When is Malzahar gonna be picked in the LCS?

The Bíg Ticket·Mar 6, 2015·2 votes·2,085 views

Title

Retarded damage (2.9 AP ratio just on Q, E and R plus 15 percent of max hp per second in lategame on W), 3 second AoE silence that can hit the entire enemy team, point and click 700 range suppression, keeps 90 percent of all midlaners at their turrets cause of his insane pushing power, doesn't have a single hard counter...its impossible to lose lane as Malzahar unless the enemy jungler camps you. In teamfights he has an extremely easy time to take out both tanks (W) and assassins (Q and R), the only thing that helps against him is QSS.

Your thoughts?

EDIT: 3rd highest win rate in Soloqueue over the last month after Katarina and Heimerdinger at 54.1 percent.

13 Comments

Serenity NowMar 6, 20152 votes

Great damage, like Brand, but won't see action for the same reason.

Because he's immobile he needs to be protected, especially to pull off his ult, and its difficult to protect both the ADC and APC.

I like to take him as a counter-pick to pushers like Heimerdinger and Morgana, and long range harassers like Xerath and Lux.

The Bíg TicketMar 6, 20151 votes

His damage is far more reliable than Brand's though...

The Bíg TicketMar 6, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Serenity Now,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=TWpbAgfu,comment-id=0000,timestamp=2015-03-06T16:48:13.914+0000)

I like to take him as a counter-pick to pushers like Heimerdinger and Morgana, and long range harassers like Xerath and Lux.

Lol Xerath and Lux are actually among the hardest matchups for him cause they have long range poke and he needs to flash in to combo them..

Serenity NowMar 6, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Danielas Kitten,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=TWpbAgfu,comment-id=00000001,timestamp=2015-03-06T16:55:36.370+0000)

Lol Xerath and Lux are actually among the hardest matchups for him cause they have long range poke and he needs to flash in to combo them..

I pick him to push and keep them under their tower, since a well played poke champion is immune to ganks.

Ideally, they fall behind in CS and lose tower early. That lets me and the jungler roam top and bot.

The Bíg TicketMar 6, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Serenity Now,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=TWpbAgfu,comment-id=000000010000,timestamp=2015-03-06T17:05:48.708+0000)

I pick him to push and keep them under their tower. Ideally, they fall behind in CS and lose tower early. That lets me and the jungler roam top and bot.

That is not gonna happen vs a decent Xerath or Lux. especially Xerath can clear the wave extremely fast.

Serenity NowMar 6, 20151 votes

Not as early and fast as Malz.

NoPeenNoDreamMay 31, 20151 votes

no one clears a wave like malzahar. he will always keep the lane pushed

NoPeenNoDreamMay 31, 20151 votes

What i don't understand is that Xerath is in the same bot as Malzhar but yet his picked in LCS. in my eyes Malzahar is a way better pick being the fact that he is one of like 2 or 3 mages that can erase a tank from a full combo or put them at like 1/4 with just an e. His e takes half or more health if your a non tank champ and is on a short cd with cdr.

Bears Dont CareMar 6, 20151 votes

What Serenity now stated. He is immobile, and his ultimate roots him in place. While he has some of the higher damage out there, he just isn't viable in a mobility heavy game.

KotexMar 6, 20151 votes

When other champions stop doing what hes able to do in more efficient and reliable ways.

I would love to see shaco picked too. But he wont for the same reason--other champions can do what he does in better ways.

SiytherMar 6, 20151 votes

now i love malz he is good against assassins for the most part(ahri is a shity matchup) but i think the reason he isnt played in LCS is he isnt a good roamer.Sure if he can catch ppl out he will destroy them but it pretty damn difficult for him to be effective in a roam compared to assassins or even poke mages

Lord DusteonMar 6, 20151 votes

Because he has extreme mana costs, his Q is actually rather hard to reliably land, and he is extremely immobile, making him an easy kill if jungler ever comes. He has extremely high damage, yes, but he also has to root himself in place to get it off and is hard countered by QSS.

Not any point in picking an extremely immobile single target burster when you can pick a mobile one who isn't hard countered by one item.