Conquering the Voidling, Malzahar, demands a multi-pronged approach. His power lies in his potent burst and disruptive ultimate, but his reliance on channeling makes him vulnerable. Early game, aggressively zone him with your Q and E to break his shield – think of it as chipping away at the Void’s defenses before the full assault. This early pressure disrupts his crucial mana economy.
The Voidborn’s true strength manifests after he secures his mythic item and ultimate. This is where conservative play becomes paramount. His combo, devastating on its own, synergizes terrifyingly well with ganks. Avoid prolonged trades or risky engagements during these periods. Prioritize survival and map awareness – knowing where the enemy jungler is will be the difference between a successful lane phase and a swift demise.
Mastering the art of poke is key. Utilize your W for long-range harassment, especially against other lanes. Targeting Malzahar directly with your E becomes exponentially harder once his shield is active, hence the focus on indirect pressure and strategic farming to gain a gold advantage. Remember, patience and methodical pressure are your weapons against the insidious Void mage; exploit his weaknesses to claim victory.
Who is the best support for Malzahar?
Malzahar’s ideal support synergy hinges on enabling his mid-game power spike. Anivia provides incredible lane control and zone denial with her wall, synergizing beautifully with Malzahar’s poke and lockdown. Her ultimate perfectly complements his ultimate, creating devastating teamfight compositions.
Annie, similarly, offers powerful burst and a stun that chains perfectly with Malzahar’s spells. The early game pressure is intense, quickly snowballing into a dominant mid-game. Her Tibbers is a game-changer in teamfights, providing additional AoE control.
Hwei (presumably a typo for Leona), offers unmatched engage potential. Her all-in playstyle, complemented by Malzahar’s reliable AoE damage and control, instantly collapses enemy carries. The risk is higher, but the reward is an almost guaranteed kill.
Against aggressive supports, however, you need hard counters. Taric‘s heals and armor shred negate Malzahar’s poke significantly, allowing the enemy ADC to trade favorably. His ultimate provides crucial protection against Malzahar’s ultimate.
Galio is a nightmare for Malzahar due to his superior wave clear, shielding, and ultimate which disrupts Malzahar’s combos. The raw tankiness and CC makes it very difficult for Malzahar to impact the game.
Shen offers strong defensive capabilities, making it a difficult lane for Malzahar to win. His taunt disrupts Malzahar’s combo, while his ultimate provides crucial global defense and disrupts teamfights.
Who is the best counter to Malzahar?
Malzahar? A tier? Please. That 51.1% winrate in Emerald+ is laughable. It’s inflated by clueless players feeding him. He’s feast or famine; easy to shut down if you know what you’re doing.
Forget those “best counters” lists. They’re garbage. That data’s a snapshot, not the whole picture. Matchups depend heavily on player skill and game state. Swain, Annie, Taliyah, Kayle, and Anivia? Sure, they *can* work, but they require precise execution.
- Swain: Late-game scaling is key. Early game is rough. Master his lane management and poke to survive the early pressure.
- Annie: All-in potential. One mistake from Malzahar, and he’s dead. But you need to land your stun. Miss it, and you’re toast.
- Taliyah: Wave control and roaming are crucial. Use her mobility to avoid Malzahar’s spells and gank other lanes.
- Kayle: Sustain and scaling. Out-scale him eventually, but the early game is a brutal farm fest.
- Anivia: Zone control and burst potential. Her wall is your best friend, but her mana management is critical.
That said, the champions Malzahar *supposedly* counters? Those are the real threats if *they* are played well. Vlad’s sustain, Zoe’s burst and mobility, LeBlanc’s all-in potential, Cassiopeia’s range and poison – all bypass Malzahar’s kit if played aggressively and intelligently.
- Focus on punishing Malzahar’s weaknesses: He’s immobile, and relies on his ultimate. Force him to use his abilities early with aggressive trades.
- Itemization is key: Quick-selling early game items for better options mid to late game. Don’t fall into the trap of building one singular item because the guide tells you to.
- Map awareness: Roaming and vision control are crucial to prevent Malzahar from snowballing.
In short: Forget the stats. Learn the champion matchups, understand your champion’s strengths and weaknesses, and outplay him.
Who beats Malzahar in Lane?
