Malphite · Top

Malphite Laning Guide

Laning phaseData-drivenEasyPatch 16.19.1

7.7KUpdated 20 hours ago

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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.

Overview

Top is an island: few ganks, long trades and a lot of wave management. Freeze the wave near your tower when you're weaker and push it when you want to roam or recall. Early, fight for tower plates and help your jungler with Herald or grubs when your wave is pushed.

Strengths

Sustain from Granite Shield.
Very durable: Riot rates it 9/10 in defense.
Easy to pick up: Riot rates its difficulty 2/10.

Weaknesses

No dash or blink in the kit: vulnerable to ganks without vision.
Isolated lane: vulnerable to ganks when you push.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Lane buildBalancedRecommendedHow to open: starting items, then the components of Bandlepipes on your first backs, and boots when the lane allows.
Standard buildBalancedAdvancedThe default path: Bandlepipes, Zeke's Convergence and Locket of the Iron Solari give the health, magic resist and armor this class relies on. Pick it when you have no reason to adapt. Built from Riot's item tags and the champion's class; Riot publishes no build statistics.

Builds

Lane build

BalancedRecommended

Open build

When to use it

How to open: starting items, then the components of Bandlepipes on your first backs, and boots when the lane allows.

Where it's played

Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.

Summoner's RiftRed side · bottom leftBlue side · top right

TopMain56% of matches
JunglePriority 244% of matches
MidPriority 3
SupportPriority 4

Starting items

Doran's ShieldHealth and health regeneration.Health PotionHealth regeneration.

Early game

KindlegemHealth and ability haste.Cloth ArmorArmor.Null-Magic MantleMagic resist.

Core items

1Bandlepipes

Boots

Plated Steelcaps

Runes

Primary· Resolve

Secondary· Inspiration

Shards

Summoner spells

Flash
Teleport

Abilities

Granite ShieldPassiveMalphite is shielded by a layer of rock which absorbs damage up to 10% of his maximum Health. If Malphite has not been hit for a few seconds, this effect recharges.
QSeismic Shard8s70/75/80/85/90 mpMalphite sends a shard of the earth through the ground at his foe, dealing damage upon impact and stealing Move Speed for 3 seconds.
Cooldown
8
Cost
70·75·80·85·90
Range
625
WThunderclap10/9.5/9/8.5/8s30/35/40/45/50 mpMalphite attacks with such force that it creates a sonic boom. For the next few seconds, his attacks create aftershocks in front of him.
Cooldown
10·9.5·9·8.5·8
Cost
30·35·40·45·50
Range
400
EGround Slam7s50/55/60/65/70 mpMalphite slams the ground, sending out a shockwave that deals magic damage based on his Armor and reduces the Attack Speed of enemies for a short duration.
Cooldown
7
Cost
50·55·60·65·70
Range
400
RUnstoppable ForceUltimate130/115/100s100 mpMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air.
Cooldown
130·115·100
Cost
100
Range
1000
Ultimate. Plan your fights around its cooldown.

Strategy

1Starting and early items

The first items decide how comfortable the lane is. The lane build below lists them with what each one gives you.

Key early items: Kindlegem and Cloth Armor.

2Trading

Short trades win lanes: hit, use one ability and step back before the enemy's full combo comes back.

3Wave management

Freeze the wave near your tower when you're weaker, slow push before a back and crash the wave when you want to roam or take a plate.

4Early objectives

Early, fight for tower plates and help your jungler with Herald or grubs when your wave is pushed. Your spikes are level 6, when Unstoppable Force comes online, and each completed item: Bandlepipes first, then Zeke's Convergence.

Tips

Short trades win lanes: hit, use one ability and step back before the enemy's full combo comes back.
Kindlegem is your first purchase that changes the lane: get it early.
Armor naturally reduces the rate that attacks go through Granite Shield, so Brutal Strikes will strengthen the shield against physical damage.
Early, fight for tower plates and help your jungler with Herald or grubs when your wave is pushed.

Matchups

Strong against

Gnar
Malphite starts with 665 health and 40 armour against Gnar's 540 and 32: the early trades are already won on paper.
Heimerdinger
Malphite starts with 665 health and 40 armour against Heimerdinger's 558 and 19: the early trades are already won on paper.
Quinn
Malphite starts with 665 health and 40 armour against Quinn's 565 and 28: the early trades are already won on paper.