2012-08-12, 10:47 AM
[color="#cc8899"]Been working to learn Malzahar mid - I'd appreciate any pointers I can get.
I generally start boots+pots, with exception of Doran's Ring vs enemy mids with little/no harassment (not common). I focus on E and Q early and don't grab W until teamfights start happening. Depending on what opponent I'm up against, I either push hard with E (sometimes Q'ing caster minions to skip the E directly to the enemy mid) so I can roam and secure kills with my ult or I focus on just last-hitting if I'm losing in farm.
I'm having particular trouble vs mids with shields such as Orianna (shielding the E damage) and mids that can push just as hard as Malzahar to minimize the effectiveness of his E (less minions attacking = enemy minions die more slowly = E doesn't bounce as easily). Morgana's shield is especially problematic for me, though I've been able to bait it with my silence to open up my ult (if she doesn't block it, she can't shield anyway). Are there matchups where I should be focusing on Q for poking instead of E for sustain/zoning?
As for item builds, I generally focus on 1-2 Doran's Rings and then Sorc Boots, followed by either a Rabadon's or something situational (WoTA if double AP, Abyssal if vs someone like LeBlanc, Zhonya's if the enemy team is AD heavy). I tend to get a Rylai's after Rabadon's, though none of his abilities get as much from it (E is DOT, Q/W are AOE, and I'm fairly certain his R doesn't get the full benefit).
Anyways, I'm very open to suggestions, as well as matchup advice if anyone is knowledgeable about when to avoid choosing him (such as vs Morgana or Sivir).[/COLOR]
I generally start boots+pots, with exception of Doran's Ring vs enemy mids with little/no harassment (not common). I focus on E and Q early and don't grab W until teamfights start happening. Depending on what opponent I'm up against, I either push hard with E (sometimes Q'ing caster minions to skip the E directly to the enemy mid) so I can roam and secure kills with my ult or I focus on just last-hitting if I'm losing in farm.
I'm having particular trouble vs mids with shields such as Orianna (shielding the E damage) and mids that can push just as hard as Malzahar to minimize the effectiveness of his E (less minions attacking = enemy minions die more slowly = E doesn't bounce as easily). Morgana's shield is especially problematic for me, though I've been able to bait it with my silence to open up my ult (if she doesn't block it, she can't shield anyway). Are there matchups where I should be focusing on Q for poking instead of E for sustain/zoning?
As for item builds, I generally focus on 1-2 Doran's Rings and then Sorc Boots, followed by either a Rabadon's or something situational (WoTA if double AP, Abyssal if vs someone like LeBlanc, Zhonya's if the enemy team is AD heavy). I tend to get a Rylai's after Rabadon's, though none of his abilities get as much from it (E is DOT, Q/W are AOE, and I'm fairly certain his R doesn't get the full benefit).
Anyways, I'm very open to suggestions, as well as matchup advice if anyone is knowledgeable about when to avoid choosing him (such as vs Morgana or Sivir).[/COLOR]