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Malzahar vs Ekko

Mid Lane Matchup

Malzahar vs Ekko MID matchup tips: who wins, how to trade, wave control and common mistakes.

You

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Who Wins

Pre-6, you win this lane comfortably due to your passive shield, W voidling pressure, and the fact that Ekko cannot all-in you without eating your full DoT rotation; level 1 and 2 are safe for you as long as you respect his E gap-close range and don't stand in positions where he can freely proc his passive.
Post-6, your R hard-counters his kit — his R requires him to be in melee range and has a cast time, and your R suppresses him before he can react, making you the clear 1v1 winner as long as you don't let him engage on his terms with a lead.

Your best trading pattern is to place W on the wave near Ekko, let voidlings spawn and pressure him, then use E to apply your DoT and force him to either take damage or back off; your passive shield means his first ability hit is wasted, so he must spend two ability hits to actually start dealing damage while you've already begun your full rotation.
When he burns his passive shield on a poke, immediately look to all-in with W plus E plus R before it recharges.

Slow-push the wave by letting voidlings help you clear, building a large wave that crashes into his tower and forces him to deal with the pressure rather than look for trades; this also creates roam opportunities post-6 where your R can have a decisive impact on other lanes.
Avoid hard-shoving early without vision, as Ekko can use the reset to roam or set up a jungle dive while you're overextended.

Do not stand in predictable positions that allow Ekko to land his Q through the wave and proc his passive for free — his Q is a skillshot but has a wide hitbox on return, and repeatedly eating it will let him trade favorably before you can respond.
Never use your R reactively when Ekko already has his R available and a health advantage, as he can simply R back to full health and re-engage while your R is on cooldown.

Created on 07/18/2026

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