MacroMind matchup data: real ranked games, not opinions
Malzahar vs Sylas
Malzahar vs Sylas in Mid: who wins more often?
Across 3,292 ranked games in Mid, Malzahar beats Sylas in 54% of them.
Global ranked sample: games from every region and every rank pooled together, not one server's stats. Data runs through patch 26.12; curves updated 2026-08-07.
By 15 minutes the median game has Malzahar ahead by 199 gold.
Malzahar at 15:00
- Gold: +199
- CS: +24
- XP: +320
Typical gap to Sylas, from 3,268 games that reached 15:00.
Does Malzahar counter Sylas?
On the count, yes. Malzahar takes 54% of 3,292 ranked Mid games against Sylas. Protect the edge: the rows below show what Malzahar wins with a gold lead at 10:00, and how far it drops from behind, so trade for that lead early and do not give it back.
Your Malzahar game plan against Sylas
With a gold lead at 10:00, Malzahar wins 63% of 1,643 games in this matchup. Behind at the same mark, the rate drops to 45% over 1,648.
| The spot | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Ahead in gold at 10:00 | 63% | 1,643 |
| Behind in gold at 10:00 | 45% | 1,648 |
| First blood | 62% | 1,062 |
| +kills at 10:00 | 65% | 687 |
| +CS at 10:00 | 57% | 2,520 |
| 0 deaths at 10:00 | 67% | 576 |
| 0 deaths at 15:00 | 74% | 218 |
In the median game here, the first death comes near 4:20 and level 6 lands around 5:27. Until your spike is online, treat the all-in window with respect.
Malzahar in Mid: the items that actually get built
Into Sylas specifically, Malzahar finishes Blackfire Torch first most often: 54.5% over 1,160 games of this matchup.
The most-finished core in this exact matchup is Blackfire Torch, Liandry's Torment, Rylai's Crystal Scepter: 60.0% across 355 games.
The most-finished Malzahar core is Blackfire Torch, Liandry's Torment, Rylai's Crystal Scepter: 55.5% across 12,093 games when all three got done. All matchups, patches 26.1-26.12.
Most games start Doran's Ring + Health Potion + Health Potion; the first finished item is usually Blackfire Torch (37,485 games).
Skill plan: Malzahar players max E first and take E at level 1.