Poppy vs Malzahar

Poppy
vs
Not enough games
Malzahar
Heavy CCHeavy AP damageCountered by stasisHigh burst

You are stronger late game. Farm safe and avoid early trades.

Build vs Malzahar

The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup

Recommended items for Poppy: Tear of the Goddess, Sundered Sky, Fimbulwinter, Plated Steelcaps, Sunfire Aegis, Thornmail, Spirit Visage, Randuin's Omen.

Starting items

Doran's Shield
Health Potion

Core build

Tear of the Goddess
1
Sundered Sky
2
Fimbulwinter
3

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Sunfire Aegis
5

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Sunfire Aegis
Thornmail
Spirit Visage
Randuin's Omen
Jak'Sho, The Protean
Force of Nature
Dead Man's Plate

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Malzahar's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Void Shift (P)

When he hasn't recently taken damage or been crowd controlled, Malzahar gains massive damage reduction and crowd control immunity, lingering for a short period after taking damage.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
36s8s11s–
66s8s11s2m20
96s8s11s2m20
116s8s11s1m50
166s8s9s1m20
186s8s7s1m20

Playing as Poppy

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Pin your target against a wall

    Position so that Heroic Charge (E) slams your target into a wall: they're then stunned and take bonus damage.

  2. Keep them in your zone

    Keep your target in the Hammer Shock (Q) zone: the zone slows them, then explodes and deals the same damage a second time.

  3. Pick up your buckler

    After a trade, pick up the Iron Ambassador (passive) buckler that bounced off your target: it gives you a temporary shield.

  4. Stop their dashes

    Cast Steadfast Presence (W) when an enemy is about to dash onto you or your carry: the field stops dashes around you, and the stopped enemy is slowed and grounded.

  5. Send a diver far away

    Charge Keeper's Verdict (R) to send away a diver or isolate their carry: the target is knocked back toward their Nexus, farther the longer you charge.

Playing against Malzahar

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. Get out of his portals

    Get out of the Call of the Void (Q) zone quickly: its two portals fire after a short delay, and their projectiles silence you.

  2. Break his Void Shift first

    If you have CC, hit him first with a cheap attack, then wait a moment: Void Shift (passive) still ignores CC right after the first damage.

  3. Avoid minions hit by his Visions

    Stay away from minions hit by Malefic Visions (E): if they die, the visions jump to the nearest enemy, and his Voidlings follow them.

  4. Trade before he hits 6

    Take your trades before he hits level 6: after that, Nether Grasp (R) can lock you down from range while his team hits you.

  5. Focus him during his Grasp

    When he casts Nether Grasp (R) on an ally, focus him: he channels in place, and any CC interrupts him and frees your ally.

Patch 16.21.1