and ambush threats. Choose it when scouting the target is as important as silencing them.
Cosmic Drive provides one of the largest haste packages available while helping Malzahar stay in range for repeated Q casts. Choose it for later fights when survival starts getting harder.
Bloodletter's Curse is easy for Malzahar to stack through ambient damage despite his own low damage output. Choose it when the team has significant magic damage to amplify besides Malzahar's own.
Not Recommended
Malzahar Jungle is not a damage carry.
I've tried various iterations: with Comet, with Sorcs, with Liandry's, with Void Staff. There just is not enough gold in the jungle to ramp up in damage in a meaningfully fast way, especially while trying to remain objective-focused.
Blackfire Torch was the most promising because it added jungle damage, but even that did not add enough DPS to justify the cost.The path to maximizing damage is largely mutually exclusive with maximizing utility, since the damage options do not provide much Ability Haste and are expensive when they do. The camp-clear difference is not that significant whether building AP or utility.
I tried a multitude of test matches. Unless atrociously fed, in which case almost anything will work, the damage builds still dealt relatively little damage to enemy champions over extended games. In many cases, the supports dealt as much damage as a fully damage-built Malzahar Jungle.
The Lings of War
Fun Voidling Facts!
- Voidlings always die in one hit to tower shots and champion autoattacks.
- Malefic Visions makes Voidlings deal 200% damage to minions (not monsters!!)
- Voidlings deal 50% damage to Epic monsters.
- Malzahar gains experience from any targets Voidlings kill, regardless of distance.
- Every rank-up increases their damage by a pitiful, terrible two.
- Every second rank-up, their duration increases by one second (8/8/9/9/10).
Voidling Targeting Priority
Voidlings are normally bloodthirsty, adorable, and mindless, aggroing anything close by, regardless of whether the target can see them or whether the camp has been aggroed (even when you're trying to hide in a bush...) They chase until the target escapes their range or a closer target appears.
However, Malzahar can exert some control over what they target.
1.
Targets hit by Nether Grasp.
Nether Grasp.
2.
The nearest Malefic Visions on a champion.
Malefic Visions on a champion.
3.
The nearest Malefic Visions on a minion.
Malefic Visions on a minion.
4.
The nearest enemy beside the Voidlings.
Voidlings will not chase targets they cannot see or that they lose vision of through stealth or brush. When they are not chasing or attacking anything, they waddle closer to Malzahar.
Ling-ering Effects
Voidlings have a weird mix of effects they do and do not apply.
Voidlings Proc on Each Hit...
- Diadem of Songs; the resulting heal then activates Echoes of Helia.
- Manaflow Band's mana bonus.
- Rylai's Crystal Scepter and Serylda's Grudge's slows.
- Cosmic Drive's speed boost.
- Morellonomicon's Grievous Wounds.
- Luden's Echo, Blackfire Torch, and Liandry's Torment.
- Arcane Comet's meteor asteroid thing.
- Scorch's damage proc.
- Dark Harvest procs.
- Taste of Blood's heal.
- Riftmaker's stacks.
- Mark of the Elder Dragon's burn damage.
Voidlings Proc Once per Void Swarm...
Not per Voidling!
- World Atlas's gold passive.
- Tear of the Goddess stacks.
- Stormraider's Surge stacks.
- Electrocute stacks.
- Eclipse stacks.
Voidlings Do Not Proc...
- Horizon Focus's vision or damage amplification.
- Conqueror stacks.
- Spear of Shojin's damage-amplification stacks.
- Ravenous Hydra's AOE effect.
- Black Cleaver, because Voidlings deal magical damage.
- On-hit effects such as Nashor's Tooth, Wit's End, and Lich Bane.
The Path Is Clear
The First Clear
1
Kill Blue Sentinel with Smite.
Blue Sentinel with Smite.
2
Clear
Gromp,
Wolves, and
Raptors.
Gromp,
Wolves, and
Raptors.
3
Kill
Red Brambleback.
