How to win lane as Olaf against Malphite · 52.58% win rate over 1,474 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Olaf | His Q is a single long-cooldown slow with no kill threat, while your Q-slow-into-auto and ramping passive win first contact outright. |
| Level 2 | Olaf | Your Q plus E gives a guaranteed true-damage burst his armor cannot reduce and his Q poke cannot match. |
| Level 3 | Olaf | Axe-reset slows let you stick him for repeated E hits while W omnivamp heals back every Q he lands. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | You stay favored chaining short trades, but his R unstoppable is now one button away, so it is genuinely even on his commit. |
| Level 6 | Malphite | His R knock-up is his only window to flip a trade he is losing, forcing you to wait it out before all-inning. |
| First item | Even / skill | Black Cleaver shred plus E true damage make his stacked armor nearly worthless, but his R cooldown keeps it skill-dependent. |
| Two+ items | Olaf | You own the duel all game as long as you close before his teamfight R and AoE engage outscale your flat true damage. |
Malphite has no kill pressure on you levels 1-3 and his Q is a single slow-poke on a long early cooldown, so step up and trade freely. Land your Q to stick him, walk in for the E true-damage nuke, and let your passive attack speed ramp as his W-buffed autos chip you. His armor does nothing against E's true damage, and your W omnivamp heals back any Q poke he lands. This is your lane to dictate.
The full Olaf vs Malphite 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? Malphite vs Olaf guide →
All Olaf top lane matchups →