Malphite vs Jhin
Build vs Jhin
The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup
Recommended items for Malphite: Sunfire Aegis, Thornmail, Frozen Heart, Plated Steelcaps, Malignance, Randuin's Omen, Kaenic Rookern, Jak'Sho, The Protean.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Jhin's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Jhin's hand cannon, Whisper, is a precise instrument designed to deal superior damage. It fires at a fixed rate and carries only four shots. Jhin imbues the final bullet with dark magics to critically strike and deal bonus execute damage. Whenever Whisper crits, it inspires Jhin with a burst of Move Speed.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7s | 12s | 2s | – |
| 6 | 6s | 12s | 2s | 2m |
| 9 | 5s | 12s | 2s | 2m |
| 11 | 5s | 12s | 2s | 1m45 |
| 16 | 5s | 12s | 2s | 1m30 |
| 18 | 5s | 12s | 2s | 1m30 |
Playing as Malphite
Tips to maximize your impact
- Wait for them to group for R
Save Unstoppable Force (R) for when the enemy carries are grouped: nothing stops your charge, and the impact knocks every enemy in the area into the air.
- Steal speed with Seismic Shard
Cast Seismic Shard (Q) before engaging or to escape: it slows the target and gives you the speed it steals.
- Trade with your shield up
Take your trades while Granite Shield (passive) is up: it absorbs 10% of your max health, and Thunderclap (W) then triples your bonus armor.
- Ground Slam against attackers
Against a champion who lives on autos, start your trades with Ground Slam (E): it lowers their attack speed, and its damage scales with your armor.
Playing against Jhin
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Trade while he reloads
Trade right after his 4th shot: Whisper (passive) then has to reload, and only his spells can hit you while he does.
- Respect his W after a hit
After Jhin or his allies hit you, step out of the line of Deadly Flourish (W): it roots you if you were damaged in the last 4 seconds, and it has huge range.
- Punish his lack of mobility
If you can engage, go for him when his support walks away: with no dash or leap, Jhin can only back off on foot.
- Interrupt his ult
During Curtain Call (R), he stays in place to channel: if you have CC, interrupt him, otherwise flank him.
Other Malphite matchups
Patch 16.21.1