Red Brambleback.
4
Take the dragon-pit Rift Scuttler. Only Smite if needed.
Rift Scuttler. Only Smite if needed.
5
Finish on
Krugs, with Smite if able.
Krugs, with Smite if able.The route approaches the dragon-side Scuttler after the main clear. Use
Call of the Void's range to contest safely, but do not force the fight when the map does not support it.The first Biscuit can usually be eaten immediately. It is better to be topped off with the extra maximum health in case of an invade than to save it while waiting for a perfect moment.
Keeping Swarm When Camping
1.
Start a camp by casting Call of the Void at mid range.
Call of the Void at mid range.
2.
Hit every monster with every Call of the Void cast.
3.
Keep autoattacking the large monster.
4.
Position the Voidlings to swarm the large monster.
5.
Avoid Malefic Visions on most early camps. Raptors and Krugs are worthwhile because of the bouncing.
Malefic Visions on most early camps. Raptors and Krugs are worthwhile because of the bouncing.If the enemies attempt a level-one steal, use the excessive range of Q to whittle them down and force them away. If the team has abandoned the jungle, take the loss and go to the other side instead.
Malzawar on Objectives
After the first clear, use this order of priorities rather than forcing a fixed script:
1.
Grab Oracle Lens and a Control Ward, head over to the Dragon when it spawns, and kill it! (45 seconds).
Oracle Lens and a Control Ward, head over to the Dragon when it spawns, and kill it! (45 seconds).
If you only smited twice during the first clear, you will have two Smites for dragon!
Immediately use one on the dragon, and the second will be ready shortly.
Immediately use one on the dragon, and the second will be ready shortly.
2.
Farm toward level 6 and look for a useful gank.
3.
Prepare to contest Voidgrubs when the lanes and map position make it realistic.
Voidgrubs when the lanes and map position make it realistic.Malzahar's win condition is killing objectives relentlessly, but being relentless does not require starting every objective regardless of the map.
Ganks for the Memories
Ganking before level 6 is tricky. Without Red Buff, it is often not worth the time unless the enemy is badly extended or the lane supplies reliable crowd control.
- Enter with Void Shift and two Swarm stacks whenever possible.
- Call of the Void disables Flash while the target is silenced.
- Q reveals the part of a bush it crosses.
- The range is much longer than it looks.
- Voidlings stop chasing targets they cannot see.
- Malefic Visions directs the Voidlings toward the champion.
Keep all this in mind and an early gank can work. Still, be wary of spending so much time trying to gank that the objective timing disappears. The question to ask is: "If I gank now, what objectives can I get out of it?" If the answer is none, consider whether the resources (especially
Flash) are worth saving for later.
Suppressing Your Luck
Ganking with
Nether Grasp is much easier, but pressing R instantly is not always the best sequence.- Don't just suppress immediately. Silence first, suppress right after. A silence can often be followed by an ult, but not vice versa.
- If an ally adds reliable crowd control during the channel, release R early and prepare the next Q.
- Voidlings prioritize the suppressed target above everything else.
- Q and R both refresh Malefic Visions.
- E is only rank one. Silencing takes priority.
- Malzahar is an excellent counterganker. Anticipate rather than arrive late.
Ghost from Spellbook makes the approach much easier, especially if you lob a Control Ward on the way.It is tempting to gank nonstop once the ultimate is available, but that is not Malzahar's win condition. Kills are the method used to secure objectives. Ideally, use the ultimate when there is something meaningful to secure immediately afterward.
Staying Objective
It is pretty normal for me to play a Malzahar Jungle match and say, "Okay, I finally can jungle again for the first time in 10 minutes."
If you are not taking an objective, you should be preparing to take an objective. Clear vision, protect the approach, create lane priority, remove the enemy jungler, or farm toward the spell and item that will make the next contest possible. There should be very little meaningless downtime.
Sometimes the lane state, enemy position, or lack of nearby teammates makes an objective impossible. Be willing to delay the start or abandon the attempt rather than dying for it.
