Gnar - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
45.3%
Pick Rate
1.9%

Gnarvs Malzahar

FFighterTank
Patch26.14
Matches491,560
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedJul 21, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Gnar vs Malzahar is a very close matchup in LoL patch 26.14. Gnar wins with a 50.0% win rate (+0.0%) over Malzahar based on 8 games. Malzahar wins the early laning phase while Gnar scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Gnar build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Gnar vs Malzahar matchup.

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Gnar Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Gnar performs against them. You'll get head-to-head win rates, laning stats, the best build and runes for the matchup, and early vs late game analysis — all based on real ranked data.

Compare against an opponent
Gnar - 50.0% win rate in this matchup
Gnar
50.0% WR
VS
Malzahar vs Gnar matchup - 50.0% win rate
Malzahar
50.0% WR

Who Wins the Gnar vs Malzahar Matchup?

Gnar wins the Gnar vs Malzahar matchup
Winner
Gnar
Matches: 8
50.0%
Win Rate
50.0%
6.4
CS / min
7.7
520
DMG / min
895
11,161
Gold / game
11,873
173
Heal / min
45
809
DMG Mitigated / min
541
0.8
CC / min
1.7
40.0%
Early Game WR
60.0%
66.7%
Late Game WR
33.3%

Gnar vs Malzahar Matchup Summary

The Gnar vs Malzahar matchup is essentially a coin-flip matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 8 recent matches analyzed, Gnar wins with a 50.0% win rate compared to Malzahar's 50.0%, giving Gnar a 0.0 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Malzahar controls the early laning stage, but Gnar outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Malzahar needs to press advantages before Gnar reaches their power spikes, while Gnar should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in crowd control, where Malzahar leads by 1.0s CC/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Gnar has a statistical edge, but the margin is close enough that respecting Malzahar's strengths is important. Trade when cooldowns are favorable, track the enemy jungler, and build toward your strongest item spikes to convert the slight advantage into a decisive lead. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Gnar vs Malzahar Laning Phase Breakdown

Malzahar wins the laning phase against Gnar in League of Legends

Malzahar is favored during the laning phase against Gnar, winning 4 out of 5 key stat categories. Malzahar holds advantages in farming, damage, gold income and crowd control, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.

Farming
6.4Gnar
7.7Malzahar
Malzahar significantly out-farms Gnar by 1.3 CS per minute, accumulating an estimated 19 CS lead by mid game. This substantial farming gap gives Malzahar a major gold advantage and earlier item completions. Gnar players should prioritize wave management techniques like freezing near tower and using abilities efficiently to minimize the deficit.
Damage
520Gnar
895Malzahar
Malzahar heavily out-damages Gnar by 374 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Gnar should avoid extended combat and instead focus on burst trade patterns — short engages followed by immediate disengagement — to avoid letting Malzahar's sustained damage advantage take over.
Economy
11,161Gnar
11,873Malzahar
Malzahar earns 712 more gold per game than Gnar, equivalent to roughly one additional component item. This economic edge comes from a combination of better farming, kill participation, and objective control, giving Malzahar slightly faster item completions.
Utility
0.8Gnar
1.7Malzahar
Malzahar brings significantly more crowd control than Gnar, with 1.0 more seconds of CC per minute. This large utility gap makes Malzahar far more valuable in setting up jungle ganks, controlling objectives, and locking down targets in team fights. Gnar should invest in tenacity and position carefully to avoid being chain-CC'd.
Sustain
981Gnar
586Malzahar
Gnar vastly out-sustains Malzahar, healing and mitigating 395 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Gnar can absorb significant punishment and remain in lane while Malzahar is forced to recall. Building grievous wounds early is essential for Malzahar, and focusing on burst trade patterns rather than sustained fights is critical.

Best Gnar Build Against Malzahar

Mercury's Treads is the optimal boots choice against Malzahar, providing the mobility and stats Gnar needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Gnar against Malzahar are Randuin's Omen, Wit's End and Trinity Force. This combination gives Gnar an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Gnar vs Malzahar matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Malzahar
60.0%
+20.0% advantage
Gnar early game win rateGnar40.0%
Malzahar early game win rateMalzahar60.0%
Late Game
Gnar
66.7%
+33.3% advantage
Gnar late game win rateGnar66.7%
Malzahar late game win rateMalzahar33.3%

Malzahar dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 60.0% win rate — a 20.0 percentage point lead over Gnar. This lopsided early game means Malzahar can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Gnar is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 66.7% win rate — 33.3 points above Malzahar. Extended games heavily favor Gnar, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

This matchup features a dramatic power shift: Malzahar must aggressively press their early advantage and close out the game before Gnar reaches their scaling breakpoints. If Gnar survives the laning phase without falling too far behind, the matchup flips in their favor. Dragon and Rift Herald control are pivotal — the team that secures early objectives can snowball or buy time to scale.

Best Gnar Runes Against Malzahar

Precision rune tree - Gnar primary runes vs MalzaharPrecision
Conqueror - best Gnar rune vs MalzaharTriumph - best Gnar rune vs MalzaharLegend: Alacrity - best Gnar rune vs MalzaharLast Stand - best Gnar rune vs Malzahar
Resolve rune tree - Gnar secondary runes vs MalzaharResolve
Bone Plating - best Gnar rune vs MalzaharOvergrowth - best Gnar rune vs Malzahar
50.0% WR

The Precision primary with Resolve secondary combination helps Gnar maximize their potential in this closely contested matchup, providing the right mix of offensive and defensive tools to edge out Malzahar.


