Vladimir vs Malzahar MID Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Vladimir

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Mid

Malzahar

Vladimir vs Malzahar

Updated Jun 1, 2026

Overview

Vladimir is a scaling mage who wants to survive Malzahar's push and avoid early all-ins while farming safely.
Focus on preserving health and using Q sustain to withstand Malzahar's medium lane pressure without forcing W early.

Trading pattern

Take short trades around empowered Q and only engage when W is available to avoid Malzahar's suppression.
Punish Malzahar when his Voidlings are vulnerable by using your E area damage to reduce his lane pressure.
Avoid trading when empowered Q is down or W is on cooldown, as Malzahar can punish your approach with Malzahar R or Malzahar Q silence.

Danger windows

Malzahar's R suppression is the biggest threat; avoid engaging when it is available or when your W is down.
After using W, Vladimir is vulnerable due to its long cooldown and health cost; play cautiously until it returns.
Malzahar's passive spell shield blocks your initial Q trades, so anticipate and time trades after it expires.

Early game

Use Q to sustain through Malzahar's poke and avoid fighting early waves where you can't match his push.
Avoid using W for small trades to save it for denying Malzahar's key damage or suppression attempts.
Try to keep the wave in a manageable state to prevent Malzahar from constantly pushing and roaming.

Power spikes

Vladimir's major spikes are level 6 (R) and first completed AP item, which increase burst and teamfight threat.
Respect Malzahar's level 6 Malzahar R suppression and his first completed mana/AP item that enhance his lockdown and damage.
Mid-game cooldown reductions on Vladimir's abilities improve trading windows and survivability against Malzahar's control.

Win conditions

Survive early lane by using Q sustain and avoiding forced W usage, then scale into your AP spikes.
Use empowered Q to punish Malzahar's cooldowns and reduce his push pressure.
Look for grouped fights where your R can amplify burst damage and turn teamfights in your favor.