Archived Champion: This champion is from TFT Set 16 and is no longer in the current set. Stats shown are from when this set was active.
Malzahar TFT champion portrait - Set 16
Avg Place
4.67
1st Place
10.3%
Top 4
46.5%
Pick Rate
7.7%

MalzaharTFT Build

Set 16
SetSet 17
Matches364,187
TierAll Tiers
RankAll Ranks
Last UpdatedMay 4, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Best Malzahar build for TFT Set 16 with 63.8% top 4 rate. Top items: Nashor's Tooth, Jeweled Gauntlet, and Hextech Gunblade. Learn optimal components & itemization strategy.

Set 16 Malzahar builds: Jeweled Gauntlet, Nashor's Tooth, Nashor's Tooth (63.85% top four rate, +17.33% difference); Hextech Gunblade, Jeweled Gauntlet, Nashor's Tooth (57.39% top four rate, +10.87% difference); Jeweled Gauntlet, Nashor's Tooth, Spear of Shojin (56.61% top four rate, +10.09% difference)

Average Placement:3.78
Top 4 Rate:63.85%
Top 4 Diff:+17.33%
First Place Rate:16.49%
Pick Rate:21.98%
Average Placement:4.20
Top 4 Rate:57.39%
Top 4 Diff:+10.87%
First Place Rate:10.92%
Pick Rate:0.80%
Average Placement:4.11
Top 4 Rate:56.61%
Top 4 Diff:+10.09%
First Place Rate:12.85%
Pick Rate:2.32%

Malzahar Component Priority Order in Set 16

When playing Malzahar in TFT Set 16, prioritize collecting Needlessly Large Rod, Tear of the Goddess, Giant's Belt from the carousel and item drops. Recurve Bow and B.F. Sword are also valuable secondary components. These components build into Malzahar's highest win rate items and will help you secure consistent top four placements. Focus on slamming items early using these components rather than holding for perfect items, as tempo is crucial for maintaining a healthy economy.

1
Needlessly Large Rod - Priority 1 component for Malzahar in TFT
Needlessly Large RodFound in 6 builds
2
Tear of the Goddess - Priority 2 component for Malzahar in TFT
Tear of the GoddessFound in 5 builds
3
Giant's Belt - Priority 3 component for Malzahar in TFT
Giant's BeltFound in 2 builds
4
Recurve Bow - Priority 4 component for Malzahar in TFT
Recurve BowFound in 2 builds
5
B.F. Sword - Priority 5 component for Malzahar in TFT
B.F. SwordFound in 2 builds

Why These Components for Malzahar?

Needlessly Large Rod

Needlessly Large Rod is the 1st priority component for Malzahar, appearing in 6 of the top item builds. This component builds into Jeweled Gauntlet, Hextech Gunblade, Morellonomicon, which are core items for maximizing Malzahar's effectiveness.

Tear of the Goddess

Tear of the Goddess is the 2nd priority component for Malzahar, appearing in 5 of the top item builds. This component builds into Spear of Shojin, Void Staff, Archangel's Staff, which are core items for maximizing Malzahar's effectiveness.

Giant's Belt

Giant's Belt is the 3rd priority component for Malzahar, appearing in 2 of the top item builds. This component builds into Nashor's Tooth, Morellonomicon, which are core items for maximizing Malzahar's effectiveness.

Malzahar Carousel & Item Drop Tips

  • Early Game (Stage 1-2): Prioritize Needlessly Large Rod on the first carousel if available, as it builds into Malzahar's best-in-slot items.
  • Mid Game (Stage 3-4): Look for Needlessly Large Rod or Tear of the Goddess to complete your core items. Don't greed for perfect components—slam items to preserve HP.
  • Late Game (Stage 5+): Use any remaining components to build utility items or complete Malzahar's secondary items for maximum power.

Should You Itemize Malzahar in Set 16

High PriorityMalzahar is a high-priority itemization target in Set 16. The best Malzahar item build achieves a 63.8% top four rate, which is +17.3% higher than Malzahar's base rate of 46.5%. 3 out of 5 builds show 10%+ improvement, indicating strong item scaling.

When Itemized (Avg)

Top 4 Rate56.7%
Top 4 Diff vs Base+10.1%
Average Placement4.15
First Place Rate12.7%

Base Champion Stats

Base Top 4 Rate46.5%
Best Build Diff+17.3%
Champion Cost3-cost
Builds Analyzed5

Key Factors for Malzahar Itemization in Set 16

Excellent Item Scaling

Malzahar's best item build provides +17.3% top four rate improvement. 3 builds achieve 10%+ improvement.

