How to beat Malzahar

Common role: Mid

A control mage whose ultimate is a guaranteed single-target lockdown.

What makes Malzahar dangerous

Malzahar spreads a silence (E-like) and voidlings, shields himself with his passive after taking damage, and his ultimate suppresses a target in place — an unstoppable, point-blank lockdown that sets up his team for a free kill. He pushes waves effortlessly and roams.

How to play against Malzahar

• 1Bring QSS or Cleanse: they break his suppression ult and neuter his whole kit.
• 2Pop his passive shield with poke before you all-in — under shield he is untouchable.
• 3Don't stand in his spreading pool/voidlings; they ramp damage the longer you sit.
• 4He is immobile — dive him or send a roaming jungler; he cannot escape a gank.

Weaknesses to exploit

• ✓Completely immobile — no dash or escape.
• ✓When his passive shield is on cooldown he is extremely vulnerable.
• ✓His ult locks only one target; the rest of your team is free.
• ✓Weak to dives, roams and hard engage.

Abilities & how to counter them

What each of Malzahar's abilities does — and how to play around it.

• P
  虚空穿越

  玛尔扎哈如果近期没有受到伤害或控制效果，就会获得巨幅伤害减免和免疫控制的效果，并且这个效果在受到伤害后还会残留一小段时间。

  Strong: a shield that makes him immune to CC while it holds. Weak: it only forms after not taking damage — poke him to keep it down, then engage.

• Q
  虚空召唤

  玛尔扎哈开启两扇通向虚空的传送门。在短暂的延迟后，两扇门之间会有虚空能量对流而过，造成魔法伤害并沉默敌方英雄。

  Strong: two portals silence and damage in a wide area. Weak: telegraphed with a delay and a gap between portals — step to the safe zone.

• W
  虚空虫群

  玛尔扎哈召唤虚灵去攻击附近的敌人。

  Strong: summons voidlings that add sustained damage and push. Weak: the voidlings are fragile and slow — ignore them and focus him.

• E
  煞星幻象

  玛尔扎哈将目标的惨死幻象侵入目标的意识中，造成持续伤害。玛尔扎哈对目标使用其它技能时会刷新幻象的持续时间。如果目标在感染幻象期间死亡，那么幻象会传到附近的一个敌人身上，并且玛尔扎哈会回复法力值。玛尔扎哈的虚灵会优先攻击感染了幻象的单位。

  Strong: a DoT that spreads to nearby enemies and refunds mana on kill. Weak: pure damage, no CC — just don't clump so it can't spread.

• R
  冥府之握

  玛尔扎哈引导虚空的精萃来把一名敌方英雄压制在一个充满伤害的负能量地带上。

  Strong: an unstoppable point-blank suppression that hands you to his team. Weak: single target and channelled — QSS or Cleanse breaks it, and CC on him cancels it.

Itemization

A QSS/Mercurial line is the single best buy against him. Add magic resist; poke him out of his shield before committing.

This guide covers Malzahar's core kit and playstyle — advice that holds up across patches.