How to win lane as Malphite against Gnar · 58.74% win rate (1,687 Emerald+ games, lolalytics, sampled July 2026) · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
Shield his mini-form poke and engage the instant he transforms — Q-slow and R lock down the rage window before he kites away.
Track: Gnar's R — GNAR! (90–30s cooldown). His Mega all-in. Dodge/R-peel it.
Read from Malphite's seat: which stage windows this plan plays for against Gnar.
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Mini-Gnar's boomerang and hop out-range your entire kit and chip your Granite Shield, but his poke can't kill you and you have no trade pattern yet — pure soak. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | He keeps poking with boomerang (Q) and hops at Level 2 while you still have no combo; last-hit at Q range and let the shield refresh — neither of you can commit. |
| Level 3 | Malphite | Your W armor and empowered autos come online — Granite Shield plus Thunderclap let you farm through his poke and stop bleeding the lane. |
| Levels 4-5 | Malphite | Ground Slam (E) and W sustain out-trade a kiting mini-Gnar; step up the moment his Hop (22s at rank 1) is spent and the Rage bar is low. |
| Level 6 | Malphite | Unstoppable Force is your spike — R through minions while he's stuck in mini form, knock him up and Q-slow him so the hops can't escape. |
| First item | Malphite | Frozen Heart and armor stacking turn E and W into real damage, and your durability lets you walk through boomerangs to land Q and run him down. |
| Two+ items | Malphite | With armor stacked you out-trade him 1v1 and amplify your team off a clean R — just fight him when his bar is empty and he can't answer with mega-Gnar's stun. |
Gnar's whole early game is range — his boomerang (Q) and hop poke (E) chip your Granite Shield before it can tick back, and you have no answer at Levels 1-2 except to soak it. Don't walk up to throw a Seismic Shard you can't follow up; last-hit at the edge of your Q range and let the shield refresh whenever you back off. The one thing in your favor: his mini-form poke can't actually kill you, and every point of damage he deals builds his Rage bar toward a transform you'd rather not face on his terms.
Pooled Emerald+ win rates from Malphite's side, sampled July 2026.
The full Malphite vs Gnar 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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Malphite — a 58.74% win rate vs Gnar in top lane over 1,687 games is a real advantage.
Not really — Malphite holds a real statistical advantage (58.74% win rate), so Gnar is the one working uphill.
Statistically yes — Malphite counters Gnar in top lane, winning 58.74% of 1,687 Emerald+ games.
Malphite takes Grasp of the Undying on the Resolve tree with Demolish, Second Wind and Overgrowth, and Precision secondary (Triumph and Legend: Haste) vs Gnar.
Start Doran's Shield + Health Potion and back for Core component + boots (≈1300g). Build Iceborn Gauntlet / Frozen Heart first, then Thornmail / Abyssal Mask, with Plated Steelcaps.
Playing the other side? Gnar vs Malphite guide →
All Malphite top lane matchups →
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