Kennen vs Malphite
Skill matchup
Build vs Malphite
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Kennen: Hextech Rocketbelt, Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, Sorcerer's Shoes, Hextech Gunblade, Stormsurge, Rabadon's Deathcap, Void Staff.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Malphite's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Malphite 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.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 8s | 10s | 7s | – |
| 6 | 8s | 10s | 7s | 2m10 |
| 9 | 8s | 9.5s | 7s | 2m10 |
| 11 | 8s | 9s | 7s | 1m55 |
| 16 | 8s | 8s | 7s | 1m40 |
| 18 | 8s | 8s | 7s | 1m40 |
Playing as Kennen
Tips to maximize your impact
- Harass melees with Q
Against a melee champion, harass with Thundering Shuriken (Q) from your range: the shuriken flies far and applies Mark of the Storm (passive).
- Three marks to stun
Hit the same target with Thundering Shuriken (Q), Lightning Rush (E) then Electrical Surge (W): each spell applies Mark of the Storm (passive), and the third stuns.
- Trade with your 5th auto
Take your trades when your 5th auto is ready: Electrical Surge (W) adds magic damage and a Mark of the Storm (passive) to it.
- Engage into the middle of the group
To engage, rush into the group with Lightning Rush (E), Flash if needed, then cast Slicing Maelstrom (R): its repeated hits apply marks and stun.
Playing against Malphite
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Pop his shield before trading
Break Granite Shield (passive) with a cheap hit before taking a real trade: it absorbs 10% of his max health and triples his bonus armor.
- Lean on magic damage
If you deal magic damage, lean on it in trades: his only resistances come from Thunderclap (W), which only gives armor.
- Trade when his mana runs low
Trade when his mana runs low: Seismic Shard (Q) costs 70 to 90 mana, and it's his only ranged slow.
- Respect his level 6
Once he hits level 6, only step up if he's visible: Unstoppable Force (R) comes from far away, nothing stops it, and its impact knocks every enemy in the area into the air.
- Spread out from your allies
When he has Unstoppable Force (R), spread out from your allies in teamfights: the impact knocks every enemy in the area into the air.
Other Kennen matchups
Patch 16.21.1