Malzahar - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
51.5%
Pick Rate
5.1%

Malzaharvs Garen

SMage
Patch26.11
Matches776,441
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedJun 8, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Malzahar vs Garen is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.11. Garen wins with a 60.5% win rate (+21.1%) over Malzahar based on 38 games. Garen holds the advantage in both the early and late game. Below you'll find the best Malzahar build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Malzahar vs Garen matchup.

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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
Malzahar - 39.5% win rate in this matchup
Malzahar
39.5% WR
VS
Garen vs Malzahar matchup - 60.5% win rate
Garen
60.5% WR

Who Wins the Malzahar vs Garen Matchup?

Garen wins the Malzahar vs Garen matchup
Winner
Garen
Matches: 38
39.5%
Win Rate
60.5%
7.9
CS / min
7.5
885
DMG / min
752
12,363
Gold / game
13,512
65
Heal / min
137
507
DMG Mitigated / min
1,581
2.0
CC / min
0.8
37.5%
Early Game WR
62.5%
40.9%
Late Game WR
59.1%

Malzahar vs Garen Matchup Summary

The Malzahar vs Garen matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 38 recent matches analyzed, Garen wins with a 60.5% win rate compared to Malzahar's 39.5%, giving Garen a 21.1 percentage point advantage. Garen dominates at every stage — from early laning through late game team fights. This consistent advantage makes it difficult for Malzahar players to find favorable windows, so team-dependent strategies and avoiding solo confrontations are essential. The most significant statistical gap is in sustain, where Garen leads by 1,146 HP/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Garen 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 Garen 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 Garen Laning Phase Breakdown

Malzahar wins the laning phase against Garen in League of Legends

Malzahar is favored during the laning phase against Garen, 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
7.9Malzahar
7.5Garen
Malzahar edges out Garen by 0.4 CS per minute — a moderate farming advantage that adds up to roughly 6 CS over a 15-minute laning phase. This translates to earlier component purchases and slightly faster power spikes for Malzahar.
Damage
885Malzahar
752Garen
Malzahar heavily out-damages Garen by 133 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Garen 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
12,363Malzahar
13,512Garen
Garen generates a commanding 1,149 more gold per game than Malzahar. This substantial economic advantage means Garen consistently reaches key item breakpoints earlier, creating a compounding lead that grows throughout the game. Malzahar should focus on cost-effective item choices and avoid unnecessary deaths to prevent falling further behind.
Utility
2.0Malzahar
0.8Garen
Malzahar brings significantly more crowd control than Garen, with 1.1 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. Garen should invest in tenacity and position carefully to avoid being chain-CC'd.
Sustain
572Malzahar
1,718Garen
Garen vastly out-sustains Malzahar, healing and mitigating 1,146 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Garen 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 Malzahar Build Against Garen

Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Garen, providing the mobility and stats Malzahar needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Malzahar against Garen are Liandry's Torment, Rylai's Crystal Scepter and Blackfire Torch. This combination gives Malzahar an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. This build achieves a solid 50.0% win rate across 4 games, proving it to be a reliable item path when facing Garen. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Malzahar vs Garen matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Garen
62.5%
+25.0% advantage
Malzahar early game win rateMalzahar37.5%
Garen early game win rateGaren62.5%
Late Game
Garen
59.1%
+18.2% advantage
Malzahar late game win rateMalzahar40.9%
Garen late game win rateGaren59.1%

Garen dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 62.5% win rate — a 25.0 percentage point lead over Malzahar. This lopsided early game means Garen can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Garen is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 59.1% win rate — 18.2 points above Malzahar. Extended games heavily favor Garen, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

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

Best Malzahar Runes Against Garen

Sorcery rune tree - Malzahar primary runes vs GarenSorcery
Deathfire Touch - best Malzahar rune vs GarenManaflow Band - best Malzahar rune vs GarenAbsolute Focus - best Malzahar rune vs GarenScorch - best Malzahar rune vs Garen
Domination rune tree - Malzahar secondary runes vs GarenDomination
Ultimate Hunter - best Malzahar rune vs GarenTaste of Blood - best Malzahar rune vs Garen
100.0% WR

