Zed - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
47.6%
Pick Rate
3.3%

Zedvs Malzahar

FAssassin
Patch26.7
Matches949,984
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedApr 21, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Zed vs Malzahar is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.7. Malzahar wins with a 55.1% win rate (+10.2%) over Zed based on 118 games. Malzahar holds the advantage in both the early and late game. Below you'll find the best Zed build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Zed vs Malzahar matchup.

Zed Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Zed 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 - 44.9% win rateMalzahar(44.9%)
Zed - 44.9% win rate in this matchup
Zed
44.9% WR
VS
Malzahar vs Zed matchup - 55.1% win rate
Malzahar
55.1% WR

Who Wins the Zed vs Malzahar Matchup?

Malzahar wins the Zed vs Malzahar matchup
Winner
Malzahar
Matches: 118
44.9%
Win Rate
55.1%
6.6
CS / min
7.5
865
DMG / min
778
12,858
Gold / game
12,341
152
Heal / min
70
603
DMG Mitigated / min
526
0.2
CC / min
1.8
48.0%
Early Game WR
52.0%
42.6%
Late Game WR
57.4%

Zed vs Malzahar Matchup Summary

The Zed vs Malzahar matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 118 recent matches analyzed, Malzahar wins with a 55.1% win rate compared to Zed's 44.9%, giving Malzahar a 10.2 percentage point advantage. Malzahar dominates at every stage — from early laning through late game team fights. This consistent advantage makes it difficult for Zed 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 has a strong advantage in this matchup. Zed players should play defensively, prioritize safe farming under tower, and look for opportunities created by jungle pressure or Malzahar 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.

Zed vs Malzahar Laning Phase Breakdown

Zed wins the laning phase against Malzahar in League of Legends

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

Farming
6.6Zed
7.5Malzahar
Malzahar significantly out-farms Zed by 0.9 CS per minute, accumulating an estimated 14 CS lead by mid game. This substantial farming gap gives Malzahar a major gold advantage and earlier item completions. Zed players should prioritize wave management techniques like freezing near tower and using abilities efficiently to minimize the deficit.
Damage
865Zed
778Malzahar
Zed heavily out-damages Malzahar by 87 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 Zed's sustained damage advantage take over.
Economy
12,858Zed
12,341Malzahar
Zed earns 517 more gold per game than Malzahar, equivalent to roughly one additional component item. This economic edge comes from a combination of better farming, kill participation, and objective control, giving Zed slightly faster item completions.
Utility
0.2Zed
1.8Malzahar
Malzahar brings significantly more crowd control than Zed, 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. Zed should invest in tenacity and position carefully to avoid being chain-CC'd.
Sustain
755Zed
596Malzahar
Zed vastly out-sustains Malzahar, healing and mitigating 159 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Zed 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 Zed Build Against Malzahar

Crimson Lucidity is the optimal boots choice against Malzahar, providing the mobility and stats Zed needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Zed against Malzahar are Voltaic Cyclosword, Axiom Arc and Eclipse. This combination gives Zed an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. This build performs exceptionally well, achieving a 57.1% win rate across 7 games — well above average and making it the top item path against Malzahar. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Zed vs Malzahar matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Malzahar
52.0%
+4.0% advantage
Zed early game win rateZed48.0%
Malzahar early game win rateMalzahar52.0%
Late Game
Malzahar
57.4%
+14.7% advantage
Zed late game win rateZed42.6%
Malzahar late game win rateMalzahar57.4%

During the early laning phase (first 15 minutes), Malzahar has a meaningful 52.0% win rate, outperforming Zed by 4.0 percentage points. Malzahar players should look to press this advantage through aggressive trades, wave priority, and early jungle coordination.

Malzahar is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 57.4% win rate — 14.7 points above Zed. 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. Zed players should look for outplays, team-dependent strategies, and picks rather than relying on scaling to win this matchup.

