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the Prophet of the Void

Malzahar Mid build & stats

Mage C 1,372 games · patch 16.17
Win rate
48.5%
Pick rate
3.3%
Ban rate
4.6%
Division
Master
Build, runes, spells and skill order are from Master games only.

Recommended build

Chosen by win rate among builds with enough games, from ranked matches of high-elo players on patch 16.17

Solid sample

Start with

Doran's Ring
Doran's Ring
400 gold
Health Potion
Health Potion
50 gold
Health Potion
Health Potion
50 gold
54.4% 68 games

Build in this order

Blackfire Torch 1
Blackfire Torch
2,800 gold
Rylai's Crystal Scepter 2
Rylai's Crystal Scepter
2,600 gold
Liandry's Torment 3
Liandry's Torment
3,000 gold
8,400 gold
76.9% WR 13 games

Boots

Swiftmarch
Swiftmarch
1,000 gold
50.0% 14 games

Runes

Sorcery Sorcery + Inspiration Inspiration
58.8% WR
17 games · 1% pick
Arcane Comet
Arcane Comet

Damaging a champion with an ability hurls a damaging comet at their location.

Sorcery Sorcery
Summon Aery Arcane Comet Stormraider's Surge Deathfire Touch
Axiom Arcanist Manaflow Band Nimbus Cloak
Transcendence Absolute Focus Celerity
Waterwalking Gathering Storm Scorch
Inspiration Inspiration
Magical Footwear Hextech Flashtraption Cash Back
Triple Tonic Biscuit Delivery Time Warp Tonic
Jack Of All Trades Cosmic Insight Approach Velocity
Shards
Adaptive Force Attack Speed Ability Haste
Adaptive Force Move Speed Health Scaling
Health Tenacity and Slow Resist Health Scaling

Summoner spells

Flash Ignite
56.4% 39 games

Max order

Malefic Visions E Call of the Void Q Void Swarm W
59.4% 64 games

Each line is the variant with the best win rate among those played enough times, not simply the most popular one. Win rates are smoothed so a lucky three-game build can't top the list. Sample sizes are shown next to every choice.

Tips for Malzahar

Generated from this patch's numbers

  • Malzahar wins 48.5% of games as Mid on patch 16.17 (1,372 games).
  • Most common core: Blackfire Torch → Liandry's Torment → Rylai's Crystal Scepter — 46% win rate over 28 games.
  • Take Deathfire Touch as keystone: picked in 75% of games with a 49% win rate.
  • Best matchup: Annie (77% over 13 games). Hardest: Vex (18% over 11 games) — consider a ban or a different pick when you see it.

Items

Core build in purchase order (from match timelines)

Core build

Blackfire Torch 1
Blackfire Torch
Liandry's Torment 2
Liandry's Torment
Rylai's Crystal Scepter 3
Rylai's Crystal Scepter
50.0% WR
14 games · 1% pick
Blackfire Torch 1
Blackfire Torch
Rylai's Crystal Scepter 2
Rylai's Crystal Scepter
Liandry's Torment 3
Liandry's Torment
76.9% WR
13 games · 1% pick
Malignance 1
Malignance
Liandry's Torment 2
Liandry's Torment
Rylai's Crystal Scepter 3
Rylai's Crystal Scepter
33.3% WR
6 games · 0% pick

Starting items

Doran's Ring
Doran's Ring
Health Potion
Health Potion
Health Potion
Health Potion
54.4% WR
68 games · 5% pick
Doran's Ring
Doran's Ring
50.0% WR
2 games · 0% pick
Sapphire Crystal
Sapphire Crystal
Refillable Potion
Refillable Potion
50.0% WR
2 games · 0% pick

Boots

Spellslinger's Shoes
Spellslinger's Shoes
46.9% WR
286 games · 21% pick
Crimson Lucidity
Crimson Lucidity
43.5% WR
124 games · 9% pick
Swiftmarch
Swiftmarch
50.0% WR
14 games · 1% pick

Legendary items by win rate

ItemWin ratePick
66.7% 0% (6)
57.1% 2% (21)
54.5% 2% (33)
50.0% 4% (52)
48.4% 5% (62)
47.6% 21% (290)
45.8% 22% (299)
45.3% 27% (364)
40.7% 6% (86)
30.8% 1% (13)
30.0% 1% (10)
14.3% 1% (7)

Runes

Most played full pages and keystone win rates

Sorcery Sorcery + Inspiration Inspiration
36.7% WR
49 games · 4% pick
Deathfire Touch
Deathfire Touch

Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time.

Sorcery Sorcery
Summon Aery Arcane Comet Stormraider's Surge Deathfire Touch
Axiom Arcanist Manaflow Band Nimbus Cloak
Transcendence Absolute Focus Celerity
Waterwalking Gathering Storm Scorch
Inspiration Inspiration
Magical Footwear Hextech Flashtraption Cash Back
Triple Tonic Biscuit Delivery Time Warp Tonic
Jack Of All Trades Cosmic Insight Approach Velocity
Shards
Adaptive Force Attack Speed Ability Haste
Adaptive Force Move Speed Health Scaling
Health Tenacity and Slow Resist Health Scaling
Sorcery Sorcery + Inspiration Inspiration
40.8% WR
49 games · 4% pick
Deathfire Touch Manaflow Band Transcendence Scorch Magical Footwear Cosmic Insight
Sorcery Sorcery + Inspiration Inspiration
48.0% WR
25 games · 2% pick
Deathfire Touch Manaflow Band Transcendence Gathering Storm Magical Footwear Cosmic Insight

Keystones

  • Deathfire Touch Deathfire Touch Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time. 43.8%27% pick
  • Summon Aery Summon Aery Your attacks and abilities send Aery to a target, damaging enemies or shielding allies. 40.4%3% pick
  • Arcane Comet Arcane Comet Damaging a champion with an ability hurls a damaging comet at their location. 54.3%3% pick

Summoner spells

  • Flash Teleport Flash + Teleport 42.2%25% pick
  • Flash Ghost Flash + Ghost 54.1%4% pick
  • Flash Ignite Flash + Ignite 56.4%3% pick

Abilities & skill order

Which ability to max first, from match timelines

Malefic Visions E Call of the Void Q Void Swarm W 59.4%64 games

Most common first three levels: E → W → Q (43%), E → Q → W (67%), Q → E → W (86%).

  • PVoid Shift

    When he hasn't recently taken damage or been crowd controlled, Malzahar gains massive damage reduction and crowd control immunity, lingering for a short period after taking damage.

  • QCall of the Void

    Malzahar opens up two portals to the Void. After a short delay, they fire projectiles that deal Magic Damage and silence enemy champions.

  • WVoid Swarm

    Malzahar summons Voidlings to attack nearby enemies.

  • EMalefic Visions

    Malzahar infects his target's mind with cruel visions of their demise, dealing damage over time. Using Malzahar's other spells on the target will refresh the visions.If the target dies while afflicted by the visions, the...

  • RNether Grasp

    Malzahar channels the essence of the Void to suppress an enemy champion over a zone of damaging negative energy.