Malzahar - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
51.3%
Pick Rate
5.3%

Malzaharvs Karthus

AMage
Patch26.11
Matches776,441
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedJun 6, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Malzahar vs Karthus is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.11. Karthus wins with a 70.0% win rate (+40.0%) over Malzahar based on 10 games. Karthus 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 Karthus 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 - 30.0% win rate in this matchup
Malzahar
30.0% WR
VS
Karthus vs Malzahar matchup - 70.0% win rate
Karthus
70.0% WR

Who Wins the Malzahar vs Karthus Matchup?

Karthus wins the Malzahar vs Karthus matchup
Winner
Karthus
Matches: 10
30.0%
Win Rate
70.0%
7.4
CS / min
7.4
882
DMG / min
1,271
13,854
Gold / game
15,568
97
Heal / min
145
570
DMG Mitigated / min
444
1.7
CC / min
0.5
0.0%
Early Game WR
100.0%
42.9%
Late Game WR
57.1%

Malzahar vs Karthus Matchup Summary

The Malzahar vs Karthus matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 10 recent matches analyzed, Karthus wins with a 70.0% win rate compared to Malzahar's 30.0%, giving Karthus a 40.0 percentage point advantage. Karthus 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 crowd control, where Malzahar leads by 1.2s CC/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Karthus 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 Karthus 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 Karthus Laning Phase Breakdown

Malzahar wins the laning phase against Karthus in League of Legends

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

Farming
7.4Malzahar
7.4Karthus
Malzahar and Karthus farm at nearly identical rates in this matchup, with only a 0.0 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
882Malzahar
1,271Karthus
Karthus heavily out-damages Malzahar by 389 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Malzahar 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
13,854Malzahar
15,568Karthus
Karthus generates a commanding 1,713 more gold per game than Malzahar. This substantial economic advantage means Karthus 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
1.7Malzahar
0.5Karthus
Malzahar brings significantly more crowd control than Karthus, with 1.2 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. Karthus should invest in tenacity and position carefully to avoid being chain-CC'd.
Sustain
668Malzahar
589Karthus
Malzahar heals and mitigates 79 more damage per minute than Karthus, providing moderate extra durability. This sustain edge allows Malzahar to stay in lane longer between recalls and gradually win extended wars of attrition. Consider building early grievous wounds if playing Karthus.

Best Malzahar Build Against Karthus

Spellslinger's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Karthus, providing the mobility and stats Malzahar needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Malzahar against Karthus are Liandry's Torment, Void Staff and Rylai's Crystal Scepter. 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 Karthus matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Karthus
100.0%
+100.0% advantage
Malzahar early game win rateMalzahar0.0%
Karthus early game win rateKarthus100.0%
Late Game
Karthus
57.1%
+14.3% advantage
Malzahar late game win rateMalzahar42.9%
Karthus late game win rateKarthus57.1%

Karthus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 100.0% win rate — a 100.0 percentage point lead over Malzahar. This lopsided early game means Karthus can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Karthus is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 57.1% win rate — 14.3 points above Malzahar. Extended games heavily favor Karthus, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

Karthus 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 Karthus

Sorcery rune tree - Malzahar primary runes vs KarthusSorcery
Deathfire Touch - best Malzahar rune vs KarthusManaflow Band - best Malzahar rune vs KarthusTranscendence - best Malzahar rune vs KarthusScorch - best Malzahar rune vs Karthus
Inspiration rune tree - Malzahar secondary runes vs KarthusInspiration
Magical Footwear - best Malzahar rune vs KarthusCosmic Insight - best Malzahar rune vs Karthus
100.0% WR

The Sorcery and Inspiration rune setup gives Malzahar the best tools to compete against Karthus 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 Karthus - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Malzahar do against Karthus in League of Legends?

Karthus wins the Malzahar vs Karthus matchup with a 70.0% win rate compared to Malzahar's 30.0%, a 40.0 percentage point difference. This data is based on 10 recent ranked games in patch 26.11.

How does Malzahar do against Karthus in the early game?

In the early game, Karthus has the advantage against Malzahar with a 100.0% win rate versus 0.0%. Karthus players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Malzahar do against Karthus in the late game?

In the late game, Karthus takes over the Malzahar vs Karthus matchup with a 57.1% win rate compared to 42.9%. Karthus scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Malzahar vs Karthus matchup?

Karthus wins the matchup against Malzahar with a 70.0% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.11. The 40.0 percentage point advantage means Karthus is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 10 games analyzed.

What is the best Malzahar build against Karthus?

The best Malzahar build against Karthus includes Liandry's Torment, Void Staff, Rylai's Crystal Scepter with Spellslinger's Shoes. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Malzahar runes against Karthus?

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

Does Malzahar counter Karthus?

No, Malzahar struggles against Karthus with only a 30.0% win rate. Karthus has the advantage in this matchup. Malzahar players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Karthus's lead.

How do I play Malzahar against Karthus?

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