Malzahar - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
52.9%
Pick Rate
4.9%

Malzaharvs Gnar

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

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

Who Wins the Malzahar vs Gnar Matchup?

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

Malzahar vs Gnar Matchup Summary

The Malzahar vs Gnar matchup is essentially a coin-flip matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 8 recent matches analyzed, Malzahar wins with a 50.0% win rate compared to Gnar's 50.0%, giving Malzahar 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. Malzahar has a statistical edge, but the margin is close enough that respecting Gnar'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.

Malzahar vs Gnar 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
7.7Malzahar
6.4Gnar
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
895Malzahar
520Gnar
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
11,873Malzahar
11,161Gnar
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
1.7Malzahar
0.8Gnar
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
586Malzahar
981Gnar
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 Malzahar Build Against Gnar

Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Gnar, providing the mobility and stats Malzahar needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Malzahar against Gnar are Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame 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 2 games, proving it to be a reliable item path when facing Gnar. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Malzahar vs Gnar matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

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

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 Malzahar Runes Against Gnar

Sorcery rune tree - Malzahar primary runes vs GnarSorcery
Deathfire Touch - best Malzahar rune vs GnarManaflow Band - best Malzahar rune vs GnarTranscendence - best Malzahar rune vs GnarScorch - best Malzahar rune vs Gnar
Inspiration rune tree - Malzahar secondary runes vs GnarInspiration
Cosmic Insight - best Malzahar rune vs GnarMagical Footwear - best Malzahar rune vs Gnar
0.0% WR

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


Malzahar matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.14. 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 26.14
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
53.74%2277.491412,34748.8%56.6%
48.40%2197.189912,18648.8%48.2%
52.40%2087.585712,13543.4%58.4%
51.69%2077.690612,62551.3%51.9%
55.33%1507.397912,51558.9%53.2%
49.30%1427.180411,60847.2%50.6%
53.24%1397.280511,79549.0%55.7%
60.32%1267.484512,64959.0%60.9%
47.54%1227.489811,96260.9%39.5%
48.31%1187.581812,09740.9%52.7%
57.76%1167.293312,39658.5%57.3%
56.88%1097.385511,37455.6%57.8%
43.56%1017.278912,03734.4%47.8%
52.53%997.486211,66847.4%55.7%
57.45%947.388612,83563.3%54.7%
61.96%927.487511,32856.8%65.5%
56.18%897.382811,78048.6%61.5%
52.81%897.51,03512,69251.7%53.3%
61.63%867.680410,96160.9%62.5%
53.25%778.086010,61063.9%43.9%
61.64%737.287212,39353.6%66.7%
52.78%727.480911,57748.0%55.3%
43.66%717.695012,46330.0%53.7%
57.14%707.092511,57353.3%60.0%
44.93%697.585612,88146.4%43.9%
44.78%677.188311,84560.9%36.4%
50.00%667.680312,70852.2%48.8%
45.00%607.590313,02863.6%34.2%
48.28%587.486212,57550.0%47.5%
55.77%527.384113,16360.0%54.0%
50.00%507.282010,97645.0%53.3%
62.50%487.987112,92757.9%65.5%
52.08%486.781510,60045.0%57.1%
54.55%447.686310,88861.9%47.8%
56.82%447.288612,00973.3%48.3%
58.14%437.391912,83946.1%63.3%
55.26%387.490110,50755.6%55.0%
54.29%357.894312,59075.0%43.5%
33.33%336.679612,5999.1%45.5%
66.67%337.490112,37066.7%66.7%
69.70%337.599813,44650.0%78.3%
46.88%327.188411,63253.9%42.1%
50.00%327.382611,80558.3%45.0%
51.61%317.679611,66541.7%57.9%
54.84%317.488313,43857.1%54.2%
65.52%297.296011,54170.0%63.2%
65.52%297.177412,16861.5%68.8%
53.57%287.392312,18350.0%55.6%
51.85%276.988313,15733.3%57.1%
41.67%247.38239,59740.0%44.4%
52.17%236.385912,78750.0%52.6%
39.13%237.074311,86450.0%33.3%
50.00%227.51,00810,45862.5%42.9%
54.55%227.584013,59616.7%68.8%
45.45%227.276610,29836.4%54.5%
59.09%227.486412,31960.0%58.8%
45.45%227.61,01712,73766.7%30.8%
40.91%227.975911,48425.0%60.0%
52.38%217.792612,90754.5%50.0%
33.33%217.381010,90133.3%33.3%
60.00%207.685913,94657.1%61.5%
68.75%167.393413,09760.0%72.7%
43.75%167.795812,80533.3%46.1%
46.67%157.989611,97744.4%50.0%
40.00%157.17639,83436.4%50.0%
53.33%157.41,04313,29566.7%50.0%
53.33%157.092112,71357.1%50.0%
42.86%147.61,00612,41550.0%37.5%
69.23%137.31,05712,55466.7%70.0%
38.46%137.570311,86075.0%22.2%
66.67%127.192815,243100.0%63.6%
54.55%117.31,00315,075100.0%44.4%
54.55%117.183010,36320.0%83.3%
36.36%117.484612,33760.0%16.7%
60.00%106.688313,612100.0%50.0%
40.00%105.483412,8920.0%57.1%
40.00%107.858410,86960.0%20.0%
40.00%107.993814,46666.7%28.6%
50.00%107.01,21111,8560.0%62.5%
60.00%107.884111,96050.0%66.7%
44.44%96.070313,5140.0%57.1%
55.56%97.077513,7190.0%71.4%
66.67%95.790610,45660.0%75.0%
22.22%97.07107,37116.7%33.3%
44.44%97.69339,92650.0%40.0%
50.00%87.977114,05550.0%50.0%
100.00%89.197013,873100.0%100.0%
62.50%88.484113,73350.0%66.7%
100.00%88.097914,412100.0%100.0%
37.50%84.790811,58566.7%20.0%
50.00%87.789511,87360.0%33.3%
50.00%87.292114,39733.3%60.0%
57.14%77.779713,453100.0%50.0%
57.14%77.08698,323100.0%0.0%
57.14%77.890811,45450.0%66.7%
28.57%77.61,04512,5140.0%50.0%
57.14%77.27299,61950.0%66.7%
83.33%68.498214,8710.0%83.3%
50.00%66.594516,1160.0%50.0%
66.67%66.795512,4760.0%80.0%
50.00%63.167710,07933.3%66.7%
50.00%67.585212,00350.0%50.0%
33.33%65.39326,50725.0%50.0%
66.67%67.373612,9410.0%80.0%
50.00%67.590814,9660.0%50.0%
80.00%56.21,23314,89450.0%100.0%
80.00%58.179413,483100.0%75.0%
60.00%56.972911,932100.0%33.3%
80.00%56.576610,663100.0%66.7%

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Malzahar vs Gnar - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Malzahar do against Gnar in League of Legends?

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

How does Malzahar do against Gnar 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 Malzahar do against Gnar in the late game?

In the late game, Gnar takes over the Malzahar vs Gnar 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 Malzahar vs Gnar matchup?

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

What is the best Malzahar build against Gnar?

The best Malzahar build against Gnar includes Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame, 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 Gnar?

The best Malzahar runes against Gnar use the Sorcery primary tree with Inspiration secondary. This rune setup achieves a 0.0% win rate in the Malzahar vs Gnar matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Malzahar counter Gnar?

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

How do I play Malzahar against Gnar?

When playing Malzahar against Gnar, leverage your statistical advantages by trading aggressively during favorable windows. You have early game priority — look for kills and zone control before first recall. Build the recommended items and runes for this specific matchup for the best results.