Best Zed Runes Against Malzahar

Domination rune tree - Zed primary runes vs MalzaharDomination
Electrocute - best Zed rune vs MalzaharTaste of Blood - best Zed rune vs MalzaharGrisly Mementos - best Zed rune vs MalzaharUltimate Hunter - best Zed rune vs Malzahar
Sorcery rune tree - Zed secondary runes vs MalzaharSorcery
Scorch - best Zed rune vs MalzaharTranscendence - best Zed rune vs Malzahar
47.6% WR

The Domination and Sorcery rune setup gives Zed the best tools to compete against Malzahar in this difficult matchup, compensating for the statistical disadvantages with optimal rune synergies.


Zed matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.7. The table below shows Zed'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 Zed build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Zed matchup win rates and stats in League of Legends patch 26.7
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
52.53%1586.493812,91352.0%53.0%
55.65%1246.791113,15651.7%59.1%
44.92%1186.686512,85848.0%42.6%
53.49%866.21,02013,51154.5%52.8%
47.67%865.492311,89048.0%47.2%
51.81%836.582512,42645.0%58.1%
51.81%836.596012,61150.0%53.9%
39.76%836.394912,89246.1%34.1%
38.75%806.189713,43331.0%43.1%
51.32%766.394812,90453.3%50.0%
54.05%746.696913,64462.5%47.6%
52.11%716.392813,49253.6%51.2%
53.73%676.495313,18348.3%57.9%
53.73%676.392913,58752.0%54.8%
38.81%676.484412,49935.7%41.0%
45.45%666.097412,89142.9%47.4%
42.86%635.484712,44444.0%42.1%
47.46%596.278711,65641.9%53.6%
51.02%496.181112,45941.7%60.0%
55.32%476.41,05912,92752.0%59.1%
53.19%475.290513,35447.6%57.7%
51.16%436.179812,46655.6%48.0%
55.81%436.31,00512,88370.0%43.5%
45.24%426.093212,73055.0%36.4%
50.00%386.087812,99443.8%54.5%
55.26%386.41,01312,14450.0%62.5%
57.89%385.394213,18557.1%58.8%
62.16%376.81,02712,63365.0%58.8%
45.71%356.389713,36642.9%47.6%
51.43%356.082612,55235.3%66.7%
64.71%345.294013,85662.5%65.4%
55.88%346.71,03112,66862.5%50.0%
64.52%316.71,02012,82850.0%73.7%
51.61%316.193912,12041.2%64.3%
28.57%286.174212,01333.3%23.1%
51.85%276.71,12614,66644.4%55.6%
60.00%256.383012,22862.5%58.8%
52.00%251.475713,07853.3%50.0%
45.83%241.986015,14066.7%33.3%
25.00%245.51,09611,93023.1%27.3%
56.52%232.694414,33558.3%54.5%
26.09%236.588712,96025.0%26.7%
40.91%226.583911,97837.5%42.9%
36.36%221.577914,14237.5%35.7%
57.14%216.496514,26280.0%50.0%
38.10%213.584112,76236.4%40.0%
45.00%206.21,07114,07944.4%45.5%
55.00%202.184414,31475.0%41.7%
50.00%205.181511,35740.0%60.0%
36.84%191.978813,42554.5%12.5%
52.63%197.11,16414,33575.0%36.4%
61.11%186.31,05214,60383.3%50.0%
41.18%172.099118,0220.0%50.0%
56.25%162.21,12712,97054.5%60.0%
62.50%166.81,08814,22766.7%60.0%
60.00%153.398514,34457.1%62.5%
53.33%156.289313,02971.4%37.5%
60.00%155.588711,64050.0%71.4%
40.00%155.086613,68442.9%37.5%
57.14%146.490311,75457.1%57.1%
64.29%142.581914,26675.0%60.0%
30.77%136.576811,77142.9%16.7%
76.92%135.81,00713,169100.0%62.5%
58.33%121.293115,24466.7%55.6%
45.45%111.592313,35525.0%57.1%
36.36%116.21,01114,35940.0%33.3%
27.27%116.31,06213,15760.0%0.0%
72.73%117.196015,222100.0%57.1%
0.00%112.583515,2560.0%0.0%
54.55%112.276313,943100.0%28.6%
45.45%116.31,04312,17950.0%42.9%
36.36%111.685715,62033.3%37.5%
40.00%106.080210,86550.0%25.0%
50.00%103.073213,45950.0%50.0%
60.00%101.477613,17550.0%66.7%
40.00%102.981012,81550.0%33.3%
33.33%91.199915,66325.0%40.0%
88.89%94.379214,51175.0%100.0%
33.33%95.579214,5410.0%37.5%
44.44%97.494510,26750.0%33.3%
44.44%96.797411,52060.0%25.0%
55.56%94.298615,9180.0%71.4%
55.56%91.196014,344100.0%20.0%
50.00%81.31,23616,25433.3%60.0%
50.00%87.187713,24175.0%25.0%
75.00%82.11,12116,031100.0%60.0%
37.50%81.481516,4860.0%37.5%
50.00%86.51,11814,86866.7%40.0%
42.86%75.965811,13320.0%100.0%
42.86%73.51,04014,12540.0%50.0%
71.43%75.295713,3730.0%83.3%
57.14%75.01,13615,60150.0%66.7%
85.71%71.580114,24175.0%100.0%
57.14%70.981914,31350.0%60.0%
16.67%63.997917,0120.0%16.7%
83.33%65.974711,255100.0%66.7%
66.67%61.880912,48080.0%0.0%
66.67%65.586311,57175.0%50.0%
50.00%67.21,09112,97433.3%66.7%
33.33%64.967011,33033.3%33.3%
66.67%61.379119,114100.0%60.0%
80.00%56.41,71219,228100.0%75.0%
40.00%52.170515,1850.0%50.0%
60.00%56.195213,48550.0%66.7%
20.00%51.061611,1410.0%33.3%
60.00%54.585912,09433.3%100.0%
80.00%52.698813,047100.0%66.7%
20.00%51.095913,8650.0%33.3%
60.00%56.078713,8250.0%100.0%
40.00%55.993013,3000.0%50.0%
40.00%56.59519,98333.3%50.0%
80.00%57.41,25316,097100.0%66.7%
40.00%57.31,34517,6690.0%40.0%

