Malzahar - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
51.4%
Pick Rate
4.7%

Malzaharvs Caitlyn

SMage
Patch26.7
Matches949,984
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedApr 21, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Malzahar vs Caitlyn is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.7. Caitlyn wins with a 54.5% win rate (+9.1%) over Malzahar based on 22 games. Malzahar wins the early laning phase while Caitlyn scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Malzahar build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Malzahar vs Caitlyn matchup.

Malzahar Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Malzahar 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
Caitlyn - 45.5% win rateCaitlyn(45.5%)
Malzahar - 45.5% win rate in this matchup
Malzahar
45.5% WR
VS
Caitlyn vs Malzahar matchup - 54.5% win rate
Caitlyn
54.5% WR

Who Wins the Malzahar vs Caitlyn Matchup?

Caitlyn wins the Malzahar vs Caitlyn matchup
Winner
Caitlyn
Matches: 22
45.5%
Win Rate
54.5%
7.2
CS / min
6.9
946
DMG / min
902
14,429
Gold / game
14,741
75
Heal / min
210
562
DMG Mitigated / min
452
2.1
CC / min
0.6
50.0%
Early Game WR
50.0%
43.8%
Late Game WR
56.3%

Malzahar vs Caitlyn Matchup Summary

The Malzahar vs Caitlyn matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 22 recent matches analyzed, Caitlyn wins with a 54.5% win rate compared to Malzahar's 45.5%, giving Caitlyn a 9.1 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Malzahar controls the early laning stage, but Caitlyn outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Malzahar needs to press advantages before Caitlyn reaches their power spikes, while Caitlyn should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in crowd control, where Malzahar leads by 1.5s CC/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Caitlyn has a strong advantage in this matchup. Malzahar players should play defensively, prioritize safe farming under tower, and look for opportunities created by jungle pressure or Caitlyn 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.

Malzahar vs Caitlyn Laning Phase Breakdown

Malzahar wins the laning phase against Caitlyn in League of Legends

Malzahar is favored during the laning phase against Caitlyn, 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
7.2Malzahar
6.9Caitlyn
Malzahar and Caitlyn farm at nearly identical rates in this matchup, with only a 0.3 CS/min difference. Neither champion holds a meaningful farming advantage, so lane dominance will come from trading and jungle interaction rather than CS leads.
Damage
946Malzahar
902Caitlyn
Malzahar deals 44 more champion damage per minute than Caitlyn. While noticeable in extended trades, this gap can be offset by Caitlyn choosing favorable fight windows, such as engaging when Malzahar's key abilities are on cooldown or trading immediately after dodging a skillshot.
Economy
14,429Malzahar
14,741Caitlyn
Caitlyn earns 312 more gold per game than Malzahar, equivalent to roughly one additional component item. This economic edge comes from a combination of better farming, kill participation, and objective control, giving Caitlyn slightly faster item completions.
Utility
2.1Malzahar
0.6Caitlyn
Malzahar brings significantly more crowd control than Caitlyn, with 1.5 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. Caitlyn should invest in tenacity and position carefully to avoid being chain-CC'd.
Sustain
637Malzahar
662Caitlyn
Malzahar and Caitlyn have comparable sustain profiles, with only 25 HP/min separating their healing and damage mitigation. Neither champion can out-attrition the other in lane, so trades will be decided by burst potential and ability usage rather than sustain.

Best Malzahar Build Against Caitlyn

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

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Malzahar
50.0%
+0.0% advantage
Malzahar early game win rateMalzahar50.0%
Caitlyn early game win rateCaitlyn50.0%
Late Game
Caitlyn
56.3%
+12.5% advantage
Malzahar late game win rateMalzahar43.8%
Caitlyn late game win rateCaitlyn56.3%

The early game (first 15 minutes) is a toss-up between Malzahar and Caitlyn, with Malzahar holding a razor-thin 50.0% win rate edge (+0.0%). Individual skill and jungle proximity will matter more than champion advantage in the early laning phase.

Caitlyn is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 56.3% win rate — 12.5 points above Malzahar. Extended games heavily favor Caitlyn, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

The power dynamics shift as the game progresses — Malzahar has the edge early, but Caitlyn 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 Malzahar Runes Against Caitlyn

Sorcery rune tree - Malzahar primary runes vs CaitlynSorcery
Summon Aery - best Malzahar rune vs CaitlynManaflow Band - best Malzahar rune vs CaitlynTranscendence - best Malzahar rune vs CaitlynScorch - best Malzahar rune vs Caitlyn
Precision rune tree - Malzahar secondary runes vs CaitlynPrecision
Presence of Mind - best Malzahar rune vs CaitlynCoup de Grace - best Malzahar rune vs Caitlyn
100.0% WR