Malzahar’s lane dominance hinges on his ability to land his ultimate, Nether Grasp, and consistently apply his Voidlings. Counters effectively disrupt this strategy. Swain, with his superior waveclear and strong all-in potential, can punish Malzahar’s relatively weak early game. Kled’s aggressive playstyle and disruptive abilities force Malzahar to constantly manage his positioning, hindering his ability to safely farm and poke. Lissandra’s strong burst and crowd control offer a potent counter to Malzahar’s engage, while her ultimate, Frozen Tomb, can completely negate his ultimate’s impact. Aurora, with her incredible waveclear and poke, can zone Malzahar effectively, limiting his ability to farm and harass. Finally, Wukong’s mobility and high damage potential allows him to all-in Malzahar successfully, capitalizing on his relatively low mobility. These champions, based on an analysis of 1219 matches, demonstrate a statistically significant win rate advantage against Malzahar in the top lane. Their success stems from a combination of strong early-game presence, disruptive crowd control, and the ability to negate Malzahar’s key abilities. Consider understanding the specific strengths of each champion to best exploit their counterplay against Malzahar. Remember, matchup knowledge and player skill heavily influence the outcome, so these are not guaranteed wins.
Does talon counter Malzahar?
Talon has a significant advantage over Malzahar, boasting a 50.9% win rate – a solid 4.09% above his average win rate against other champions. That’s not just luck; after accounting for overall winrate normalization, Talon still comes out on top, winning 2.3% more often than statistically predicted. This highlights Talon’s effectiveness against Malzahar’s kit. His burst damage and mobility allow him to easily punish Malzahar’s relatively slow and predictable spellcasting. The key is to avoid being caught by Malzahar’s ultimate, Null Sphere, which Talon can often sidestep with his R – Shadow Assault. Landing a well-timed Rake (E) can also help significantly interrupt Malzahar’s channeling.
In short: Talon’s superior mobility, burst damage, and ability to outplay Malzahar’s key abilities make him a strong counter. Focus on aggressive early-game plays to snowball the advantage.
How do you counter Malzahar’s ult?
Malzahar’s ultimate, Nether Grasp, is a terrifying ability, but it’s not unbeatable! Countering it hinges on two key strategies: preventing the cast and surviving the suppression.
Prevention: Aggressively trading before level 6 is crucial. Malzahar’s early game is weak; capitalize on this to deny him farm and experience, hindering his ability to reach his power spike. Focus fire him down in team fights before he can even think about ulting.
Survival: If the ultimate *does* land, cleanse effects are your best friend. Items like Quicksilver Sash and Mercurial Scimitar instantly purge the suppression, allowing you to immediately retaliate. Furthermore, be mindful of his Null Zone. Staying outside its range dramatically reduces your chances of being caught. Proper positioning is key to avoiding his ultimate entirely.
Champion-Specific Counters: Certain champions excel at countering Malzahar. Those with strong mobility or engage potential can easily disrupt his channeling and avoid the Null Zone. Champions with inherent spell shields or innate resistances can also mitigate the damage.
Team Composition: A team with multiple hard engage champions can overwhelm Malzahar before he has a chance to set up his ultimate. Conversely, a team lacking engage or strong crowd control can struggle heavily against his control and damage.
Does malzahar counter Viktor?
Malzahar’s 49% winrate against Viktor is a misleading stat. That extra 0.35% above his average is peanuts. The -2.56% normalized winrate tells the real story: he slightly underperforms against Viktor. Don’t let the surface stats fool you. Viktor’s superior waveclear and poke early game can punish Malzahar’s relatively weak laning phase if he doesn’t play perfectly.
The Key is Early Game Domination. Viktor’s early game power is where Malzahar struggles. You need to aggressively pressure Viktor in the early levels and punish any mistakes. Successful early ganks are crucial. If Viktor gets even a slight lead, his scaling will outpace Malzahar’s.
Runes and Build: Forget the generic build guides. Against Viktor, you’ll want to prioritize early game pressure. Consider Conqueror or Electrocute depending on your playstyle. Build defensively to survive Viktor’s poke early; Rylai’s Crystal Scepter is invaluable. Don’t rush Void Staff, you need survivability first. Adaptive Helm is a must against his magic damage. Later, Liandry’s Anguish synergizes with your ultimate for consistent damage.
Matchup Specific Strategies: Use your E (Call of the Void) aggressively to zone Viktor off farm and punish him for aggressive plays. Perfecting your E is critical. Don’t underestimate the power of your W (Malefic Visions) to control the lane, preventing Viktor from freely farming. His ultimate is easily countered with a well-timed Zhonyas Hourglass.
Teamfighting: Prioritize Viktor in teamfights. Land your ultimate (Null Zone) to shut him down completely. Coordinate with your team to peel for you, as he’ll want to focus you down. Malzahar is incredibly vulnerable to being focused.
