How to win lane as Malzahar against Karma · 51.48% win rate over 5,085 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Karma's Q poke versus your Malefic Visions shove is a wash at first-blood level. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | She pokes with Q, you shove and look to trade back, roughly even. |
| Level 3 | Karma | Her Mantra-empowered RQ poke chunks you and out-ranges your voidling trades. |
| Levels 4-5 | Karma | Repeated RQ poke and her W tether zone you off the wave and keep her health lead. |
| Level 6 | Malzahar | Your R suppresses Karma through her E speed and, with E plus voidlings, kills her before Mantra shields save her. |
| First item | Malzahar | Your DoT plus first-item burst lets R delete a squishy Karma on each cooldown. |
| Two+ items | Malzahar | You out-scale her utility kit; a landed R is a guaranteed pick her shields can't fully absorb. |
The first two levels are a wash and then Karma's Mantra poke takes over. Her RQ is a wide, long cone that out-ranges your kit, so levels three to five you are on the back foot, dodging Q lines and farming with Malefic Visions instead of trading. Never walk into W (Focused Resolve) range at low health or the tether plus poke can chunk you out. Stay patient, keep your HP up, and don't waste your ult before six trying to answer her.
The full Malzahar vs Karma report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.
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Playing the other side? Karma vs Malzahar guide →
All Malzahar mid lane matchups →