Brand or Malzahar
I have always loved playing Xerath and other long ranged mages. Recently I have picked up Cassiopeia and love her too. Now I am thinking about picking up a new mid laner to add to my comfort pick pool. So I was debating between Brand and Malzahar. I have tried out both of them and liked both, however, I did not get to play them long enough to make an anonymous decision. Here are some of the pros and cons I see for both champs.
Brand 
Pros: AoE damage (sometimes burst). Stun. Mini ignite. Awesome ult for grouped up team.
Cons: No escape. Skill-shot stun (not too worried since I am used to Xerath's stun). Super mana hungry. Falls off late game compared to Malzahar.
Malzahar 
Pros: Very high scaling. Lot of % damage. Best 1v1. Ult combo can kill almost anyone. Mana sustain.
Cons: QSS. No escape. Less burst AoE compared to brand.
Now from a perspective of a Xerath kind of player I would say Brand. But from a Cassiopeia kind of player I would say Malzahar. Now which one would you say is more viable? Which one is better efficiency for Result/Effort?
Thanks in advance.
