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Malphite's popularity has skyrocketed since he received buffs in League of Legends patch 13.4. He is now a viable choice in a wide range of scenarios and is expected to be a solid performer on the toplane.
Malphite is a fearsome League of Legends champion known for his rock-solid defense and devastating crowd-control ability. He's primarily a toplane champion, but he can also be played on midlane and support, giving him an intriguing three-way flex pick.
Malphite is a solid tank and initiator who can disrupt adversary players and put his teammates up for victory with his passive (Granite Shield), which offers extra armor, and his ultimate, R (Unstoppable Force), which delivers a devastating knock-up to his adversaries. He is a force to be reckoned with when in the toplane, midlane, or as a support versus favorable matchups.
Prior to patch 13.4, he struggled to maintain his position in the League of Legends season 13 meta. Toplane champions such as Jax, Fiora, K'Sante, and others dominated the early parts of the season in ranked solo/duo and professional play, making it difficult for Malphite to adopt a decent stance owing to other champions being too overtuned.
Malphite is back in the meta thanks to patch 13.4's buffs for him and nerfs to other dominating champions. To lessen his overwhelming dominance, this article presentd five counters to Malphite toplane in League of Legends season 13.
Disclaimer: This list is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.
Mordekaiser, Illaoi, and 3 other good counters to Malphite toplane in League of Legends season 13
Malphite might be a good choice against a heavy AD composition. Nevertheless, given his kit, he is extremely vulnerable versus AP damage dealers and champions who can melt his armor.
1) Mordekaiser
Mordekaiser is the first counter pick on this list who excels against Malphite in League of Legends season 13. One of the reasons for this is his passive ability (Darkness Rising).
Darkness Rising makes it tough for Malphite to trade with Mordekaiser successfully, considering that he depends on his abilities to deliver damage. Moreover, Mordekaiser's ultimate ability, R (Realm of Death), may be exceptionally powerful against him in League of Legends team fights.
Mordekaiser could make Malphite far more defenseless to assaults while also safeguarding his League of Legends backline. He can achieve this by keeping him in an enclosed location and preventing him from using his ultimate ability to engage or withdraw from engagements.
While Malphite may be a tough opponent in the top lane, Mordekaiser's sustain, healing, and highly damaging output make him a viable counter pick in League of Legends season 13.
2) Cho'Gath
Cho'Gath is an effective counter pick for Malphite toplane in League of Legends season 13, thanks to the buffs he got in patch 13.4.
Cho'Gath's kit provides a lot of sustain and lane control, thanks to his passive (Carnivore), which allows him to swiftly regenerate health and mana (and ultimately endure Malphite).
Moreover, Cho'Gath's Q (Rupture) may be utilized to disrupt Malphite's engage and prevent him from getting near enough to deliver damage. His E (Vorpal Spikes) also lets him poke at Malphite from afar and whittles him down in the toplane.
Cho'Gath's ultimate, R (Feast), can oneshot Malphite or any other tanky champion, making him a deadly opponent in team fights. Players may also choose his AP build, which delivers insane amounts of damage and can potentially one-shot Malphite if overfed.
Overall, Cho'Gath's sustain, lane control, poke, and ability to outplay and defeat Malphite in team fights make him a great pick in League of Legends season 13's toplane.
3) Sylas
For League of Legends Season 13, Sylas is one of the most popular counter picks for Malphite toplane, especially in professional play and at high elo.
While Sylas isn't as potent as he was in League of Legends season 12 or before, he does a good job at neutralizing Malphite toplane. This is thanks to his ability to steal Malphite's R (Unstoppable Force) via his ultimate, R (Hijack), which can be leveraged against him in laning phase or against his backline/carry champions.
Sylas' kit also lets him avoid Malphite's Q (Seismic Shard) with his E (Abduct), giving him an advantage in exchanges. Sylas also offers sustained damage and healing with his W (Kingslayer), which aids in his resistance against Malphite's burst damage.
Sylas' ability to steal Malphite's ultimate and his powerful laning skills make him a great option for League of Legends season 13 players who want to counter Malphite in the toplane. Furthermore, his entertaining and high-damage output kit makes him an appealing choice for gamers.
4) Illaoi
While every champion has a learning curve, Illaoi is perhaps the most difficult of all the champions on this list of counter picks for Malphite toplane in League of Legends season 13. This is because Illaoi is extremely punitive if not performed correctly.
Illaoi is a formidable toplane champion in League of Legends. When played correctly, she can easily counter Malphite in Season 13. Her armament revolves around inflicting huge damage on several adversaries while also healing herself.
Despite his tankiness and crowd-control skills, Malphite is hard to eliminate in a one-on-one encounter. Illaoi, however, has the ability to effortlessly break through his armor and do significant damage to him.
Illaoi's gameplay is mainly centered around her passive (Prophet of an Elder God), which spawns tentacles that synergize with her abilities, particularly her E (Test of Spirit) and her ultimate, R (Leap of Faith).
Illaoi is a punishing champion if not played correctly because her critical abilities (E and R) are skill-shot based. She is also an ability-dependent champion.
Learning how to be dominating while playing Illaoi takes time. However, if one invests the time and effort into understanding her gameplay, she is unquestionably one of the best champions on the toplane right now.
5) Ornn
Ornn is a strong counter pick for Malphite in League of Legends season 13. Because of his overall kit, he is perhaps the safest option on this list.
Ornn is a rare champion that has managed to stay prominent despite the fact that the meta is adverse to him.
When played in the top lane, Ornn may be a strong counter to Malphite due to his passive (Living Forge). The passive allows him to improve his own items and those of his teammates, making him a potent force in team fights and during the laning phase.
This is especially useful against Malphite's ultimate, R (Unstoppable Force), which may be mitigated by Ornn's W (Bellows Breath). He can absorb the damage from Malphite's ultimate and use it against him by employing this ability at the correct time, effectively neutralizing his engage potential.
Ornn's Q (Volcanic Rupture) also enables him to poke Malphite from afar, slowing him down and making it more difficult for him to bridge the gap and engage.
Overall, Ornn's ability to endure Malphite's engage and manage the lane tempo makes him a viable counter pick for this encounter.