Multiple Strong Build Options

3 different item builds achieve 10%+ improvement, giving flexibility in itemization.

Mid-Cost Flexibility

Malzahar is a 3-cost unit that can serve as either a primary carry or support depending on your composition.

Malzahar Itemization Data Analysis

Our analysis of Malzahar itemization in TFT Set 16 examines 5 item builds to determine how effectively this champion scales with items. Malzahar has a base top four rate of 46.5%, and we compare each item build's performance against this baseline to measure itemization value.

The best Malzahar item build achieves a 63.8% top four rate, representing a +17.3% difference from the base rate. 3 out of 5 builds show 10%+ improvement over baseline, 1 builds show 5-10% improvement, 1 builds show 0-5% improvement, On average across all analyzed builds, itemized Malzahar achieves 56.7% top four rate (+10.1% vs base) with 4.15 average placement.

For players aiming to win lobbies, itemized Malzahar achieves a 12.7% first place rate. This provides reasonable first place upside while maintaining consistent top four finishes.

When to Itemize Malzahar

  • When you find Malzahar early and can build around it as your primary carry
  • When you have the optimal item components (check the Component Priority section above)
  • When the lobby isn't heavily contesting Malzahar's key items

When NOT to Itemize Malzahar

  • When another carry in your comp scales better with the same items
  • When you're pivoting to a different composition mid-game

Best Malzahar Items in TFT Set 16

The best Malzahar item is Nashor's Tooth with a 58.72% win rate (+12.20% vs base), 13.62% first place rate, and 32.20% pick rate. The top three Malzahar items are Nashor's Tooth, Jeweled Gauntlet, and Hextech Gunblade.

Rank
Item
Components
Rating
Top 4 Rate
Top 4 Diff
1st Place Rate
Pick Rate
Matches
Recurve BowGiant's Belt
C58.72%+12.20%13.62%32.20%37,866
Needlessly Large RodSparring Gloves
D54.82%+8.30%12.99%22.05%25,928
B.F. SwordNeedlessly Large Rod
A48.35%+1.83%15.52%2.96%3,481
4
B.F. SwordTear of the Goddess
C48.32%+1.80%14.87%4.86%5,720
5
Needlessly Large RodGiant's Belt
A47.08%+0.56%16.37%2.28%2,685
6
Recurve BowTear of the Goddess
B45.55%-0.97%15.64%3.94%4,637
7
Needlessly Large RodNeedlessly Large Rod
B44.25%-2.27%14.53%3.48%4,088
8
Needlessly Large RodTear of the Goddess
C43.80%-2.72%13.41%3.45%4,059
9
Tear of the GoddessTear of the Goddess
C43.65%-2.87%13.41%4.11%4,827

Best Malzahar Artifact Items in TFT Set 16

The best Malzahar artifact item is Void Gauntlet with a 90.00% win rate (+43.48% vs base), 12.67% first place rate, and 0.01% pick rate. The most popular is Blighting Jewel with a 0.66% pick rate and 45.35% win rate. Gold Collector has the highest first place rate at 15.85%. The top three Malzahar artifact items are Void Gauntlet, Gold Collector, and Cappa Juice.

Rank
Item
Rating
Top 4 Rate
Top 4 Diff
1st Place Rate
Pick Rate
Matches
C90.00%+43.48%12.67%0.01%10
B56.25%+9.73%15.85%0.03%32
D54.43%+7.91%13.17%0.07%79
4F52.45%+5.93%10.77%0.17%204
5D50.00%+3.48%14.08%0.12%136
6D49.72%+3.20%15.12%0.60%702
7C48.15%+1.63%14.09%0.05%54
8-48.15%+1.63%0.00%0.02%27
9D47.83%+1.31%10.11%0.35%414
10F45.35%-1.17%11.54%0.66%774
11C44.21%-2.31%13.61%0.16%190
12B42.24%-4.28%14.81%0.14%161
13C41.18%-5.34%13.52%0.04%51
14F40.77%-5.75%12.29%0.11%130
15D40.12%-6.40%11.93%0.41%486
16D39.82%-6.70%11.64%0.10%113
17C38.46%-8.06%13.83%0.07%78
18F38.40%-8.12%10.67%0.34%401
19D34.07%-12.45%10.84%0.08%91
20C33.33%-13.19%14.89%0.03%33
21C27.27%-19.25%13.78%0.05%55
22B10.00%-36.52%15.47%0.01%10

Best Malzahar Radiant Items in TFT Set 16

The best Malzahar radiant item is Radiant Nashor's Tooth with a 65.27% win rate (+18.75% vs base), 14.23% first place rate, and 0.33% pick rate. The top three Malzahar radiant items are Radiant Nashor's Tooth, Radiant Red Buff, and Radiant Spirit Visage.

