Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- +Exceptional sustain through Plunder passive and Cleave healing (up to 24% on multiple heroes)
- +Strong teamfight presence with Shock's AOE knockup and Souleater's shield generation
- +Extended auto-attack range for a warrior allows safer positioning and kiting
Weaknesses
- −Relies on sustained damage rather than burst—struggles against burst mages and assassins
- −High cooldown dependency means poor trading when abilities are down
- −Vulnerable to kiting from ranged heroes before closing the gap
Abilities
PPlunder
Maloch has extended attack range compared to other melee heroes. While empowered, auto attacks deal true damage equal to Attack Power and restore 2% of missing HP.
1Cleave
Maloch slashes his sword dealing physical damage. If the attack hits a hero, he gains weapon empowerment to deal true damage. Additionally, for each hero hit, he restores 6% of missing HP (max 24%).
2Souleater
Maloch seizes souls from nearby enemies, dealing minor physical damage and reducing their movement speed by 30% for 3s. Seized souls become a shield for him. The soul shield can absorb damage from a maximum of 4 souls.
RShock
Maloch marks a target area and leaps down to attack from above, launching all enemies in range into the air and dealing physical damage. Enemies entering or leaving the area have reduced movement speed.
Skill Order
Priority: R > Q > W| Skill | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Cleave | 1 | · | 3 | · | 5 | · | 7 | · | 9 | · | · | · | 13 | · | · |
2Souleater | · | 2 | · | 4 | · | · | · | 8 | · | 10 | · | 12 | · | 14 | · |
RShock | · | · | · | · | · | 6 | · | · | · | · | 11 | · | · | · | 15 |
Loadout
Golden Body
Assassinate
ProwessStandard Build
1
2
3
4
5
6Core Combos
Teamfight Engage
R21Use Shock to initiate, land Souleater on grouped enemies for slow and shield, then spam Cleave for multi-target healing and damage
1v1 Extended Trade
121Lead with Cleave for weapon enchant, weave autos between abilities to maximize Plunder healing and sustain through duels
Peel and Escape
2Use Souleater to slow incoming threats and generate shield, Flicker away if caught—prioritize survival over damage
Gameplan
Early Game
Levels 1–6- →Play for short trades using Cleave against melee opponents; your extended range advantage is crucial early
- →Avoid extended poke trades with ranged heroes—focus on farming and denying enemy CS
- →Group with support early to leverage Cleave multi-hero healing in small skirmishes
Mid Game
Post Broken Spear- →Position as the frontline in teamfights, using Shock to catch clumped enemies and Souleater for massive shield generation
- →Look for 2v2 or 3v3 fights where Cleave's healing multiplies; avoid isolated 1v1s against burst champions
- →Rotate to objectives early and use your AOE abilities to zone enemies off contested terrain
Late Game
Teamfight phase- →Peel for backline by using Souleater slow on divers; your shield from multiple enemies makes you unkillable
- →In teamfights, maintain proximity to 3+ enemies to maximize Cleave healing—you're stronger in chaotic fights than clean pickoffs
- →Use Shock defensively to interrupt enemy engages and create space for your team to reposition
Matchups
Maloch gets countered by
RazInstant burst and mobility overwhelm Maloch's sustain; he cannot heal through focused burst before engagement
LilianaLong-range CC and poke prevent Maloch from closing gaps; her silence blocks ability combos entirely
TulenAOE burst mage output exceeds Maloch's healing per second; kiting keeps him at range where Plunder is useless
Maloch synergizes with
ThaneDual tanking allows Maloch to position aggressively for multi-hero Cleave healing while Thane absorbs poke damage
ButterflyBurst follow-up after Maloch's Shock initiation ensures kills before enemies can counter-engage; her CC pairs well with his AOE
YornLong-range poke and vision control allow Maloch to position safely for engages; his tankiness enables Yorn to deal raw damage
Pro Tips
- →Weapon Enchant (from Cleave on heroes) converts your next auto into true damage—prioritize applying it before extended trades to maximize healing efficiency
- →Souleater shield generation scales with number of enemies hit; positioning to clip 3+ champions is better than hitting 1-2 isolated targets
- →Use Shock's slow zone control to separate enemy backline from frontline in objective fights, not just for raw damage output
Maloch is a solid A-tier pick for scaling into teamfights where his multi-target healing and shield generation shine. Pick him into melee-heavy compositions and against teams without dedicated burst mages. His 44.7% winrate reflects his reliance on team coordination—excel by playing around grouped fights rather than solo pressure.