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Zed vs Malzahar - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Zed do against Malzahar in League of Legends?

Malzahar wins the Zed vs Malzahar matchup with a 55.1% win rate compared to Zed's 44.9%, a 10.2 percentage point difference. This data is based on 118 recent ranked games in patch 26.7.

How does Zed do against Malzahar in the early game?

In the early game, Malzahar has the advantage against Zed with a 52.0% win rate versus 48.0%. Malzahar players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Zed do against Malzahar in the late game?

In the late game, Malzahar takes over the Zed vs Malzahar matchup with a 57.4% win rate compared to 42.6%. Malzahar scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Zed vs Malzahar matchup?

Malzahar wins the matchup against Zed with a 55.1% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.7. The 10.2 percentage point advantage means Malzahar is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 118 games analyzed.

What is the best Zed build against Malzahar?

The best Zed build against Malzahar includes Voltaic Cyclosword, Axiom Arc, Eclipse with Crimson Lucidity. This build achieves a 57.1% win rate in the matchup. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Zed runes against Malzahar?

The best Zed runes against Malzahar use the Domination primary tree with Sorcery secondary. This rune setup achieves a 47.6% win rate in the Zed vs Malzahar matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Zed counter Malzahar?

No, Zed struggles against Malzahar with only a 44.9% win rate. Malzahar has the advantage in this matchup. Zed players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Malzahar's lead.

How do I play Zed against Malzahar?

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