Grubby Hands
Grubs reward arriving prepared, not abandoning the first clear to stand beside an empty pit. Farm toward level 6, track which lanes can move, then approach with enough time to clear vision and scout the entrances.
Before entering, tap one Grub with an attack and let them form a line. This makes it much easier for every
Call of the Void to hit every Grub.Q can scout and harass through the entrances while a
Control Ward secures the most dangerous approach. If the enemy arrives with more players, do not be greedy and die needlessly. Concede the Grubs and move on; there will be more opportunities for objectives later.
Dragon and On and On
Voidlings can tank Dragon, making the attempt much less risky than it is for many other junglers. The kill is slow enough that Dragon should be genuinely free or properly covered.
Keep casting
Void Swarm instead of waiting forever for perfect stacks; the extra damage Malzahar takes while waiting is usually worse than the missing Voidling. Time Q to refresh Malefic Visions near the end of its duration, but do not delay the entire rotation chasing a flawless reset.Dragons later in the match are a more nuanced affair. The ability to take them is highly dependent on how many of your teammates are available to contest it near the pit. Further, every dragon you kill adds a stacking Dragon Slayer debuff, making it harder to kill subsequent dragons. Fortunately, with
Nether Grasp, you're in a strong position to ambush a target with your allies to secure a numbers advantage.
The Rift Between Us
Rift Herald hits hard when a jungler is alone. Thankfully, Malzahar is never alone. Voidlings absorb attacks while Q and W provide most of the useful contribution.
Move into position to strike the eye whenever it opens. Start the encounter with
Call of the Void from outside the arena so Herald begins moving early, then keep casting Q for damage and Swarm stacks.Avoid spending mana on E unless the extra speed is actually decisive. Once Herald is low enough that securing it matters more than efficiency, empty the tank.
Also, be aware of just how much absurd distance you can cross with Eye of the Herald. I went into practice tool and found that the herald charge crosses about 40% of the whole map! That means you can hit the Tier 1 outer Mid turret all the way from your inhibitor!
Nashor You Can?
Baron shreds the defenses of the target it attacks. It sure is nice that loyal Voidlings keep volunteering for that job.
Malzahar's primary contribution to these objectives is not damage, but safety and zoning. Throw out your Q and W primarily, saving E only when speed is of the absolute essence. While your voidlings help tank the damage for your team, keep track of the enemy positions and your mana pool.
Remember that your Nether Grasp can outright prevent an enemy jungler from smiting. It is often wise to click R on them before they attempt to enter the pit, which will trigger R the instant they get into range.
The Stage is Set
Early
In the early game, the goals are to:
- Complete the Blue-start clear.
- Take Dragon when it is easy and free.
- Rush farm for level 6.
- Prepare to contest Grubs when the map supports it.
Objectives Are the Win Condition: Kills are cool and all, but the games where Malzahar secures the Dragons, Grubs, Heralds, and later major objectives are the games he is most likely to win. All thoughts should be focused on how to secure those objectives, often through securing a lane kill first.
Avoid Using Malefic Visions on Most Camps: Until later in the game,
Malefic Visions costs too much mana and deals too little damage to be worthwhile on most camps. Raptors and Krugs remain useful because of all the potential bouncing.Gank Wisely: Refer back to the Ganking section for the full details. The question to ask is: "If I gank now, what objectives can I get out of it?" If the answer is none, consider whether the time and summoners are worth saving for later.
Use Call of the Void to Scout: Many unscrupulous fellows will try to kill Malzahar in the jungle. Since
Call of the Void provides strong vision from long range, use it regularly to check bushes, corners, and objective approaches before walking into them.Unsealed Spellbook Has an Overwhelming Variety:
Ghost is the generic early swap. Clarity or Teleport can be better when either one directly helps set up or finish an objective in the near future.Cast Call of the Void While in the Fountain: As mana restores, it is the perfect chance to cast Q twice and prepare the Swarm. There is no reason to leave base without two stacks ready.
