Malzahar vs Annie
Build vs Annie
The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup
Recommended items for Malzahar: Blackfire Torch, Liandry's Torment, Rylai's Crystal Scepter, Sorcerer's Shoes, Zhonya's Hourglass, Shadowflame, Rabadon's Deathcap, Morellonomicon.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Annie's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
After casting 4 spells, Annie's next offensive spell will stun the target.Annie begins the game and respawns with Pyromania available.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4s | 7s | 10s | – |
| 6 | 4s | 7s | 10s | 2m10 |
| 9 | 4s | 7s | 10s | 2m10 |
| 11 | 4s | 7s | 10s | 1m55 |
| 16 | 4s | 7s | 10s | 1m40 |
| 18 | 4s | 7s | 10s | 1m40 |
Playing as Malzahar
Tips to maximize your impact
- Keep your Void Shift up
Avoid free damage to keep Void Shift (passive) up: when you haven't taken damage or CC for a while, you take much less damage and ignore CC.
- Push the wave with your visions
Push the wave with Malefic Visions (E): they finish off low minions, then jump to the nearest enemy when their target dies, restoring your mana.
- Cast spells before Void Swarm
Cast your other spells, Malefic Visions (E) included, before Void Swarm (W): each one adds a Voidling, and they go after the targets of your visions.
- Save your R for their carry
Save Nether Grasp (R) for the enemy carry: you lock them down while you channel, and the zone around them also damages their allies.
Playing against Annie
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Back off when her stun is ready
Back off when Pyromania (passive) is ready: after 4 spells, her next offensive spell stuns you. She has it ready at the start and every time she respawns.
- Poke her from outside her range
If your range is longer than hers, poke her from outside it: her autos and Disintegrate (Q) reach 625, Incinerate (W) 600.
- Respect her level 6
Once she hits level 6, stay well outside her range when her stun is ready: with Flash, Summon: Tibbers (R) can land on you from much farther away.
- Play hard once Tibbers is gone
Take the teamfight once Tibbers has been cast and is gone, because Summon: Tibbers (R) has a 130 to 100 second cooldown and is her biggest source of damage.
Other Malzahar matchups
Patch 16.21.1