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

Malzaharvs Nautilus

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

Malzahar vs Nautilus is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.11. Nautilus wins with a 55.6% win rate (+11.1%) over Malzahar based on 9 games. Malzahar wins the early laning phase while Nautilus scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Malzahar build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Malzahar vs Nautilus 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 - 44.4% win rate in this matchup
Malzahar
44.4% WR
VS
Nautilus vs Malzahar matchup - 55.6% win rate
Nautilus
55.6% WR

Who Wins the Malzahar vs Nautilus Matchup?

Nautilus wins the Malzahar vs Nautilus matchup
Winner
Nautilus
Matches: 9
44.4%
Win Rate
55.6%
3.4
CS / min
1.4
582
DMG / min
441
7,138
Gold / game
7,357
37
Heal / min
150
469
DMG Mitigated / min
1,270
1.9
CC / min
2.0
50.0%
Early Game WR
50.0%
33.3%
Late Game WR
66.7%

Malzahar vs Nautilus Matchup Summary

The Malzahar vs Nautilus matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 9 recent matches analyzed, Nautilus wins with a 55.6% win rate compared to Malzahar's 44.4%, giving Nautilus a 11.1 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Malzahar controls the early laning stage, but Nautilus outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Malzahar needs to press advantages before Nautilus reaches their power spikes, while Nautilus should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in sustain, where Nautilus leads by 914 HP/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Nautilus 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 Nautilus 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 Nautilus Laning Phase Breakdown

Nautilus wins the laning phase against Malzahar in League of Legends

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

Farming
3.4Malzahar
1.4Nautilus
Malzahar significantly out-farms Nautilus by 2.0 CS per minute, accumulating an estimated 31 CS lead by mid game. This substantial farming gap gives Malzahar a major gold advantage and earlier item completions. Nautilus players should prioritize wave management techniques like freezing near tower and using abilities efficiently to minimize the deficit.
Damage
582Malzahar
441Nautilus
Malzahar heavily out-damages Nautilus by 141 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Nautilus 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
7,138Malzahar
7,357Nautilus
Malzahar and Nautilus generate nearly equal gold per game, with just a 219 gold difference. Neither champion has a clear economic advantage, so gold leads will depend on individual play quality, kill participation, and objective contributions.
Utility
1.9Malzahar
2.0Nautilus
Both Malzahar and Nautilus provide similar amounts of crowd control (0.2s/min difference), meaning neither has a significant advantage in locking down opponents for ganks or team fights. Lane ganks are equally effective for both sides.
Sustain
506Malzahar
1,420Nautilus
Nautilus vastly out-sustains Malzahar, healing and mitigating 914 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Nautilus 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 Nautilus

Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Nautilus, providing the mobility and stats Malzahar needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Malzahar against Nautilus are Shadowflame, Malignance and Blackfire Torch. 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 Nautilus matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Malzahar
50.0%
+0.0% advantage
Malzahar early game win rateMalzahar50.0%
Nautilus early game win rateNautilus50.0%
Late Game
Nautilus
66.7%
+33.3% advantage
Malzahar late game win rateMalzahar33.3%
Nautilus late game win rateNautilus66.7%

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

Nautilus is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 66.7% win rate — 33.3 points above Malzahar. Extended games heavily favor Nautilus, 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 Nautilus 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 Nautilus

Sorcery rune tree - Malzahar primary runes vs NautilusSorcery
Summon Aery - best Malzahar rune vs NautilusManaflow Band - best Malzahar rune vs NautilusTranscendence - best Malzahar rune vs NautilusScorch - best Malzahar rune vs Nautilus
Precision rune tree - Malzahar secondary runes vs NautilusPrecision
Cut Down - best Malzahar rune vs NautilusPresence of Mind - best Malzahar rune vs Nautilus
100.0% WR

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

How does Malzahar do against Nautilus in League of Legends?

Nautilus wins the Malzahar vs Nautilus matchup with a 55.6% win rate compared to Malzahar's 44.4%, a 11.1 percentage point difference. This data is based on 9 recent ranked games in patch 26.11.

How does Malzahar do against Nautilus in the early game?

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

In the late game, Nautilus takes over the Malzahar vs Nautilus matchup with a 66.7% win rate compared to 33.3%. Nautilus scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Malzahar vs Nautilus matchup?

Nautilus wins the matchup against Malzahar with a 55.6% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.11. The 11.1 percentage point advantage means Nautilus is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 9 games analyzed.

What is the best Malzahar build against Nautilus?

The best Malzahar build against Nautilus includes Shadowflame, Malignance, Blackfire Torch with Sorcerer's Shoes. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Malzahar runes against Nautilus?

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

Does Malzahar counter Nautilus?

No, Malzahar struggles against Nautilus with only a 44.4% win rate. Nautilus has the advantage in this matchup. Malzahar players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Nautilus's lead.

How do I play Malzahar against Nautilus?

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