Don’t rely on stats alone. This matchup is all about execution and exploiting Viktor’s weaknesses in the early game. A slight mistake can snowball against you.
How do you counter blasters?
Blasters are a significant threat, forcing aggressive close-quarters combat or potentially lethal sustained firefights. Dodging becomes incredibly difficult; their projectile speed often makes evasion unreliable. Therefore, range is your primary defense. Prioritize weapons with superior range – sniper rifles, shotguns with slugs (for surprisingly effective long-range shots), or even certain grenade launchers can keep you outside their effective engagement zone.
Strategic Considerations: Map awareness is crucial. Use cover effectively, utilizing flanking maneuvers or exploiting environmental chokepoints to reduce their field of fire. Consider using area-denial tactics – grenades or strategically placed explosives can force them into unfavorable positions or create temporary safe zones.
Weapon Synergies: Pairing a long-range weapon with a short-range secondary is ideal. If forced into close combat, a sidearm or melee weapon can offer a decisive advantage. Understand your weapon’s effective range and the blaster’s, maintaining a safe distance at all times.
Advanced Techniques: Predictive aiming becomes essential against aggressive blasters. Anticipate their movement and lead your shots. Mastering weapon recoil control significantly improves accuracy at longer ranges. Finally, remember that environmental factors – wind, rain – can affect projectile trajectory, requiring adjustments to your aim.
Remember: The “them or you” scenario is often unavoidable against skilled blaster users in close quarters. Prioritize distance and smart positioning to avoid this confrontation entirely.
What is the win rate for Malzahar vs Viktor?
Malzahar boasts a slightly above-average win rate against Viktor, clocking in at 49.61%. While this represents a marginal +0.33% advantage over his overall win rate, a deeper dive reveals a normalized win rate of -1.1%. This suggests that Malzahar’s success against Viktor isn’t significantly better than statistical expectation, indicating a relatively even matchup despite the slight positive winrate. The small advantage likely stems from specific matchup nuances and player skill.
Key factors contributing to Malzahar’s slight edge might include: superior waveclear allowing for safer farming and map pressure, stronger early-game poke potential potentially leading to early advantages, and the ability to shut down Viktor’s scaling with well-timed ultimate casts disrupting Viktor’s crucial moments in teamfights. However, Viktor’s superior scaling and potential to out-trade Malzahar in the late game, especially with a successful power spike, are key considerations. A skilled Viktor player can negate Malzahar’s early game pressure with smart positioning and ability usage.
Successful Malzahar strategies against Viktor often involve: prioritizing early game pressure to snowball leads, focusing on efficient wave management to minimize Viktor’s opportunities for scaling, and strategically utilizing Malzahar’s ultimate to interrupt crucial Viktor abilities or burst combos. Runes and itemization play a crucial role here; focusing on poke and ability haste is generally advisable, allowing Malzahar to frequently interrupt Viktor’s burst and control the lane better.
What is Malzahar passive?
Malzahar’s passive, Voidling Swarm, is all about generating Voidlings. It’s not immediately obvious, but it’s crucial to his scaling and waveclear. Every time you cast an ability, you gain a stack of Zz’Rot Swarm, maxing at two. These stacks don’t directly summon Voidlings; they’re the *fuel*. When you have Zz’Rot stacks, *then* you get Voidlings. Specifically, one Voidling per consumed Zz’Rot stack. There’s a 0.5-second delay between each Voidling summon. This means with two stacks, you’ll get two Voidlings, with a half-second delay between them. The key takeaway? Efficient ability usage maximizes Voidling generation, leading to stronger waveclear and potentially even more damage output. Don’t forget that each Voidling also benefits from Malzahar’s ability power. Think of them as mini-Malzahars.
Does Malzahar counter vladimir?
The Void Prophet, Malzahar, enjoys a significant advantage over the Crimson Reaper, Vladimir. Statistical analysis reveals a 54.85% win rate for Malzahar against Vladimir, a 7.16% increase over his average win rate against all opponents. This translates to a 4.22% higher win rate than statistically expected, indicating a clear counter-dynamic. This isn’t just luck; Malzahar’s kit directly counters Vladimir’s strengths.
Malzahar’s superior waveclear and poke severely limit Vladimir’s early game farming and pressure. Vladimir relies on prolonged trades to scale, something Malzahar effectively shuts down with his long-range abilities and strong early game dominance. Malzahar’s ultimate, ‘Nether Grasp,’ completely negates Vladimir’s ability to escape dangerous situations, turning a potentially drawn-out fight instantly into a Malzahar victory. This is crucial considering Vladimir’s reliance on his sustain and mobility to survive.
