Malphite Top Lane Build Guides, Runes, Items, and Abilities

Malphite is a tank top lane champion. However, he can also play the Support role in LoL. As long as Malphite can survive the early game and farm up to get his core items, he can really be a game-changer in the late game with his ultimate, Unstoppable Force. When he groups up in the mid and late game with his team, this is really where Malphite can carry the game and be a big front-line tank that allows the rest of his team to walk up and damage the enemies.

1. Strengths:

• Insane armor amount thanks to W
• Great initiation
• Safe pick, can be blind picked
• Build-in armor in kit
• Great against heavy AD teamcomps
• Attack speed reduction on E

2. Weaknesses:

• Not that good into AP teamcomps
• If ult is down, no hard CC
• Knock up from ultimate can be easily dodged by Flash or any blink/dash
• No escape besides ultimate
• Kinda Immobile
• Falls off if really behind

• Malphite W resets autoattack cast time
• When you are hitting turret use W to get stronger hits also your W is working like Titanic Hydra passive dealing physical damage in a cone to units behind.
• As the name suggests there is no ability that can stop Malphite ultimate
• Malphite bonus armor from W is tripled while Granite Shield is active.

• AA + E + Q + AA + W + AA: Combos against Auto Attack based champs are slightly different, AA then E Q instantly followed by AA W AA.
• Q + AA + W + E + AA: Your basic combo against abilty based champs is to Q then walk forward, AA once in range and instantly W once it completes to reset the AA. Follow up with an instant E then an AA.
• R + AA + W + Q + E + AA: To maximise your CC Use R. Upon landing instantly AA W followed by quickly using Q E then an AA.
• R + E + Q + AA + W: or your basic engage use R. Upon landing instantly E Q then AA W.
• Q + E + FLASH + W + EAA: To chase and burst a target Q then E and instantly Flash W.
• Q + E + AA + W + R + AA: Your regular all in is Q then E quickly once in range followed by an AA. Hit W R as quickly as you can then AA.
• Q + R + W + EAA + E + AA: When you need to all in quickly Q R instantly and upon landing W E as quickly as you can, followed by an AA.
• FLASH + R + Q + E + W + EAA: To surprise the enemy Flash then instantly R once you arrive. Q E W as quickly as you can.

1. Early game

• Play safe for the first few levels. You need time to come online and you shouldn’t be fighting unless you have a clear early advantage.
• Once you have a few levels under your belt, you can start to play aggressive and look for aggressive plays. You benefit from extended trades, so try to go for them frequently.
• Keep the minion wave closer to your side of the map throughout the early game. This is the best place for the wave to be as it offers you tons of extra protection.

2. Mid game

• Split push during the mid-game and try to secure side objectives. Avoid grouping when your Ultimate Unstoppable Force R is down.
• Group with your team when your Ultimate Unstoppable Force R is up. Rotate from the side lane to wherever your team is and look for a pick with your Ultimate Unstoppable Force R.
• Peel for your allies in team fights. As you’re a tank, you’re rather weak unless your carries are alive. Thus, keeping them alive is key in team fights. Be prepared to peel for them when necessary.

3. Late game

• Do not fight in the late game unless your Ultimate Unstoppable Force R is up. It is crucial that you only commit or look for fights when it is available as you’re going to miss out on the potential knockup it provides.
• Your Ultimate Unstoppable Force R will be on a shorter cooldown in the later stages of the game. If you can find an opportunity to do so, use it to catch out someone who is isolated and alone, too far forward or way out of position.
• Peel for your carries to keep them alive for longer. If your allies die quickly, there will be little chance that you will win the team fight.

Early game with Malphite focuses on surviving until level 6 while maintaining CS with E. Use your passive shield wisely by backing off when it’s down and trading when it’s up. Q is your main trading tool, but be mindful of mana – start Corrupting Potion to help with sustain.

Once you hit 6, look for ultimate opportunities, but don’t force them – a missed ultimate severely reduces your impact. In lane, use Q when your Comet/Grasp is up for maximum trading potential. During teamfights, you have two main approaches: either initiate with R on multiple priority targets, or peel for your carries by ulting divers.

Against AD-heavy teams, rush Frozen Heart and watch your damage soar due to armor scaling. Ward deeply when pushing as you lack escape tools. Remember that your E reduces attack speed, making you especially effective against auto-attack-based champions.

In late game, look for flanks with your ultimate rather than engaging head-on, as it’s harder to dodge when you come from fog of war.

With Malphite being one of the only full tank options in the game right now he is really safe and really easy to play. If you like to have an Ultimate that can change and win you the game in an instant whilst also being a big front line tank then Malphite is the go-to champion for you.

Thanks for Reading! If you want to gain more in-depth knowledge about LOL, check out many helpful articles here!

Good luck to you! – Cheng