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


Malzahar matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.11. 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 26.11
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
51.08%4157.688112,45046.7%54.0%
55.31%3587.592212,41960.3%51.5%
49.23%3237.590812,55359.2%42.5%
44.94%2677.281912,33342.3%46.5%
51.85%2437.593912,13443.0%58.8%
52.19%2287.396812,52045.6%56.5%
49.77%2137.580512,37950.6%49.2%
54.82%1977.583811,93656.8%52.9%
51.78%1977.478212,11650.0%53.1%
51.04%1927.587812,48842.2%58.8%
53.44%1897.577112,22863.9%45.3%
53.98%1767.480511,85552.0%55.6%
51.81%1667.392512,26047.9%54.7%
53.01%1667.385612,00252.9%53.1%
53.33%1507.686912,44949.1%55.9%
46.62%1487.482511,91744.3%48.3%
54.68%1397.589812,68343.8%60.4%
48.91%1377.289713,02345.2%50.5%
53.73%1347.588412,68051.8%55.1%
40.15%1327.579211,74145.8%35.6%
53.44%1317.388112,49450.0%55.8%
47.97%1237.788112,47639.6%54.3%
55.74%1227.71,02612,45159.6%52.3%
48.28%1167.689912,94236.2%56.5%
43.10%1167.481712,07543.8%42.6%
59.13%1157.187912,58252.3%63.4%
47.12%1047.295012,00456.0%38.9%
52.88%1047.685613,51153.3%52.7%
51.92%1047.589112,28257.5%47.4%
48.04%1027.582312,57147.2%48.5%
50.00%987.589812,47655.0%46.5%
53.13%967.488512,67665.7%45.9%
63.16%957.81,01213,02266.7%61.0%
60.22%937.887412,76871.4%51.0%
62.22%907.690912,15065.8%59.2%
56.41%787.293213,82265.4%51.9%
30.26%767.595011,51429.7%30.8%
46.05%767.391611,12248.8%42.4%
40.85%717.686712,52534.4%46.1%
59.70%677.886711,97762.9%56.3%
48.39%627.384713,91531.3%54.4%
40.32%626.690311,88432.1%47.1%
41.38%587.188811,60041.7%41.2%
56.86%517.379912,33260.0%54.8%
54.00%508.088612,58162.5%46.1%
56.00%507.487912,72244.4%62.5%
61.70%477.687812,34259.1%64.0%
52.27%446.783612,15943.8%57.1%
51.16%437.31,17512,82741.7%54.8%
54.76%427.583612,15361.9%47.6%
48.78%417.581411,86633.3%60.9%
75.00%407.498012,81176.5%73.9%
45.00%407.274611,76929.4%56.5%
39.47%387.988512,36337.5%40.9%
57.89%387.288313,11862.5%56.7%
55.26%387.793613,09168.8%45.5%
54.55%338.01,00413,46161.5%50.0%
34.38%325.573810,98433.3%35.3%
46.67%306.985313,88644.4%47.6%
48.28%297.596812,54558.3%41.2%
39.29%287.779512,81633.3%42.1%
50.00%287.686512,91370.0%38.9%
48.00%257.291511,07641.7%53.9%
32.00%256.983513,09055.6%18.8%
50.00%247.31,15611,53427.3%69.2%
50.00%247.381812,18130.0%64.3%
47.83%237.586212,77344.4%50.0%
56.52%237.792411,55680.0%38.5%
30.43%236.881911,29533.3%27.3%
65.22%237.478513,49644.4%78.6%
56.52%237.679011,15554.5%58.3%
76.19%216.679511,51866.7%88.9%
47.37%197.482412,94450.0%46.1%
55.56%187.578913,67850.0%58.3%
55.56%187.789011,14754.5%57.1%
33.33%187.484111,13714.3%45.5%
44.44%187.91,00112,38950.0%33.3%
64.71%176.176512,42285.7%50.0%
35.29%178.188411,84930.0%42.9%
29.41%177.482113,15716.7%36.4%
52.94%177.599415,55260.0%50.0%
58.82%177.469711,33375.0%44.4%
47.06%177.697514,33340.0%50.0%
68.75%167.096713,33780.0%63.6%
40.00%157.277310,72962.5%14.3%
46.67%156.91,00111,99550.0%42.9%
66.67%157.41,06214,12666.7%66.7%
40.00%157.698511,63650.0%33.3%
21.43%146.71,01412,3430.0%33.3%
