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

Malzaharvs Varus

SMage
Patch26.11
Matches776,441
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedJun 7, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Malzahar vs Varus is a moderate matchup in LoL patch 26.11. Varus wins with a 52.2% win rate (+4.3%) over Malzahar based on 23 games. Varus wins the early laning phase while Malzahar scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Malzahar build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Malzahar vs Varus 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 - 47.8% win rate in this matchup
Malzahar
47.8% WR
VS
Varus vs Malzahar matchup - 52.2% win rate
Varus
52.2% WR

Who Wins the Malzahar vs Varus Matchup?

Varus wins the Malzahar vs Varus matchup
Winner
Varus
Matches: 23
47.8%
Win Rate
52.2%
7.5
CS / min
6.2
862
DMG / min
850
12,773
Gold / game
12,526
74
Heal / min
160
511
DMG Mitigated / min
491
1.8
CC / min
0.9
44.4%
Early Game WR
55.6%
50.0%
Late Game WR
50.0%

Malzahar vs Varus Matchup Summary

The Malzahar vs Varus matchup is a moderate matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 23 recent matches analyzed, Varus wins with a 52.2% win rate compared to Malzahar's 47.8%, giving Varus a 4.3 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Varus controls the early laning stage, but Malzahar outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Varus needs to press advantages before Malzahar reaches their power spikes, while Malzahar should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in crowd control, where Malzahar leads by 0.8s CC/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. While Varus is slightly favored, Malzahar can absolutely win this lane through smart trading patterns and wave management. Focus on playing around your cooldowns, conceding CS only when necessary, and capitalizing on Varus's mistakes. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Malzahar vs Varus Laning Phase Breakdown

Malzahar wins the laning phase against Varus in League of Legends

Malzahar is favored during the laning phase against Varus, 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
7.5Malzahar
6.2Varus
Malzahar significantly out-farms Varus by 1.2 CS per minute, accumulating an estimated 18 CS lead by mid game. This substantial farming gap gives Malzahar a major gold advantage and earlier item completions. Varus players should prioritize wave management techniques like freezing near tower and using abilities efficiently to minimize the deficit.
Damage
862Malzahar
850Varus
Damage output is virtually even between Malzahar and Varus, with only 12 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
12,773Malzahar
12,526Varus
Malzahar and Varus generate nearly equal gold per game, with just a 247 gold difference. Neither champion has a clear economic advantage, so gold leads will depend on individual play quality, kill participation, and objective contributions.
Utility
1.8Malzahar
0.9Varus
Malzahar brings significantly more crowd control than Varus, with 0.8 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. Varus should invest in tenacity and position carefully to avoid being chain-CC'd.
Sustain
585Malzahar
651Varus
Varus heals and mitigates 67 more damage per minute than Malzahar, providing moderate extra durability. This sustain edge allows Varus to stay in lane longer between recalls and gradually win extended wars of attrition. Consider building early grievous wounds if playing Malzahar.

Best Malzahar Build Against Varus

Spellslinger's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Varus, providing the mobility and stats Malzahar needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Malzahar against Varus 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 has a 25.0% win rate across 4 games. While the overall matchup may be difficult, this item path gives Malzahar the best chance to compete against Varus. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Malzahar vs Varus matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Varus
55.6%
+11.1% advantage
Malzahar early game win rateMalzahar44.4%
Varus early game win rateVarus55.6%
Late Game
Malzahar
50.0%
+0.0% advantage
Malzahar late game win rateMalzahar50.0%
Varus late game win rateVarus50.0%

Varus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 55.6% win rate — a 11.1 percentage point lead over Malzahar. This lopsided early game means Varus can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Late game (25+ minutes) is equally balanced, with Malzahar at 50.0% win rate — only 0.0 points ahead of Varus. Team fight execution and macro play determine the winner at this stage, not champion matchup advantage.

The power dynamics shift as the game progresses — Varus has the edge early, but Malzahar 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 Varus

Sorcery rune tree - Malzahar primary runes vs VarusSorcery
Deathfire Touch - best Malzahar rune vs VarusManaflow Band - best Malzahar rune vs VarusTranscendence - best Malzahar rune vs VarusScorch - best Malzahar rune vs Varus
Inspiration rune tree - Malzahar secondary runes vs VarusInspiration
Cosmic Insight - best Malzahar rune vs VarusMagical Footwear - best Malzahar rune vs Varus
100.0% WR

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

How does Malzahar do against Varus in League of Legends?

Varus wins the Malzahar vs Varus matchup with a 52.2% win rate compared to Malzahar's 47.8%, a 4.3 percentage point difference. This data is based on 23 recent ranked games in patch 26.11.

How does Malzahar do against Varus in the early game?

In the early game, Varus has the advantage against Malzahar with a 55.6% win rate versus 44.4%. Varus players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Malzahar do against Varus in the late game?

In the late game, Malzahar takes over the Malzahar vs Varus matchup with a 50.0% win rate compared to 50.0%. Malzahar scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Malzahar vs Varus matchup?

Varus wins the matchup against Malzahar with a 52.2% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.11. The 4.3 percentage point advantage means Varus is moderately favored in this lane matchup based on 23 games analyzed.

What is the best Malzahar build against Varus?

The best Malzahar build against Varus includes Liandry's Torment, Rylai's Crystal Scepter, Blackfire Torch with Spellslinger's Shoes. This build achieves a 25.0% 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 Varus?

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

Does Malzahar counter Varus?

No, Malzahar struggles against Varus with only a 47.8% win rate. Varus has the advantage in this matchup. Malzahar players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Varus's lead.

How do I play Malzahar against Varus?

When playing Malzahar against Varus, play cautiously and avoid Varus's power spikes. Focus on safe farming — you outscale Varus in the late game. Use the matchup-specific build and runes above to optimize your chances.