Ward, Then Sweep: Use the opening
Stealth Ward to protect the far side of the jungle, then swap to Oracle Lens on the first recall. Keep a Control Ward handy when preparing a real Dragon or Grub attempt.
Mid
As the laning phase ends, the raw utility in the build shines:
- Disrupt at critical moments.
- Keep objective vision under control.
- Stick with teammates who can convert the utility.
- Choose Slow, Protect, or Silence for the fights that need to be won.
Objectives Win Games: This is difficult to overstate. A kill is useful because it creates a Dragon, Herald, tower, Baron, or safer map—not because the scoreboard needed another number.
Focus on Picks and Peel: Malzahar Jungle effectively plays like a second support. Every spell should maximize disruption through silences, suppression, slows, healing, scouting, or a well-timed Voidling body block.
Silence, Then Suppress: It is often preferable to start with a silence instead of ulting immediately. A silence can always be followed into an ult, but not the other way around.
Preserve Void Shift Against Monsters: At this point, Voidlings can do almost all the tanking against camps. Avoid taking one pointless monster hit immediately before a gank or objective contest, or
Void Shift may not be ready when it matters.Let Voidlings Finish Off Monsters: Where possible, let the Voidlings clean up the camp while Malzahar moves onto more important things. Keep moving; there is no need to overkill monsters. This takes practice, and sometimes Gromp survives with one health. Not that I'd know...
Unsealed Spellbook Continues Its Usefulness:
Heal, Ghost, Barrier, and Clarity are generically useful and can be swapped interchangeably. Teleport remains handy on standby. Exhaust can be excellent in a specific fight, while Ignite and Cleanse tend to be too situational.Smite Is Different: Malzahar can use a swapped summoner and then Smite immediately when an objective needs securing. Meanwhile, a suppressed enemy jungler cannot Smite at all. This is one of the things that makes Malzahar so good at securing objectives: he is in a fantastic position to win the Smite duel.
Choose the Right Utility: Slow the melee champions, Protect the fed ally, or prioritize Silence against champions whose kits collapse during Q. The build has several good answers; use the one the game is actually asking for.
Late
In the late game, it is more of the same, but better:
- Peel for the fed members of the team.
- Dance around the outskirts of teamfights.
- Cast a nonstop barrage of inhibiting spells.
- Save Flash-R for a play that wins an inhibitor, Baron, Dragon, or Nexus. Avoid spending it just to add one more kill.
More of the Same: Every pick and every death is more impactful now. Be on guard, stay near the teammates who matter, and adjust itemization to stay alive. Malzahar's utility is only useful while Malzahar is alive to cast it.
Stay on the Outskirts: Malzahar is not a frontliner and is not becoming a damage carry this late. Cast Q through as many targets as possible, peel divers away from the carries, and look for the suppression that ends the fight.
Do Not Be Afraid to Let Go of the Ult: It is on a relatively short cooldown, and survival is more important than the remaining damage. Let go early when danger arrives or when a teammate has already chained reliable hard crowd control.
Check Regularly for QSS: If the same carry has been suppressed a few times, inspect the inventory. It feels awful to ult someone only to suddenly be punched in the face anyway. QSS does not solve the silence nearly as cleanly, so
Call of the Void still has work to do.More Control Wards: Teammates may start running out of inventory space, but Malzahar often has room to carry vision for the decisive objective. Clear the flank, watch the approach, hold R for the enemy jungler, and light up the map like a Christmas tree.
Unsealed Spellbook Practically Replaces Smite: Outside the moment an objective needs securing, almost any useful teamfight summoner contributes more than saving Smite for a champion.
Heal, Ghost, Barrier, Clarity, and Teleport are all welcome. Be careful with Exhaust, because it cannot always be discarded on a whim.
Aqua Dragon
Malzahar Guide
Diamond Jungle Malzahar - The Void's Legion [26.15]
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