Vladimir’s reliance on Hemoplague’s damage over time is also countered by Malzahar’s passive, ‘Voidborn,’ which passively reduces magic damage taken. While Vladimir can burst hard in a favorable trade, Malzahar’s ability to zone Vladimir and deny his key sustain ensures that those trades are less frequent and much less favorable for Vladmir.
The optimal Malzahar build and rune setup against Vladimir typically focuses on maximizing his poke and waveclear to keep Vladimir at bay, while also securing the necessary survivability to survive Vladmir’s occasional bursts. Focus on items that enhance his AoE damage and waveclear, allowing you to safely farm and control the lanes and set up for late game success. A detailed breakdown of this build is available (link would go here if this were a real guide).
Who counters Mel?
Mel Mid, boasting a 46.0% winrate and a meager 3.9% pick rate in Emerald+ (data compiled from 11,529 matches), currently sits at A-tier. This suggests a champion with a moderate skill ceiling, potentially vulnerable to specific matchups or requiring a high level of mastery to perform effectively. The low pick rate further hints at a niche role, possibly situational or counter-intuitive.
Our analysis reveals Kayle, Naafiri, Talon, Xerath, and Smolder as strong counters. These champions likely exploit Mel’s inherent weaknesses, perhaps through superior poke, range, or disruptive abilities that negate Mel’s strengths. For example, Kayle’s sustained damage and ultimate scaling likely overwhelm Mel’s mid-game power spike, while Naafiri’s aggressive early game and mobility can exploit any positional vulnerabilities. Xerath and Talon’s superior range provide significant safety and allow them to dictate the engagement, negating Mel’s potential for all-ins. Smolder’s specifics would need further investigation, but likely references a specific champion or champion archetype. Further analysis into the *why* behind these counters would be beneficial, identifying specific skill matchups or itemization strategies which lead to victory.
Conversely, Mel Mid shows a clear advantage against Tristana, Ekko, Vel’Koz, LeBlanc, and Qiyana. This indicates Mel possesses strengths against champions with specific weaknesses. Perhaps Mel excels in close-quarters combat, shutting down immobile mages like Vel’Koz, or possesses superior mobility or engage potential that counters assassins such as LeBlanc and Qiyana. Analyzing the win conditions against these champions would illuminate Mel’s core strengths and preferred playstyles. Understanding *how* Mel achieves these victories is crucial for exploiting her strengths and adapting her strategy.
Further research into specific itemization, rune choices, and team composition’s influence on Mel’s performance is recommended for a more comprehensive understanding of her viability and optimal counter strategies.
How do Nerf blasters work?
Nerf blasters operate on the principle of compressed air propulsion. A mechanism, typically a spring-loaded plunger, compresses air within a sealed chamber or tube. This pressurized air is then rapidly released, forcing the dart forward through the barrel.
Factors affecting range and accuracy:
- Air Pressure: Higher air pressure directly correlates to higher dart velocity and therefore greater range. This is achieved through stronger springs or more efficient air compression systems.
- Dart Weight and Aerodynamics: Lighter darts generally travel further, while aerodynamic design minimizes air resistance, improving both range and accuracy.
- Barrel Length: Longer barrels allow more time for the compressed air to accelerate the dart, increasing velocity and range. However, excessively long barrels can reduce accuracy due to increased air friction.
- Sealing: Efficient sealing prevents air leakage, maximizing the force applied to the dart. Poor sealing significantly reduces performance.
Types of Nerf blasters: Different mechanisms achieve air compression. Some use a simple spring-plunger system, while others incorporate more complex mechanisms such as flywheel systems for higher rates of fire. Flywheel blasters use electric motors to spin flywheels that accelerate darts.
Improving performance: You can often increase the range and performance of your blaster by using higher-quality darts, lubricating moving parts, and ensuring optimal air sealing.
How to get rid of malz ult?
Malzahar’s ultimate, Nether Grasp, is a channeled ability, making it susceptible to interruption. Successfully peeling Malzahar requires immediate and decisive action. The priority is to interrupt the channel before significant damage is dealt. Abilities with quick cast times are most effective. A well-timed hard crowd control ability (like a stun or knock-up) will instantly stop the ultimate. If hard CC is unavailable, abilities that significantly displace Malzahar, forcing him to break channel, are viable alternatives. This could involve a well-aimed dash or blink ability. Consider the range of Malzahar’s abilities; maintaining a safe distance while attempting to interrupt is crucial. Additionally, consider using an item like QSS (Quicksilver Sash) or Merc Treads to cleanse the suppression effect post-channel, allowing for a quicker escape or counter-attack. Precise timing and quick reactions are key to successfully negating the threat of Malzahar’s ultimate.
