8.23 to 8.24Yeah dark harvest kind of sucks right now unless its on select champs. Malphite is not one of those champs. Changed it back to electrocute.
8.22 to 8.23Changed electrocute to dark harvest and added the stats for runes. Electrocute is still really good, but dark harvest can really get the ball rolling and seal out those pesky kills.
8.21 to 8.22No changes.
8.20 to 8.21No big changes to anything in this guide, however after playing alot more AP malph recently, Ive noticed for some reason he is really strong right now and I dont know why. I think it is the hextech belt change(thanks SNOBOY). Also I believe dark seal + 3 pots is the stronger starter. I added in some more matchups vs champs.
As per SNOBOY's suggestionAdded hextechbelt to item list to replace hourglass.

TL:DRStay conservative in lane for most matchups before level 6. Then R + E + Q + W them. Try to avoid tanks with your combo, focus the backline.
BEFORE MATCH


Communication is very important when playing off-meta builds. You are very squishy so you should let your jungle or top to make sure to be a tank in case your teammates were expecting you to build tank/AP hybrid.

What is this guide?This malphite guide will go into how to play nuclear malphite. Aiming at taking your opponents from 100% to 0% in a matter of seconds. The build revolves around using his ult as frequently and effectively as possible.
About MeHello! This is my first guide, so I hope I am able to help someone with my advice. My summoner name is PuppyPooper and I have recently taken a liking to Malphite and his one-shot capabilities. I, as a player, have always liked the ability to take someone down to 0 health in a matter of seconds in any game, whether it be hearthstone, overwatch, or league. I am placed in Silver 3 mainly playing mid and top lane, almost exclusively mages. I very rarely stream, mainly because I don't think I am very good or entertaining, so when I do I will have it linked to this guide so you can better see what I mean with this guide.

Arcane Comet vs Electrocute Electrocute is arguably the better keystone solely because of the accessability of Ultimate Hunter. The burst is better than Arcane Comet's constant poke. It just relies more on being able to land the combo than before.
Sudden ImpactSudden impact surprisingly fits pretty well into AP malphite. The magic penetration is perfect for his ult, as it activates it AND benefits from it. Cheap Shot only activates when the target is either in the air or already affected by Seismic Shard, and it only does minuscule damage compared to a *scaled* magic penetration. Taste of Blood is not worth taking at all, we are looking for burst not sustain.
Eyeball Collection Eyeball Collection is the only rune here that adds AP to your build. The only other rune here that would be somewhat acceptable would be Zombie Ward. But, that really kills some of your burst.
Ultimate HunterThis rune is just too good to pass up. up to 15% CD reduction on malphite's ult is extremely valuable. The only reason I switched from sorcery to domination is this rune. The other runes in this row do practically nothing for AP malphite. A vital change from [ultimate hat] is that it no longer reduces cooldown based on how many times you use it, it is on how many unique kills you participate in. Meaning, you will have to roam to other lanes in order to get those stacks in, or else this rune really won't come in handy until team fights start taking place.
Presence of MindThis is a must have rune. It refunds 10% of your maximum ult CD on an assist or kill. That is more valuable than anything else. The other runes in this row aren't worth taking.
Coup de GraceCDG is a good rune for finishing off those champs at low health. Last Stand could also work if you let the laner poke you then gain your shield back to secure a kill.

FlashFlash is a summoner spell taken on almost all champs, it is good offensively and defenseivly.
IgniteIgnite is great on malphite to use after the combo if you are just too slow to follow them. It finishes off kills in the early game easily.
TeleportTeleport could be viable for staying in lane longer. If you think you would be able to get CS against a champ, I would take teleport.

