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

Malzaharvs Naafiri

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

Malzahar vs Naafiri is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.11. Malzahar wins with a 53.4% win rate (+6.9%) over Naafiri based on 131 games. Malzahar 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 Naafiri 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 - 53.4% win rate in this matchup
Malzahar
53.4% WR
VS
Naafiri vs Malzahar matchup - 46.6% win rate
Naafiri
46.6% WR

Who Wins the Malzahar vs Naafiri Matchup?

Malzahar wins the Malzahar vs Naafiri matchup
Winner
Malzahar
Matches: 131
53.4%
Win Rate
46.6%
7.3
CS / min
6.1
881
DMG / min
854
12,494
Gold / game
12,664
71
Heal / min
250
491
DMG Mitigated / min
636
1.7
CC / min
0.1
50.0%
Early Game WR
50.0%
55.8%
Late Game WR
44.2%

Malzahar vs Naafiri Matchup Summary

The Malzahar vs Naafiri matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 131 recent matches analyzed, Malzahar wins with a 53.4% win rate compared to Naafiri's 46.6%, giving Malzahar a 6.9 percentage point advantage. Malzahar dominates at every stage — from early laning through late game team fights. This consistent advantage makes it difficult for Naafiri 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 1.6s CC/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Malzahar players can confidently pick into Naafiri and play aggressively from level 1. Look to establish lane dominance early through favorable trades and zone Naafiri away from CS whenever possible. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Malzahar vs Naafiri Laning Phase Breakdown

Malzahar wins the laning phase against Naafiri in League of Legends

Malzahar is favored during the laning phase against Naafiri, 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
7.3Malzahar
6.1Naafiri
Malzahar significantly out-farms Naafiri by 1.1 CS per minute, accumulating an estimated 17 CS lead by mid game. This substantial farming gap gives Malzahar a major gold advantage and earlier item completions. Naafiri players should prioritize wave management techniques like freezing near tower and using abilities efficiently to minimize the deficit.
Damage
881Malzahar
854Naafiri
Damage output is virtually even between Malzahar and Naafiri, with only 27 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
12,494Malzahar
12,664Naafiri
Malzahar and Naafiri generate nearly equal gold per game, with just a 169 gold difference. Neither champion has a clear economic advantage, so gold leads will depend on individual play quality, kill participation, and objective contributions.
Utility
1.7Malzahar
0.1Naafiri
Malzahar brings significantly more crowd control than Naafiri, with 1.6 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. Naafiri should invest in tenacity and position carefully to avoid being chain-CC'd.
Sustain
561Malzahar
886Naafiri
Naafiri vastly out-sustains Malzahar, healing and mitigating 325 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Naafiri 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 Naafiri

Spellslinger's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Naafiri, providing the mobility and stats Malzahar needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Malzahar against Naafiri are Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame and Malignance. This combination gives Malzahar an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. This build performs exceptionally well, achieving a 80.0% win rate across 5 games — well above average and making it the top item path against Naafiri. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Malzahar vs Naafiri matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Malzahar
50.0%
+0.0% advantage
Malzahar early game win rateMalzahar50.0%
Naafiri early game win rateNaafiri50.0%
Late Game
Malzahar
55.8%
+11.7% advantage
Malzahar late game win rateMalzahar55.8%
Naafiri late game win rateNaafiri44.2%

The early game (first 15 minutes) is a toss-up between Malzahar and Naafiri, 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.

Malzahar is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 55.8% win rate — 11.7 points above Naafiri. 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. Naafiri players should look for outplays, team-dependent strategies, and picks rather than relying on scaling to win this matchup.

Best Malzahar Runes Against Naafiri

Sorcery rune tree - Malzahar primary runes vs NaafiriSorcery
Deathfire Touch - best Malzahar rune vs NaafiriManaflow Band - best Malzahar rune vs NaafiriTranscendence - best Malzahar rune vs NaafiriScorch - best Malzahar rune vs Naafiri
Inspiration rune tree - Malzahar secondary runes vs NaafiriInspiration
Cosmic Insight - best Malzahar rune vs NaafiriMagical Footwear - best Malzahar rune vs Naafiri
55.2% WR

Running Sorcery primary with Inspiration secondary allows Malzahar to press their advantage against Naafiri, amplifying the strengths that make this a favorable matchup.


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 Naafiri - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Malzahar do against Naafiri in League of Legends?

Malzahar wins the Malzahar vs Naafiri matchup with a 53.4% win rate compared to Naafiri's 46.6%, a 6.9 percentage point difference. This data is based on 131 recent ranked games in patch 26.11.

How does Malzahar do against Naafiri in the early game?

In the early game, Malzahar has the advantage against Naafiri 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 Naafiri in the late game?

In the late game, Malzahar takes over the Malzahar vs Naafiri matchup with a 55.8% win rate compared to 44.2%. Malzahar scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Malzahar vs Naafiri matchup?

Malzahar wins the matchup against Naafiri with a 53.4% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.11. The 6.9 percentage point advantage means Malzahar is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 131 games analyzed.

What is the best Malzahar build against Naafiri?

The best Malzahar build against Naafiri includes Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame, Malignance with Spellslinger's Shoes. This build achieves a 80.0% 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 Naafiri?

The best Malzahar runes against Naafiri use the Sorcery primary tree with Inspiration secondary. This rune setup achieves a 55.2% win rate in the Malzahar vs Naafiri matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Malzahar counter Naafiri?

Yes, Malzahar has a favorable matchup against Naafiri with a 53.4% win rate. Malzahar strongly counters Naafiri in lane based on current patch 26.11 data.

How do I play Malzahar against Naafiri?

When playing Malzahar against Naafiri, 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.