Karthus - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
49.3%
Pick Rate
1.3%

Karthusvs Malphite

DMage
Patch26.7
Matches949,984
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedApr 19, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Karthus vs Malphite is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.7. Malphite wins with a 57.1% win rate (+14.3%) over Karthus based on 7 games. Malphite wins the early laning phase while Karthus scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Karthus vs Malphite matchup.

Karthus Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Karthus 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
Malphite - 42.9% win rateMalphite(42.9%)
Karthus - 42.9% win rate in this matchup
Karthus
42.9% WR
VS
Malphite vs Karthus matchup - 57.1% win rate
Malphite
57.1% WR

Who Wins the Karthus vs Malphite Matchup?

Malphite wins the Karthus vs Malphite matchup
Winner
Malphite
Matches: 7
42.9%
Win Rate
57.1%
2.1
CS / min
1.1
1,106
DMG / min
555
12,567
Gold / game
11,161
238
Heal / min
247
472
DMG Mitigated / min
1,083
0.7
CC / min
0.8
33.3%
Early Game WR
66.7%
50.0%
Late Game WR
50.0%

Karthus vs Malphite Matchup Summary

The Karthus vs Malphite matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 7 recent matches analyzed, Malphite wins with a 57.1% win rate compared to Karthus's 42.9%, giving Malphite a 14.3 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Malphite controls the early laning stage, but Karthus outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Malphite needs to press advantages before Karthus reaches their power spikes, while Karthus should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in damage output, where Karthus leads by 551 DMG/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Malphite has a strong advantage in this matchup. Karthus players should play defensively, prioritize safe farming under tower, and look for opportunities created by jungle pressure or Malphite overextending. Avoid prolonged trades and wait for team fights where positioning and coordination matter more. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Karthus vs Malphite Laning Phase Breakdown

Karthus wins the laning phase against Malphite in League of Legends

Karthus is favored during the laning phase against Malphite, winning 3 out of 5 key stat categories. Karthus holds advantages in farming, damage and gold income, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.

Farming
2.1Karthus
1.1Malphite
Karthus significantly out-farms Malphite by 1.0 CS per minute, accumulating an estimated 15 CS lead by mid game. This substantial farming gap gives Karthus a major gold advantage and earlier item completions. Malphite players should prioritize wave management techniques like freezing near tower and using abilities efficiently to minimize the deficit.
Damage
1,106Karthus
555Malphite
Karthus heavily out-damages Malphite by 551 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Malphite should avoid extended combat and instead focus on burst trade patterns — short engages followed by immediate disengagement — to avoid letting Karthus's sustained damage advantage take over.
Economy
12,567Karthus
11,161Malphite
Karthus generates a commanding 1,405 more gold per game than Malphite. This substantial economic advantage means Karthus consistently reaches key item breakpoints earlier, creating a compounding lead that grows throughout the game. Malphite should focus on cost-effective item choices and avoid unnecessary deaths to prevent falling further behind.
Utility
0.7Karthus
0.8Malphite
Both Karthus and Malphite provide similar amounts of crowd control (0.1s/min difference), meaning neither has a significant advantage in locking down opponents for ganks or team fights. Lane ganks are equally effective for both sides.
Sustain
709Karthus
1,330Malphite
Malphite vastly out-sustains Karthus, healing and mitigating 621 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Malphite can absorb significant punishment and remain in lane while Karthus is forced to recall. Building grievous wounds early is essential for Karthus, and focusing on burst trade patterns rather than sustained fights is critical.

Best Karthus Build Against Malphite

Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Malphite, providing the mobility and stats Karthus needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Karthus against Malphite are Liandry's Torment, Malignance and Rabadon's Deathcap. This combination gives Karthus 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 Karthus vs Malphite matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Malphite
66.7%
+33.3% advantage
Karthus early game win rateKarthus33.3%
Malphite early game win rateMalphite66.7%
Late Game
Karthus
50.0%
+0.0% advantage
Karthus late game win rateKarthus50.0%
Malphite late game win rateMalphite50.0%

Malphite dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 66.7% win rate — a 33.3 percentage point lead over Karthus. This lopsided early game means Malphite can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Late game (25+ minutes) is equally balanced, with Karthus at 50.0% win rate — only 0.0 points ahead of Malphite. Team fight execution and macro play determine the winner at this stage, not champion matchup advantage.

The power dynamics shift as the game progresses — Malphite has the edge early, but Karthus gradually takes over. However, the margins are slim enough that either champion can win at any stage with the right plays. Focus on taking advantages when you have them rather than waiting for a specific game phase.

Best Karthus Runes Against Malphite

Inspiration rune tree - Karthus primary runes vs MalphiteInspiration
First Strike - best Karthus rune vs MalphiteCash Back - best Karthus rune vs MalphiteTriple Tonic - best Karthus rune vs MalphiteCosmic Insight - best Karthus rune vs Malphite
Sorcery rune tree - Karthus secondary runes vs MalphiteSorcery
Axiom Arcanist - best Karthus rune vs MalphiteGathering Storm - best Karthus rune vs Malphite
100.0% WR

The Inspiration and Sorcery rune setup gives Karthus the best tools to compete against Malphite in this difficult matchup, compensating for the statistical disadvantages with optimal rune synergies.