Luden's TempestThis is the bread and butter of the build. having the extra little damage and the AP from this item makes it a shoe in for malphite. It's burst potential is crazy good.
Abyssal MaskEver since they nerfed the range on Abyssal Mask, certain mages have not been taking it. On malphite, it really doesn't matter what the range is since you will be getting up close and personal with them. 15% is a really nice boost.
Rabadon's DeathcapRabadon's is too good to pass up. 40% more AP with a 100% scaling ult. That is essentially ~40% more uolt damage. If it is too expensive at the moment, go for void staff.
Rabadon's Deathcap or Abyssal Mask?When I am buying my second main item I find I always ask myself, "Should I buy Rabadon's or abyssal?". Basically, if your team comp has around 2 other AP chmaps like Swain or Teemo top, Evelynn jungle, or Zilean supp, then I would take Abyssal Mask because it is also helping your teammates deal some extra damage in a team fight. Otherwise, I would take Rabadon's Deathcap due to the "40%" increase in damage. Another scenario is Rabadon's Deathcap costs too much and you need to return to lane. Just start building Abyssal Mask.
Everything ElseOther options aren't essential. Zhonya's could be easily replaced by something for more armor or MR depending on your matchup. Void staff is basic, but if they do not have any MR go for more AP.

Early GameFarming really depends on who you are up against. If you are matched against ranged champs like Heimerdinger, xerath, or swainI would stay back within XP range and CS only safely. Semi ranged but very mobile champs like Zed, Talon, and Yasuo are also dangerous when farming, but if you keep track of when their CC/mobility is on cooldown, you are able to Q [seismic shard] them and get away, since it is a movement STEAL. Against unmobile melee champs like Galio or somewhat Azir you are able to farm pretty comfortably alongside them, taking minor shots at your shield and getting away. Try to only get last hits so you can keep it in the middle most of the time.
Mid GameAt around level 6, you should be trying to lower your opposing laner to about 50% health if they are not building a tank item first. This is probably when you have Lost Chapter and maybe Boots. Then you should try comboing them to get an Ultimate Hunter stack. After a your ult is up again, try roaming either top or bottom lane, preferably bottom lane to get two Ultimate Hunter stacks.
Late GamePick and choose your targets now, I would not be worrying too much about farming, get the occasional jungle monster and hold off big waves. Just go for kills mainly in order to progress. Your ult should be around 30 to 20 seconds on cooldown if you play right.

Matchups Reasoning ExplainedEach matchup is detailed specifically for how I play and how I feel playing against those champions, so some of the advice I give on those matchups may not line up directly. That said, I will add champions based on my matchups with them. If I do not have a certain champion in there it is because I have not faced them OR I don't have a good enough read on the playstyle.

Seismic Shard - QSeismic shard is great for poking. It is an unavoidable point and click that steals the movement speed from the target.
Brutal Strikes - WBrutal strikes makes your basic attacks deal extra damage in a circle around the target.
Ground Slam - EGround slam does about the same amount of damage as seismic shard with the same AP scaling (~1/2). After a very brief channel, it deals damage in a circle around you and slows attack speed by 40%.
Unstoppable Force - RThis is the big boy himself. You charge to a select location knocking up anyone and dealing damage + 100% AP.
The Combo
R + E + Q + W = DEAD

Malphite's combo is very good against any squishy champion, do not waste it on a tank. The sheer amount of damage that comes from this combo is enough to kill half the roster. Tanks just have too much health for the burst to be able to do anything to them. AP malphite is too bursty and you will have nothing on CD when you go in on a tank, let your ADC take care of them while you take out their backline. Q and E do 1/2 AP scaling and the R does 100% scaling. I like to W just before I ult in so I have more time for Q and E.
That's pretty neat, isn't there a long cooldown?Yes, there is a long cooldown. At first. Ultimate Hunter and Presence of Mind combined are a power couple. Participating in team fights and solo kills will make you an unstoppable force against anyone. Your CD after a kill will normally be around 30 seconds, so you can charge right back in.

Pros- Good against Squishies
- Ult up quickly
- Consistent kills
- Easy to snowball

Cons- Hard to fight tanks
- Just as squishy as those you kill
- Get flamed by your teammates
- Missing an ult is very bad
- Falling behind in CS is easy