42.86%146.790912,84140.0%44.4%
25.00%127.572613,3640.0%50.0%
58.33%127.987814,15860.0%57.1%
41.67%127.685414,6370.0%45.5%
27.27%117.686710,71037.5%0.0%
81.82%117.876412,05388.9%50.0%
60.00%107.81,06012,69320.0%100.0%
70.00%107.480111,65533.3%85.7%
30.00%107.488213,8540.0%42.9%
44.44%97.81,01812,35060.0%25.0%
33.33%94.167911,5310.0%37.5%
22.22%96.670410,99725.0%20.0%
44.44%93.45827,13850.0%33.3%
66.67%97.382812,75366.7%66.7%
55.56%96.281412,75266.7%50.0%
44.44%96.394613,62850.0%42.9%
22.22%97.684413,14350.0%0.0%
66.67%97.592611,36871.4%50.0%
62.50%87.087311,713100.0%40.0%
50.00%86.776914,468100.0%42.9%
37.50%86.877711,13133.3%40.0%
37.50%87.293415,5320.0%37.5%
50.00%87.51,11813,83480.0%0.0%
75.00%87.480210,06660.0%100.0%
50.00%87.598012,96340.0%66.7%
50.00%87.876112,36550.0%50.0%
42.86%74.373110,31150.0%33.3%
42.86%74.078111,1640.0%60.0%
28.57%77.395414,8320.0%33.3%
71.43%77.673510,86350.0%100.0%
42.86%77.61,03915,32150.0%33.3%
83.33%66.589912,71966.7%100.0%
33.33%65.368910,5940.0%50.0%
50.00%62.06617,34125.0%100.0%
40.00%56.374412,022100.0%25.0%
40.00%55.179610,94650.0%33.3%
60.00%53.369310,83566.7%50.0%
40.00%57.693911,67325.0%100.0%
20.00%57.689913,7510.0%20.0%
60.00%57.397712,63650.0%66.7%
60.00%55.778111,36250.0%66.7%
60.00%52.744511,3140.0%100.0%
40.00%53.07079,9030.0%50.0%
80.00%56.81,04514,35750.0%100.0%

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Malzahar vs Garen - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Malzahar do against Garen in League of Legends?

Garen wins the Malzahar vs Garen matchup with a 60.5% win rate compared to Malzahar's 39.5%, a 21.1 percentage point difference. This data is based on 38 recent ranked games in patch 26.11.

How does Malzahar do against Garen in the early game?

In the early game, Garen has the advantage against Malzahar with a 62.5% win rate versus 37.5%. Garen players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Malzahar do against Garen in the late game?

In the late game, Garen takes over the Malzahar vs Garen matchup with a 59.1% win rate compared to 40.9%. Garen scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Malzahar vs Garen matchup?

Garen wins the matchup against Malzahar with a 60.5% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.11. The 21.1 percentage point advantage means Garen is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 38 games analyzed.

What is the best Malzahar build against Garen?

The best Malzahar build against Garen includes Liandry's Torment, Rylai's Crystal Scepter, Blackfire Torch with Sorcerer's Shoes. This build achieves a 50.0% win rate in the matchup. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Malzahar runes against Garen?

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

Does Malzahar counter Garen?

No, Malzahar struggles against Garen with only a 39.5% win rate. Garen has the advantage in this matchup. Malzahar players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Garen's lead.

How do I play Malzahar against Garen?

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