Sion vs Malzahar
Favorable matchup
Build vs Malzahar
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Sion: Hollow Radiance, Unending Despair, Titanic Hydra, Mercury's Treads, Heartsteel, Jak'Sho, The Protean, Kaenic Rookern, Overlord's Bloodmail.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Malzahar's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
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
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6s | 8s | 11s | – |
| 6 | 6s | 8s | 11s | 2m20 |
| 9 | 6s | 8s | 11s | 2m20 |
| 11 | 6s | 8s | 11s | 1m50 |
| 16 | 6s | 8s | 9s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 6s | 8s | 7s | 1m20 |
Playing as Sion
Tips to maximize your impact
- Last-hit everything for max health
Last-hit minions and monsters for Soul Furnace (W): each kill permanently gives you max health, more on champions, large minions and large monsters.
- Slow before your Smash
Slow your target with Roar of the Slayer (E) before charging Decimating Smash (Q): they're less likely to get out of the area.
- Charge your Smash for at least 1 second
Charge Decimating Smash (Q) for at least 1 second: below that, the hit only slows, and beyond it, the knock-up and stun last longer the more you charge.
- Keep hitting after you die
After you die, hit the nearest champion: during Glory in Death (passive), your autos are much faster, heal you and deal damage based on their max health.
- Engage or roam from far away
Cast Unstoppable Onslaught (R) from far away to engage or roam: unstoppable for 8 seconds, you stun longer and hit harder after a long charge.
Playing against Malzahar
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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