Hello and welcome to a Malzahar guide, this is my very first guide but don't be afraid to criticize it or comment if you don't agree.

Malzahar is a high-damage mage character that's especially good 1v1, but has pretty good functionality in teamfights aswell.

Pros:
- Silence (always good mid)
- Very good farmer
- One of the best 1v1
- Good AoE
- Dangerous combo
- Good AP-ratio
- Always has much mana if played good
- Good at ganking

Cons:
- Squishy
- Bad escape-ability
- Easily focused

Call of the Void (Q)
Main use: Harrasing, farming and teamfight multi-silence.

Null Zone (W)
Main use: Combination with the ultimate and in teamfights.

Malefic Visions (E)
Main use: Farming and harrasing.

Nether Grasp (R)
Main use: Destroy your enemies!

I like to take a pretty standard mastery-tree, with mana reg, cooldown reduction, penetration and improved flash.
Flash is a good way to either escape or initiate fights, and could be used in combination with your ulti. Ignite is also good since it can be cast during your ulti to guarantee a kill.

Malzahar is a very strong farmer, especially with his Malefic Visions, so you will max it first. Depending on your enemies you can choose if you want max Call of teh Void or Null Zone second. If the enemy team have alot of squishy champions with low HP it's better to max Call o the Void. If they have alot of high-HP characters you will max Null Zone since it will deal damage based on maximum health. You will of course max Nether Grasp in levels 6, 11 and 16.

For runes i like the magic penetration marks just for the extra damage vs tanks or generaly anyone with magic resist. I choose Abiity Power Glyphs and Quints for the extra damage early game and the HP seals just for some better sustain.

I like starting with either a Doran's Ring or Boots depending on what champion i'll meet in lane , Malzahar is a great solo mid champion. If i meet and enemy with AoE spells like Brand or Swain I like to start with boots. If I meet a champ with targeting spells like Kassadin and Annie, I grab a Doran's Ring instead. After that I buy a Catalyst which will later build into a Rod of Ages, for good HP, mana and AP which will increase over time. When I have finished my Sorcerer's Shoes I then buy a Rabadon's Deathcap which is just great for any mage. After my Deathcap I like to get a Rylai's Crystal Scepter just because I love the slowing effect from it. When I have my Rylai's I have a pretty good amount of AP, so then I buy a Banshee's Veil for defense and mana. If the enemy team is doing more attack damage then magic damage I take Zhonya's Hourglass or Guardian Angel instead of Banshee's Veil. By this time, the game have went on for a while, meaning your enemies probably have bought abit of Magic Resist, meaning that you wont do as great damage to them as you could, so I like to buy a Void Staff as last item. If the enemy team has alot of tanky characters, you might consider to buy Void Staff before Banshee's/Zhonya's/Guardian Angel.

Malzahar is not doing that that much damage early game and is pretty squishy, so you should just farm using your E and Q mostly and dont play to aggressive since you probably wont kill your enemy alone before level 6. You shouldn't push too far either, if the enemy has a jugnler they could easy take you down unless you use your flash since Malzahar doesn't have any good escape-abilities and is quite weak before you got Rod of Ages. But Malzahar is a pretty easy champion to play if you do it right. He can farm pretty much an entire minion wave with his E combined with his passive, the littlle voidling. I usually do my Q to get the minions abit low, then E and basic attacks to make it kill and jump to a new minion.

I believe Malzahar is one of the best AP-carries mid-game unless you're very underfarmed or been killed a few times. When you got your ultimate there's hardly anyone that can defeat you in a 1v1-fight. Just try to hit your Q and E, then place your W and then yout ultimate while the enemy is standing in your W. This combo should melt down most of the common mid-champions (Brand, Karthus, Veigar...). It is when you have bought your Rabadon's you will start to do alot of damage, if you get it pretty quick you can pretty one-hit the minions with your Q and your E is doing incredibly much damage. A fed Malzahar can drop almost any champion from 100 to 0 with his full burst and ignite.

Malzahars late game is also pretty strong, his Q, which also silences enemies is pretty strong and great in teamfights and your W is at its best late-game, splitting your enemies unless they stay in it and by that take heavy damage. The best way to use your ultimate in a teamfight is when 2 or 3 enemies are dead, since it's easy to interrupt it when the entire team is alive.