Source: Ranked + player metaPatch: 16.17Window: patchRegion: allRank: emerald_plusQueue: ranked_soloSample: 31Updated 9/11/2026, 8:22:05 PM
Confidence: Medium+1.6% vs 50%31 games
Lane phases
Levels 1–2
Even
Locke and Malzahar trade evenly before spikes.
Levels 3–5
Locke edge
Play around ability cooldowns and wave control.
Level 6+
Locke edge
Ultimate timing often swings the next two waves.
Mid / late
Even
Side-wave and vision decide more than the raw lane matchup.
Why?
Sample-basedEven
- Sample win rate for Locke is 51.6% in this matchup.
Treat this as a Even matchup for Locke into Malzahar — prioritize cooldown windows and jungle tracking.
Do
- Track summoner spells and ultimate cooldowns before committing.
- Play for wave states that let you crash and reset safely.
Don't
- Don't force extended trades when key abilities are down.
- Don't ignore jungle timers when the lane is volatile.
Matchup build callout
Full builds →Most-played Locke page (Mid): Electrocute Build · 49.3% WR · 304 games
Skill order: Q › W › E
Keystones (player meta)
Most common keystones when locke faces malzahar in lookup-discovered matches.
Electrocute1G100.0%
Stormraider's Surge1G0.0%
Patch: 16.17Region: naRank: emerald_plusQueue: ranked_soloSample: 342Updated 9/11/2026, 8:18:15 PM