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


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

Malzahar 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
52.87%2447.688412,88446.3%57.0%
61.31%1997.492812,26256.2%65.5%
54.07%1727.787612,74754.3%53.9%
55.56%1627.576212,80061.7%52.0%
42.41%1587.680012,27643.1%41.9%
52.90%1387.587712,42446.7%57.7%
42.65%1367.581812,84644.0%41.9%
52.99%1347.691412,34247.3%57.0%
57.98%1197.394513,24659.0%57.5%
55.08%1187.577812,34152.0%57.4%
42.73%1107.483212,11041.7%43.5%
54.13%1097.791813,22755.6%53.4%
50.46%1097.579811,13046.5%54.9%
53.70%1087.685912,05754.4%53.2%
51.16%867.990112,59054.5%47.6%
50.59%857.588811,38045.5%56.1%
48.78%827.479812,26753.9%44.2%
58.54%827.878911,42363.0%52.8%
48.15%817.577211,88748.7%47.6%
49.38%817.782312,33060.0%43.1%
48.10%797.581412,63545.5%50.0%
48.10%797.583212,88336.7%55.1%
58.33%727.583311,50466.7%48.5%
47.89%717.287712,76564.3%37.2%
49.30%717.882211,96347.4%51.5%
62.69%677.687712,77462.1%63.2%
55.22%677.584912,31051.7%57.9%
52.31%657.483812,02359.4%45.5%
54.69%647.692112,89465.6%43.8%
50.79%637.586511,68751.7%50.0%
58.06%627.896512,86458.1%58.1%
57.63%598.196312,38665.4%51.5%
42.86%497.51,15912,85642.1%43.3%
50.00%487.285711,37953.6%45.0%
55.32%477.81,05612,94660.0%53.1%
50.00%467.381812,04752.4%48.0%
46.67%457.889911,65673.7%26.9%
38.10%427.675912,66143.8%34.6%
60.00%407.974211,38866.7%50.0%
54.05%377.790413,24658.3%52.0%
55.56%367.787913,00358.8%52.6%
68.57%357.696313,77471.4%66.7%
48.57%357.181711,36952.6%43.8%
60.71%288.080712,63383.3%43.8%
39.29%287.782511,47041.7%37.5%
40.00%257.490412,44037.5%41.2%
58.33%247.797813,21075.0%41.7%
39.13%237.395812,54128.6%43.8%
60.87%237.593813,75566.7%57.1%
59.09%227.491713,34385.7%46.7%
45.45%227.294614,42950.0%43.8%
54.55%227.71,05614,40080.0%47.1%
57.14%218.41,02010,76570.0%45.5%
55.00%207.981012,90066.7%37.5%
50.00%187.792813,33762.5%40.0%
61.11%187.575111,78740.0%87.5%
35.29%177.592511,50845.5%16.7%
58.82%177.390612,76360.0%58.3%
43.75%166.778612,71950.0%41.7%
56.25%168.21,05513,02642.9%66.7%
40.00%157.087612,93425.0%45.5%
33.33%158.075912,25157.1%12.5%
86.67%157.683213,786100.0%81.8%
64.29%147.693313,40383.3%50.0%
57.14%147.492313,59250.0%62.5%
61.54%138.091114,04350.0%71.4%
46.15%137.476710,46755.6%25.0%
27.27%117.596012,5490.0%42.9%
63.64%117.963812,68050.0%71.4%
50.00%107.978911,32360.0%40.0%
60.00%106.784911,95066.7%50.0%
20.00%108.075011,78420.0%20.0%
40.00%105.91,00610,62733.3%50.0%
70.00%107.677914,51550.0%83.3%
40.00%107.884714,00240.0%40.0%
60.00%107.891112,64766.7%57.1%
77.78%97.01,11013,17050.0%85.7%
33.33%97.684312,22350.0%20.0%
66.67%98.078712,21580.0%50.0%
55.56%97.976915,314100.0%42.9%
50.00%87.895814,335100.0%33.3%
50.00%84.259110,14940.0%66.7%
37.50%87.781610,78325.0%50.0%
25.00%87.485914,90325.0%25.0%
42.86%75.874510,33875.0%0.0%
100.00%78.497613,684100.0%100.0%
57.14%77.991116,14733.3%75.0%
14.29%77.478211,67533.3%0.0%
42.86%76.880012,7320.0%75.0%
83.33%63.16229,628100.0%75.0%
83.33%69.282611,22666.7%100.0%
16.67%67.272214,2200.0%20.0%
50.00%68.07509,58133.3%66.7%
100.00%68.71,19116,508100.0%100.0%
66.67%67.798812,6090.0%100.0%
0.00%67.36119,8530.0%0.0%
83.33%67.163312,20166.7%100.0%
33.33%67.896011,89233.3%33.3%
40.00%57.287412,86466.7%0.0%
80.00%57.26408,401100.0%50.0%
40.00%58.178513,05333.3%50.0%

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Malzahar vs Caitlyn - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Malzahar do against Caitlyn in League of Legends?

Caitlyn wins the Malzahar vs Caitlyn matchup with a 54.5% win rate compared to Malzahar's 45.5%, a 9.1 percentage point difference. This data is based on 22 recent ranked games in patch 26.7.

How does Malzahar do against Caitlyn in the early game?

In the early game, Malzahar has the advantage against Caitlyn with a 50.0% win rate versus 50.0%. Malzahar players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Malzahar do against Caitlyn in the late game?

In the late game, Caitlyn takes over the Malzahar vs Caitlyn matchup with a 56.3% win rate compared to 43.8%. Caitlyn scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Malzahar vs Caitlyn matchup?

Caitlyn wins the matchup against Malzahar with a 54.5% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.7. The 9.1 percentage point advantage means Caitlyn is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 22 games analyzed.

What is the best Malzahar build against Caitlyn?

The best Malzahar build against Caitlyn includes Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame, Rabadon's Deathcap with Spellslinger's Shoes. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Malzahar runes against Caitlyn?

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

Does Malzahar counter Caitlyn?

No, Malzahar struggles against Caitlyn with only a 45.5% win rate. Caitlyn has the advantage in this matchup. Malzahar players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Caitlyn's lead.

How do I play Malzahar against Caitlyn?

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