Akali vs Malzahar
Mid Lane Matchup
You
VS
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Who Wins
- You lose pre-6 due to range disadvantage and inability to trade efficiently through his minion waves, but you gain significant kill pressure post-6 when your R allows you to bypass his positioning and burst him before he can react.
- Focus on surviving the early levels rather than forcing trades you cannot win.
How to Trade
- Your best trading pattern involves using Q to proc passive, then immediately backing off to avoid his E-W retaliation, repeating this until you can commit to an all-in.
- Post-6, lead with R1 to gap close, use W for repositioning during his abilities, then execute with R2-E combo when his cooldowns are down.
Wave Control
- Allow him to push early waves while focusing on last-hitting safely with Q, then look for roam opportunities once you hit level 6.
- You cannot match his wave control, so use your superior mobility to impact other lanes while he's stuck farming mid.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Never engage when his R is available unless you can guarantee a kill, as being suppressed without shroud available means certain death.
- Avoid extended trades in minion waves pre-6, as his voidlings and minion damage will always out-trade your energy-limited combo.
Created on 01/13/2026
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