How to win lane as Malzahar against Vex · 51.45% win rate over 1,660 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Vex | Vex wins level 1 — her Gloom poke and range beat your step-up farming. |
| Level 2 | Vex | Still hers at 2 as she pokes freely and you can't trade back safely. |
| Level 3 | Vex | Level 3 favours her; her Q and fear out-range and interrupt your kit. |
| Levels 4-5 | Vex | Through 4-5 she keeps poking you down while your all-in stays too risky. |
| Level 6 | Vex | At 6 she still edges it — Shadow Surge escapes or beats your channel commit. |
| First item | Malzahar | With first item your sustained damage and shield flip the lane so you can walk her down. |
| Two+ items | Even / skill | At 2+ items it's even — your point-click suppress matches her pick-and-global pressure. |
Vex controls the early lane. Her Gloom passive punishes you every time you step up to place E on the wave or last-hit, and her Q out-ranges your Q Call of the Void, so you bleed health without much recourse. Do not try to force trades — your all-in relies on walking up, and her E fear plus poke make that suicidal before you have items. Farm patiently, take the poke on minions where you can, and survive to your first-item spike.
The full Malzahar vs Vex 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.
Become a Founding Member — $1.99/month →🔒 Secure checkout · 💰 7-day money-back guarantee · ✋ Cancel anytime
Early Access price — $3.99/month for new members after launch.
Playing the other side? Vex vs Malzahar guide →
All Malzahar mid lane matchups →