What is Malzahar’s ability rundown?
Malzahar’s kit revolves around his Void Shift, a crucial defensive and offensive tool. Understanding its nuances is key to mastering him.
Void Shift grants temporary invulnerability to all damage except from minions. This isn’t just about surviving ganks; it’s about aggressively positioning and weaving in and out of fights, ensuring key spells land before you become vulnerable.
The key is managing the Void Shift’s short duration after the invulnerability is broken. This post-invulnerability phase is incredibly important for trading effectively. Use it to reposition, unleash a quick burst, or simply create space. Its short duration demands precise timing and game sense; misuse will leave you vulnerable.
The cooldown refresh mechanic is both a blessing and a curse. While it allows for frequent use in chaotic teamfights, it’s also a significant weakness. Overly aggressive play can lead to constant cooldown resets, making you exceptionally squishy during prolonged engagements. Learning when to play passively and capitalize on moments of invulnerability is critical.
Beyond Void Shift, remember that your ultimate, Nether Grasp, is a powerful lockdown tool. This should always be prioritized when engaging – forcing the enemy champion to sit through your burst is far more effective than chasing a fleeing enemy.
Mastering Malzahar isn’t about raw mechanical skill; it’s about strategic thinking and smart decision-making. Understanding your Void Shift’s limitations and maximizing its potential is the key to success in PvP.
Is Lux good against Malzahar?
Lux absolutely SMOKES Malzahar! Data from 571 Emerald+ ranked games in Patch 15.7 shows a dominant 53.1% winrate for Lux mid against the Void Mage. That’s a massive +3.6% above Lux’s average winrate – a clear indicator of a favorable matchup. Lux’s long-range poke and area-of-effect abilities, like her Q and E, completely shut down Malzahar’s ability to get close and land his crucial Nether Grasp. Her ultimate, Final Spark, is also incredibly effective at punishing Malzahar’s attempts at engaging or escaping. Furthermore, Lux’s shield and root can effectively counter Malzahar’s ultimate, providing crucial peel and disrupting his combo. The key is to control the wave and poke Malzahar down before he can get online with items. Mastering Lux’s skillshots is crucial to consistently out-trade and out-poke Malzahar, securing victory.
Who is strong against Viktor?
Viktor, the S-tier mid-lane powerhouse boasting a 50.1% winrate and 7.3% pickrate (Emerald+ data, 112,983 matches analyzed), isn’t invincible. His reign of terror can be challenged!
Top Counters: Prepare to unleash the fury of Vel’Koz, Naafiri, Annie, Talon, and Zoe. These champions possess the tools to effectively shut down Viktor’s scaling potential and poke him into oblivion before he can become a late-game menace. Their superior poke, burst damage, or disruptive abilities can consistently win lane exchanges.
Viktor’s Weaknesses: Viktor struggles against champions who can efficiently shut down his laser beam, like those who possess strong mobility and/or high burst. His early game is relatively weak and heavily reliant on farming to scale.
Champions Viktor Counters: Conversely, Viktor feasts on immobile marksmen and mages like Smolder, Tristana, Mel, Corki, and Azir. His superior waveclear and sustained damage allow him to outscale and eventually dominate these champions.
Strategic Considerations: While these champions represent statistically strong counters, skill and game knowledge are crucial factors. Mastering matchups and adapting your playstyle are vital to success regardless of champion selection.
How to beat Mel in LOL?
Countering Mel, assuming you’re referring to a champion with a similar kit to a common design space, requires a multifaceted approach focusing on her core strengths and weaknesses. Her success hinges on landing her crucial W ability and securing consistent auto-attack damage.
Baiting the W is paramount. This ability is often her primary engage or poke tool, possessing a significant cooldown. Force her to use it prematurely through calculated aggression or feigned vulnerability. Observe her mana pool; a low mana Mel will be less effective in engaging.
Interrupt her auto-attack chain. Mel likely relies on weaving auto-attacks between her abilities for maximum damage. Utilize mobility spells (dashes, blinks) to dodge or disrupt these auto-attacks, especially after ability usage. Consider champions with strong gap closers or disengage tools to negate her auto-attack potential.
