Zac vs Malphite
Favorable matchup
Build vs Malphite
The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup
Recommended items for Zac: Sunfire Aegis, Spirit Visage, Thornmail, Mercury's Treads, Hollow Radiance, Unending Despair, Riftmaker, Jak'Sho, The Protean.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
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 Zac
Tips to maximize your impact
- Smash them into each other
After Stretching Strikes (Q) on one enemy, hit a second enemy with your auto: you fling them into each other, and if they collide, they and those nearby take damage.
- Pick up your Goo
Pick up the chunks of Goo you shed when your spells hit: Cell Division (passive) heals you for each one, and Unstable Matter (W) comes back 1 second sooner.
- Charge your Slingshot out of sight
Charge Elastic Slingshot (E) from the fog of war: the enemy has less time to react, and the longer the charge, the longer the knock-up on landing.
- Bounce into the middle of them
Cast Let's Bounce! (R) into the heart of their team: the first bounce knocks back each enemy hit, the following ones slow them, and you can cast Unstable Matter (W) at the same time.
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.
Patch 16.21.1