Rank
Item
Rating
Top 4 Rate
Top 4 Diff
1st Place Rate
Pick Rate
Matches
C65.27%+18.75%14.23%0.33%383
A60.98%+14.46%16.63%0.03%41
D54.55%+8.03%12.75%0.01%11
4B50.00%+3.48%13.01%0.14%170
5B50.00%+3.48%17.85%0.02%28
6F49.18%+2.66%13.79%0.10%122
7B48.15%+1.63%12.92%0.02%27
8B47.27%+0.75%12.34%0.09%110
9B45.45%-1.07%12.50%0.01%11
10D45.38%-1.14%14.90%0.10%119
11D45.00%-1.52%10.17%0.02%20
12A43.75%-2.77%13.97%0.15%176
13D40.54%-5.98%11.39%0.03%37
14F40.23%-6.29%13.39%0.22%256
15D37.59%-8.93%9.09%0.12%141
16C37.57%-8.95%13.02%0.15%173
17B32.58%-13.94%13.73%0.08%89
18F29.76%-16.76%10.23%0.17%205
19B21.43%-25.09%10.57%0.01%14
20D20.00%-26.52%11.96%0.01%10

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Malzahar Set 16 Build - Frequently Asked Questions

What is Malzahar's best build in Set 16?

The best Malzahar build in TFT Set 16 features Jeweled Gauntlet, Nashor's Tooth, and Nashor's Tooth as core items. This build has a 63.85% win rate and is picked 21.98% of the time. First place rate: 16.49%, avg placement: 3.78.

What is the best item for Malzahar?

Nashor's Tooth is the best item for Malzahar with a 58.72% win rate and 32.20% pick rate across 37,866 matches.

Which item is most popular on Malzahar?

Nashor's Tooth is the most popular item on Malzahar with a 32.20% pick rate. It has a 58.72% win rate across 37,866 matches.

What are the top 3 items for Malzahar?

The top 3 items for Malzahar are Nashor's Tooth, Jeweled Gauntlet, and Hextech Gunblade. These items provide the best stats and synergies for Malzahar's kit.

How many matches do the Malzahar item builds have?

The Malzahar item build data is based on 93,291 matches analyzed in TFT Set 16. This sample size provides statistically significant results for item recommendations.

Should I always build Nashor's Tooth on Malzahar?

Yes, Nashor's Tooth should almost always be built on Malzahar due to its high win rate (58.72%) and strong synergy with Malzahar's kit. It's core in 32.20% of games.

What components should I prioritize for Malzahar in TFT Set 16?

Priority components for Malzahar are Needlessly Large Rod, Tear of the Goddess, and Giant's Belt. These components build into Malzahar's best items and should be picked early on carousel and from PvE rounds.

What should I pick on carousel for Malzahar in TFT?

On carousel for Malzahar TFT builds, prioritize Needlessly Large Rod. These components are essential for Malzahar's optimal items and may be contested so have backup plans.

Should I itemize Malzahar in TFT Set 16?

Yes, Malzahar is a strong item holder with a 63.8% win rate when properly itemized. Malzahar should be a priority for your items in Malzahar comps.

Is Malzahar a good item holder in TFT Set 16?

Yes, Malzahar is a great item holder because items significantly increase their win rate from 46.5% to 63.8%. Malzahar scales well with items.

What is Malzahar's top 4 rate with items in TFT Set 16?

Malzahar's top 4 rate when itemized is 56.7%. With proper items, Malzahar significantly exceeds the average champion top 4 rate of 50%.

What is the best Malzahar emblem?

The best emblem for Malzahar is Noxus Emblem with a 61.65% win rate. This emblem activates the Noxus trait on Malzahar, providing additional bonuses.

What is the top Malzahar radiant item?

The top radiant item for Malzahar is Radiant Protector's Vow with a 66.67% win rate. Radiant items are stronger versions of base items and should be prioritized when available.

What is the best Malzahar artifact?

The best artifact for Malzahar is Void Gauntlet with a 90.00% win rate. Artifacts provide unique effects that synergize with Malzahar's kit.