Katarina - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
49.1%
Pick Rate
2.8%

Katarinavs Malzahar

DAssassinMage
Patch26.14
Matches491,560
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedJul 23, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Katarina vs Malzahar is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.14. Malzahar wins with a 57.5% win rate (+14.9%) over Katarina based on 94 games. Malzahar holds the advantage in both the early and late game. Below you'll find the best Katarina build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Katarina vs Malzahar matchup.

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Katarina Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Katarina 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
Katarina - 42.5% win rate in this matchup
Katarina
42.5% WR
VS
Malzahar vs Katarina matchup - 57.5% win rate
Malzahar
57.5% WR

Who Wins the Katarina vs Malzahar Matchup?

Malzahar wins the Katarina vs Malzahar matchup
Winner
Malzahar
Matches: 94
42.5%
Win Rate
57.5%
5.7
CS / min
7.3
881
DMG / min
886
12,930
Gold / game
12,835
226
Heal / min
68
681
DMG Mitigated / min
511
0.1
CC / min
1.8
36.7%
Early Game WR
63.3%
45.3%
Late Game WR
54.7%

Katarina vs Malzahar Matchup Summary

The Katarina vs Malzahar matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 94 recent matches analyzed, Malzahar wins with a 57.5% win rate compared to Katarina's 42.5%, giving Malzahar a 14.9 percentage point advantage. Malzahar dominates at every stage — from early laning through late game team fights. This consistent advantage makes it difficult for Katarina players to find favorable windows, so team-dependent strategies and avoiding solo confrontations are essential. The most significant statistical gap is in crowd control, where Malzahar leads by 1.7s CC/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Malzahar has a strong advantage in this matchup. Katarina players should play defensively, prioritize safe farming under tower, and look for opportunities created by jungle pressure or Malzahar 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.

Katarina vs Malzahar Laning Phase Breakdown

Malzahar wins the laning phase against Katarina in League of Legends

Malzahar is favored during the laning phase against Katarina, winning 3 out of 5 key stat categories. Malzahar holds advantages in farming, damage and crowd control, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.

Farming
5.7Katarina
7.3Malzahar
Malzahar significantly out-farms Katarina by 1.5 CS per minute, accumulating an estimated 23 CS lead by mid game. This substantial farming gap gives Malzahar a major gold advantage and earlier item completions. Katarina players should prioritize wave management techniques like freezing near tower and using abilities efficiently to minimize the deficit.
Damage
881Katarina
886Malzahar
Damage output is virtually even between Katarina and Malzahar, with only 5 DMG/min separating them. Fights in this matchup are decided more by ability timing and positioning than raw damage numbers, making mechanical skill the deciding factor in trades.
Economy
12,930Katarina
12,835Malzahar
Katarina and Malzahar generate nearly equal gold per game, with just a 94 gold difference. Neither champion has a clear economic advantage, so gold leads will depend on individual play quality, kill participation, and objective contributions.
Utility
0.1Katarina
1.8Malzahar
Malzahar brings significantly more crowd control than Katarina, with 1.7 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. Katarina should invest in tenacity and position carefully to avoid being chain-CC'd.
Sustain
908Katarina
579Malzahar
Katarina vastly out-sustains Malzahar, healing and mitigating 329 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Katarina 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 Katarina Build Against Malzahar

Chainlaced Crushers is the optimal boots choice against Malzahar, providing the mobility and stats Katarina needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Katarina against Malzahar are Kraken Slayer, Terminus and Blade of The Ruined King. This combination gives Katarina an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. This build performs exceptionally well, achieving a 62.5% win rate across 8 games — well above average and making it the top item path against Malzahar. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Katarina vs Malzahar matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Malzahar
63.3%
+26.7% advantage
Katarina early game win rateKatarina36.7%
Malzahar early game win rateMalzahar63.3%
Late Game
Malzahar
54.7%
+9.4% advantage
Katarina late game win rateKatarina45.3%
Malzahar late game win rateMalzahar54.7%

Malzahar dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 63.3% win rate — a 26.7 percentage point lead over Katarina. This lopsided early game means Malzahar can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Malzahar is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 54.7% win rate — 9.4 points above Katarina. Extended games heavily favor Malzahar, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

Malzahar holds the advantage at every stage of the game, making this a consistently favorable matchup from lane through late game team fights. Katarina players should look for outplays, team-dependent strategies, and picks rather than relying on scaling to win this matchup.

Best Katarina Runes Against Malzahar

Precision rune tree - Katarina primary runes vs MalzaharPrecision
Conqueror - best Katarina rune vs MalzaharTriumph - best Katarina rune vs MalzaharLegend: Alacrity - best Katarina rune vs MalzaharCoup de Grace - best Katarina rune vs Malzahar
Domination rune tree - Katarina secondary runes vs MalzaharDomination
Relentless Hunter - best Katarina rune vs MalzaharSudden Impact - best Katarina rune vs Malzahar
53.3% WR

The Precision and Domination rune setup gives Katarina the best tools to compete against Malzahar in this difficult matchup, compensating for the statistical disadvantages with optimal rune synergies.