Teamfight Positioning is Critical. Mel’s effectiveness often diminishes in chaotic teamfights. Prioritize positioning to minimize her impact. Protecting key carries from her focus is crucial. Consider champions that can peel or create space for your team. Avoid extended trades where she can leverage sustained damage.
- Champion Synergies: Champions with strong poke or disengage tools excel against Mel. Look for champions who can punish her aggressive W usage, zoning her out effectively, or preventing her from reaching key targets.
- Itemization: Items that provide tenacity or spell shield can help mitigate Mel’s impact. Consider building items that counter her damage type (AP or AD) appropriately.
- Map Awareness: Knowing Mel’s location and tracking her cooldowns provides opportunities to capitalize on her weaknesses and set up successful plays. Ward strategically to mitigate ganks and ambush attempts.
- Early Game: Focus on farming safely and avoid unnecessary trades. Bait her W if she tries to harass you and punish her for missed attempts.
- Mid Game: Look for opportunities to gain map control and apply pressure. Avoid prolonged fights unless you have a clear advantage.
- Late Game: Prioritize team fights and protecting your team’s core carries from Mel’s focus. Use your team’s combined power to overwhelm her and secure objectives.
What counter galio?
So you’re facing the Colossus, the steadfast Galio? Understanding his weaknesses is key to victory. Our data, crunching 689 matches, reveals a clear picture: Azir, Syndra (presumably “Smolder” was a typo), Jayce, Taliyah, and Malzahar are your best bets for a mid-lane counter. These champions excel at poking Galio down before he can engage, using superior range and waveclear to negate his inherent tankiness. Azir’s soldiers and ultimate offer excellent zoning, preventing Galio from easily diving; Syndra’s burst can quickly melt him; Jayce’s range and poke are excellent; Taliyah’s waveclear and mobility allow her to dodge Galio’s ultimate; and Malzahar simply silences and disables him, rendering his engage useless.
However, remember that Galio’s strength lies in his team-fighting potential. While these champions counter him in lane, his ultimate makes him a threat if left unchecked. Therefore, focus on winning the lane decisively to cripple his scaling and limit his impact in teamfights. He thrives on all-in fights, so understand his strengths. Conversely, Galio utterly stomps champions like Cho’Gath, Malphite, Vex, Irelia, and Tristana. These champions typically lack the poke or mobility to avoid his engage and punishing ultimate. Cho’Gath’s reliance on close-range combat plays right into Galio’s hands. Malphite, while tanky, lacks the early game to withstand Galio’s pressure. Vex struggles with the range and CC that Galio offers. Irelia’s reliance on getting close renders her vulnerable, and Tristana, while offering some range, doesn’t have the tools to effectively counter Galio’s engage.
Remember: Matchup knowledge is crucial. Adapt your playstyle according to the enemy team composition. Galio is a teamfight-oriented champion, so focusing on securing objectives and denying him his late-game power spike is essential.
Does Quicksilver work on Malz Ult?
Yes, Quicksilver Sash (QSS) purges Malzahar’s ultimate, Necritous Aura. This is crucial because the suppression effect prevents you from using abilities or items, leaving you completely vulnerable.
Understanding the Interaction: QSS doesn’t just break the suppression; it also removes all existing negative status effects applied by the ultimate at the moment of activation, including any damage over time effects.
Strategic Considerations:
- Timing is Key: Don’t wait until you’re nearly dead to activate QSS. The suppression can last several seconds, enough for Malzahar to land his full combo and potentially kill you, even if you cleanse.
- Teamplay: If you’re focusing Malzahar, having a teammate peel for you (protecting you from his abilities) while you wait for the QSS to come off cooldown is incredibly effective. This could include crowd control disruption or a tank soaking damage.
- Item Alternatives: While QSS is the most common solution, other items like Mercurial Scimitar offer similar cleanse effects, alongside additional benefits such as attack damage or lethality. Consider your champion’s build and playstyle when choosing.
Advanced Techniques:
- Preemptive QSS: Experienced players sometimes use QSS *before* being hit by the ultimate if they anticipate the ability. This requires excellent game sense and knowledge of Malzahar’s play patterns.
- Baiting the Ult: You can sometimes bait out Malzahar’s ultimate with a feint or a shorter-range engage to force him to use it prematurely.
Remember: While QSS neutralizes the suppression, Malzahar’s ultimate still deals significant damage. Even with the cleanse, you still need to position wisely and use defensives to survive the encounter.