Gnar matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.14. The table below shows Gnar's win rate, gold difference, and performance stats against every champion in the current meta. Click any champion name to see a detailed head-to-head breakdown including the best Gnar build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Gnar matchup win rates and stats in League of Legends patch 26.14
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
49.47%955.991411,19647.1%50.8%
47.44%786.793411,24050.0%45.5%
51.39%726.195712,13140.9%56.0%
38.89%726.388412,32545.8%35.4%
49.25%676.165510,96150.0%48.9%
45.90%616.269611,60938.1%50.0%
35.19%546.286810,92345.0%29.4%
41.18%516.278710,46327.3%51.7%
36.36%446.575510,88815.4%45.2%
52.38%426.277110,49940.0%63.6%
56.10%416.077010,33145.0%66.7%
43.59%396.51,18010,10842.9%44.4%
39.47%385.988011,67442.9%37.5%
29.73%376.394510,49920.0%36.4%
43.24%376.069011,12625.0%57.1%
45.71%355.677511,59841.7%47.8%
50.00%346.18369,45047.4%53.3%
38.24%346.271110,62137.5%38.9%
42.42%336.01,03710,30735.7%47.4%
42.42%336.485111,94750.0%39.1%
53.13%325.985211,52953.9%52.6%
37.50%326.07939,83550.0%27.8%
41.94%316.180510,76657.1%29.4%
60.71%286.699112,92877.8%52.6%
53.57%286.31,05012,08062.5%50.0%
48.15%276.177011,23046.1%50.0%
48.15%276.374811,69640.0%52.9%
50.00%265.796710,39550.0%50.0%
46.15%266.061210,70344.4%47.1%
36.00%256.190510,40145.5%28.6%
37.50%246.995412,99242.9%35.3%
37.50%246.379212,17614.3%47.1%
54.55%226.584511,62080.0%33.3%
50.00%225.672912,38766.7%43.8%
42.86%215.985110,83945.5%40.0%
47.62%216.389810,98737.5%53.9%
35.00%206.470210,75237.5%33.3%
38.89%186.588511,14537.5%40.0%
38.89%186.47759,59640.0%37.5%
38.89%185.76448,97257.1%27.3%
43.75%166.08218,67414.3%66.7%
33.33%156.28029,00633.3%33.3%
33.33%156.576410,68633.3%33.3%
57.14%145.784711,01440.0%66.7%
46.15%135.971311,99560.0%37.5%
61.54%135.889411,46766.7%60.0%
50.00%126.176613,2130.0%50.0%
40.00%106.295612,76333.3%42.9%
44.44%96.07128,94550.0%33.3%
55.56%95.77179,37366.7%33.3%
50.00%86.452011,16140.0%66.7%
37.50%86.586310,33033.3%40.0%
25.00%86.27699,90840.0%0.0%
33.33%66.577213,4270.0%40.0%
66.67%66.265713,405100.0%60.0%
83.33%67.096713,241100.0%75.0%
33.33%66.390711,97933.3%33.3%
50.00%65.378212,9390.0%75.0%
33.33%66.197914,6110.0%40.0%
33.33%65.473411,4610.0%66.7%
16.67%65.979612,6670.0%25.0%
60.00%54.271810,64850.0%66.7%
60.00%55.780312,41966.7%50.0%

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Gnar vs Malzahar - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Gnar do against Malzahar in League of Legends?

Gnar wins the Gnar vs Malzahar matchup with a 50.0% win rate compared to Malzahar's 50.0%, a 0.0 percentage point difference. This data is based on 8 recent ranked games in patch 26.14.

How does Gnar do against Malzahar in the early game?

In the early game, Malzahar has the advantage against Gnar with a 60.0% win rate versus 40.0%. Malzahar players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Gnar do against Malzahar in the late game?

In the late game, Gnar takes over the Gnar vs Malzahar matchup with a 66.7% win rate compared to 33.3%. Gnar scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Gnar vs Malzahar matchup?

Gnar wins the matchup against Malzahar with a 50.0% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.14. The 0.0 percentage point advantage means Gnar is slightly favored in this lane matchup based on 8 games analyzed.

What is the best Gnar build against Malzahar?

The best Gnar build against Malzahar includes Randuin's Omen, Wit's End, Trinity Force with Mercury's Treads. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Gnar runes against Malzahar?

The best Gnar runes against Malzahar use the Precision primary tree with Resolve secondary. This rune setup achieves a 50.0% win rate in the Gnar vs Malzahar matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Gnar counter Malzahar?

Yes, Gnar has a favorable matchup against Malzahar with a 50.0% win rate. Gnar slightly edges out Malzahar in lane based on current patch 26.14 data.

How do I play Gnar against Malzahar?

When playing Gnar against Malzahar, leverage your statistical advantages by trading aggressively during favorable windows. Play safe early and scale into your power spikes where you outperform Malzahar. Build the recommended items and runes for this specific matchup for the best results.