Katarina matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.14. The table below shows Katarina'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 Katarina build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Katarina 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
45.39%1525.887011,89344.1%46.4%
45.59%1365.892811,02636.4%54.3%
47.11%1215.795511,88254.9%41.4%
55.75%1135.81,05413,51859.0%54.0%
42.55%945.788112,93036.7%45.3%
51.65%915.890412,65951.3%51.9%
46.51%865.794912,84745.5%47.2%
51.19%845.596911,98258.3%45.8%
49.37%795.891211,52442.4%54.4%
57.89%766.01,01812,28857.9%57.9%
47.30%745.888211,94351.6%44.2%
52.05%735.791010,82760.6%45.0%
40.58%695.888311,61338.7%42.1%
52.38%636.093013,20770.0%44.2%
59.62%526.092212,46368.0%51.9%
53.85%525.91,01311,61950.0%57.1%
56.00%505.91,07112,04563.2%51.6%
50.00%505.494111,84350.0%50.0%
55.32%476.099812,97960.0%51.9%
47.83%466.11,01712,83645.0%50.0%
37.78%455.383012,14840.0%36.7%
34.09%445.586511,31050.0%23.1%
44.19%435.494512,46131.6%54.2%
62.79%436.094111,38063.6%61.9%
60.98%415.898012,83143.8%72.0%
56.10%415.91,07111,30757.1%55.0%
48.57%355.890112,82945.5%50.0%
38.24%345.778311,36450.0%31.8%
40.00%305.487812,56054.5%31.6%
37.93%296.084010,52735.7%40.0%
41.38%295.884211,02440.0%42.9%
42.86%286.085411,30446.7%38.5%
48.00%255.585912,14657.1%44.4%
45.83%245.890911,20446.7%44.4%
40.91%225.778910,22646.7%28.6%
54.55%225.71,14510,38953.9%55.6%
63.64%226.198710,64781.8%45.5%
57.14%216.080611,55762.5%53.9%
55.00%205.592211,88537.5%66.7%
68.42%195.391612,328100.0%53.9%
52.63%195.71,10513,69044.4%60.0%
44.44%185.682511,16822.2%66.7%
70.59%176.01,01915,434100.0%58.3%
52.94%175.886112,75250.0%54.5%
40.00%156.080411,91320.0%50.0%
42.86%145.61,08812,2710.0%75.0%
64.29%146.01,07315,58060.0%66.7%
30.77%136.41,10013,07460.0%12.5%
53.85%136.11,09015,327100.0%40.0%
46.15%136.31,1339,34044.4%50.0%
41.67%125.588514,02350.0%37.5%
33.33%126.587511,68460.0%14.3%
33.33%125.492014,6240.0%44.4%
25.00%125.61,03713,69440.0%14.3%
63.64%116.085911,48566.7%60.0%
60.00%105.682911,11160.0%60.0%
50.00%105.69909,77957.1%33.3%
30.00%105.988710,42840.0%20.0%
80.00%106.31,33912,446100.0%60.0%
66.67%96.396011,66866.7%66.7%
66.67%95.589213,02975.0%60.0%
50.00%85.985713,038100.0%20.0%
62.50%85.076211,99960.0%66.7%
62.50%86.71,12615,05766.7%60.0%
75.00%85.878711,66260.0%100.0%
57.14%75.81,06913,48850.0%66.7%
71.43%75.71,18316,362100.0%60.0%
14.29%75.66479,80233.3%0.0%
28.57%75.58128,82725.0%33.3%
16.67%64.46797,84125.0%0.0%
50.00%65.675711,17966.7%33.3%
33.33%65.78408,57250.0%0.0%
33.33%65.31,04612,79525.0%50.0%
50.00%66.180712,06650.0%50.0%
83.33%65.91,32312,970100.0%66.7%
66.67%66.193911,12150.0%100.0%
60.00%55.583511,643100.0%50.0%
60.00%55.31,02813,250100.0%50.0%
40.00%55.31,02015,2020.0%50.0%
40.00%55.578112,4910.0%50.0%
40.00%56.690410,48050.0%0.0%
40.00%55.978312,79833.3%50.0%
40.00%55.786011,4750.0%66.7%
40.00%55.61,03010,37133.3%50.0%
40.00%56.41,06015,0920.0%66.7%
60.00%56.11,02012,228100.0%0.0%
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Katarina vs Malzahar - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Katarina do against Malzahar in League of Legends?

Malzahar wins the Katarina vs Malzahar matchup with a 57.5% win rate compared to Katarina's 42.5%, a 14.9 percentage point difference. This data is based on 94 recent ranked games in patch 26.14.

How does Katarina do against Malzahar in the early game?

In the early game, Malzahar has the advantage against Katarina with a 63.3% win rate versus 36.7%. Malzahar players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Katarina do against Malzahar in the late game?

In the late game, Malzahar takes over the Katarina vs Malzahar matchup with a 54.7% win rate compared to 45.3%. Malzahar scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Katarina vs Malzahar matchup?

Malzahar wins the matchup against Katarina with a 57.5% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.14. The 14.9 percentage point advantage means Malzahar is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 94 games analyzed.

What is the best Katarina build against Malzahar?

The best Katarina build against Malzahar includes Kraken Slayer, Terminus, Blade of The Ruined King with Chainlaced Crushers. This build achieves a 62.5% win rate in the matchup. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Katarina runes against Malzahar?

The best Katarina runes against Malzahar use the Precision primary tree with Domination secondary. This rune setup achieves a 53.3% win rate in the Katarina vs Malzahar matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Katarina counter Malzahar?

No, Katarina struggles against Malzahar with only a 42.5% win rate. Malzahar has the advantage in this matchup. Katarina players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Malzahar's lead.

How do I play Katarina against Malzahar?

When playing Katarina against Malzahar, play cautiously and avoid Malzahar's power spikes. Look for jungle assistance and team-dependent plays since Malzahar has the statistical advantage at most stages. Use the matchup-specific build and runes above to optimize your chances.