Karthus matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.7. The table below shows Karthus'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 Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Karthus matchup win rates and stats in League of Legends patch 26.7
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
48.78%411.51,24613,63464.7%37.5%
45.00%401.71,19914,67650.0%41.7%
37.84%371.81,20313,45342.9%34.8%
59.46%376.81,20414,13361.1%57.9%
58.33%361.41,18514,86346.1%65.2%
42.86%351.61,14713,92340.0%45.0%
44.12%341.41,12214,48658.3%36.4%
65.63%326.31,26613,64771.4%61.1%
50.00%281.61,25415,99971.4%42.9%
44.44%276.11,21913,94641.7%46.7%
59.26%276.01,24814,69160.0%58.8%
60.00%251.51,20814,13545.5%71.4%
63.64%222.01,41215,52085.7%53.3%
63.64%226.01,33115,66162.5%64.3%
57.89%191.21,11113,72737.5%72.7%
36.84%196.51,28014,54516.7%46.1%
42.11%191.51,29515,86340.0%42.9%
57.89%191.41,15014,33071.4%50.0%
47.06%176.41,29415,52850.0%46.1%
76.47%171.21,06613,39466.7%87.5%
47.06%171.81,19814,51350.0%46.1%
75.00%161.41,29814,71466.7%80.0%
56.25%161.51,14013,02250.0%62.5%
26.67%151.31,03412,14627.3%25.0%
33.33%152.11,14213,21320.0%40.0%
35.71%141.11,12013,85225.0%50.0%
38.46%131.21,08313,38916.7%57.1%
38.46%131.41,18614,42740.0%37.5%
23.08%132.21,01010,85522.2%25.0%
46.15%136.01,24613,80450.0%44.4%
53.85%137.11,16413,19242.9%66.7%
50.00%123.71,31914,92180.0%28.6%
50.00%121.21,22814,55325.0%62.5%
25.00%126.51,36414,04133.3%16.7%
83.33%121.41,23815,11766.7%88.9%
25.00%121.61,12615,19325.0%25.0%
66.67%127.31,53918,810100.0%60.0%
25.00%121.21,07613,8870.0%60.0%
50.00%121.31,03811,95450.0%50.0%
63.64%116.81,40515,26060.0%66.7%
63.64%112.91,09213,99266.7%62.5%
27.27%111.31,12512,25020.0%33.3%
18.18%111.51,18312,73025.0%14.3%
45.45%116.71,23014,91440.0%50.0%
70.00%105.91,26912,68760.0%80.0%
60.00%107.01,16813,68960.0%60.0%
60.00%101.41,38813,38660.0%60.0%
70.00%107.11,33314,53075.0%66.7%
33.33%97.31,21213,57820.0%50.0%
44.44%93.899013,717100.0%28.6%
22.22%96.81,08812,89120.0%25.0%
66.67%91.61,56915,98675.0%60.0%
66.67%91.81,22714,33780.0%50.0%
33.33%94.81,07213,64425.0%40.0%
50.00%86.71,22114,59460.0%33.3%
37.50%81.81,33816,668100.0%28.6%
42.86%72.11,10612,56733.3%50.0%
42.86%72.21,17211,38060.0%0.0%
42.86%72.01,37413,47750.0%33.3%
42.86%77.21,12512,97033.3%50.0%
71.43%75.71,05413,5520.0%100.0%
71.43%71.21,49615,8850.0%83.3%
14.29%72.91,23213,7160.0%33.3%
57.14%72.01,19112,95466.7%50.0%
42.86%72.11,19315,03550.0%40.0%
85.71%71.61,34617,646100.0%80.0%
57.14%72.81,23515,411100.0%40.0%
50.00%66.91,27912,34425.0%100.0%
66.67%61.31,38414,20166.7%66.7%
66.67%61.396311,486100.0%50.0%
33.33%65.41,55214,5320.0%33.3%
33.33%62.481311,29650.0%0.0%
66.67%64.01,15114,6630.0%80.0%
16.67%61.41,19215,1100.0%20.0%
50.00%61.61,26817,2400.0%60.0%
60.00%55.91,19113,24966.7%50.0%
40.00%51.61,10312,8790.0%66.7%
40.00%56.81,00311,9160.0%50.0%
60.00%55.11,47719,353100.0%50.0%
20.00%52.81,10312,98150.0%0.0%
60.00%53.17289,38375.0%0.0%
60.00%57.11,03414,8450.0%75.0%
20.00%58.21,15513,53650.0%0.0%
60.00%52.382213,48466.7%50.0%

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Karthus vs Malphite - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Karthus do against Malphite in League of Legends?

Malphite wins the Karthus vs Malphite matchup with a 57.1% win rate compared to Karthus's 42.9%, a 14.3 percentage point difference. This data is based on 7 recent ranked games in patch 26.7.

How does Karthus do against Malphite in the early game?

In the early game, Malphite has the advantage against Karthus with a 66.7% win rate versus 33.3%. Malphite players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Karthus do against Malphite in the late game?

In the late game, Karthus takes over the Karthus vs Malphite matchup with a 50.0% win rate compared to 50.0%. Karthus scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Karthus vs Malphite matchup?

Malphite wins the matchup against Karthus with a 57.1% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.7. The 14.3 percentage point advantage means Malphite is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 7 games analyzed.

What is the best Karthus build against Malphite?

The best Karthus build against Malphite includes Liandry's Torment, Malignance, Rabadon's Deathcap with Sorcerer's Shoes. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Karthus runes against Malphite?

The best Karthus runes against Malphite use the Inspiration primary tree with Sorcery secondary. This rune setup achieves a 100.0% win rate in the Karthus vs Malphite matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Karthus counter Malphite?

No, Karthus struggles against Malphite with only a 42.9% win rate. Malphite has the advantage in this matchup. Karthus players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Malphite's lead.

How do I play Karthus against Malphite?

When playing Karthus against Malphite, play cautiously and avoid Malphite's power spikes. Focus on safe farming — you outscale Malphite in the late game. Use the matchup-specific build and runes above to optimize your chances.