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ARAM · Howling AbyssMatchup guidePatch 16.20.1

Fizz vs Malzahar

Build, runes, abilities and practical pre-game checks in one queue-aware reference.

FizzVSMalzahar

Matchup guide

Choose the matchup

Search any two champions. ARAM uses one shared lane, so no Rift role selection is required.

VS
FormatOne shared lane

Choose two champions from the list.

ARAM context

One shared lane, one champion-specific plan

The page uses ARAM starting, shopping and teamfight rules. Its internal build source is not shown as a Rift assignment.

Howling Abyss
Review patch unknownRecommendation review pending

These patches track recommendation review, build validation and item lookup separately. Updating item data does not complete a build review.

Recommendation patch
— Data Dragon
Build validation patch
16.19.1 Data Dragon
Item lookup patch
16.20.1 Data Dragon

Howling Abyss rules

Prepare for one shared lane

ARAM removes the normal Rift role map. Build around the champion, the five-player team and the next fight instead.

01
Start together

Review rerolls and the shared bench, then leave with an opening that fits this champion and the team around it.

02
Shop while dead

You cannot Recall to buy. Plan components before leaving the shop and use each death timer deliberately.

03
Share health relics

A relic heals nearby allies after a short delay. Signal it and avoid taking the trigger when a lower-health teammate needs the area.

04
Fight with the wave

Minions create structure pressure and safer space. Clearing first can be more useful than forcing another low-health engage.

ARAM · Howling Abyss

ARAM assassin reference

Compare the opening with Riot's ARAM Recommended shop before leaving base. After that, purchases happen only while dead; the six usable inventory slots do not increase.

Death-only shopping
S
ARAM opening · separate from item 1

Guardian's Blade

950 gold

An ARAM attack-damage starter to compare with the current Recommended shop.

1
Haste Boots

Ionian Boots of Lucidity

900 gold

Adds haste and movement for repeated ability windows.

2
Pick power

Youmuu's Ghostblade

2,800 gold

Adds movement and lethality for physical-damage picks.

3
Spell protection

Edge of Night

3,000 gold

Adds health and a spell shield before a risky engage.

4
Against armour

Serylda's Grudge

3,000 gold

Adds armour penetration against defended targets.

5
Final safety

Death's Dance

3,300 gold

Adds physical-damage durability after the damage core is established.

6
Final option

Axiom Arc

2,750 gold

Completes the permanent inventory with lethality and more frequent ultimate windows.

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Complete build choices

Choose the route before play

Recommendation review pending

AlternativeToo much healingChempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.View full route

Best when: Chempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.

  1. Haste BootsIonian Boots of Lucidity
  2. Pick powerYoumuu's Ghostblade
  3. Chempunk Chainsword
  4. Against armourSerylda's Grudge
  5. Final safetyDeath's Dance
  6. Final optionAxiom Arc

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeSustained magic damageKaenic Rookern is a defensive answer when repeated magic damage is the real problem.View full route

Best when: Kaenic Rookern is a defensive answer when repeated magic damage is the real problem.

  1. Haste BootsIonian Boots of Lucidity
  2. Pick powerYoumuu's Ghostblade
  3. Spell protectionEdge of Night
  4. Kaenic Rookern
  5. Final safetyDeath's Dance
  6. Final optionAxiom Arc

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Complete build comparison

Complete build comparison

Recommendation review pending

Build review neededARAM assassin referenceRecommendation review pendingView full route

Recommendation review pending

  1. Haste BootsIonian Boots of Lucidity
  2. Pick powerYoumuu's Ghostblade
  3. Spell protectionEdge of Night
  4. Against armourSerylda's Grudge
  5. Final safetyDeath's Dance
  6. Final optionAxiom Arc

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeToo much healingChempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.View full route

Best when: Chempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.

  1. Haste BootsIonian Boots of Lucidity
  2. Pick powerYoumuu's Ghostblade
  3. Chempunk Chainsword
  4. Against armourSerylda's Grudge
  5. Final safetyDeath's Dance
  6. Final optionAxiom Arc

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeSustained magic damageKaenic Rookern is a defensive answer when repeated magic damage is the real problem.View full route

Best when: Kaenic Rookern is a defensive answer when repeated magic damage is the real problem.

  1. Haste BootsIonian Boots of Lucidity
  2. Pick powerYoumuu's Ghostblade
  3. Spell protectionEdge of Night
  4. Kaenic Rookern
  5. Final safetyDeath's Dance
  6. Final optionAxiom Arc

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Runes and summoner spells

Runes and summoner spellsFizzHowling Abyss

ARAM rewards reliable access to clustered fights. Mark helps a melee front liner enter; Flash preserves a separate escape or reposition.

ARAM
Primary tree

Resolve

Grasp of the UndyingFont of LifeConditioningOvergrowth
Secondary tree

Precision

TriumphLegend: Haste
Summoner spells
FlashMark
Howling Abyss only

Mark and Clarity are mode-specific choices. Do not copy this pair onto a Summoner's Rift page.

Protect the next fight

Choose the second spell around access, survival and team resources rather than treating every ARAM champion as a diver.

Matchup notes

What changes when Malzahar is opposite you?

Pre-game kit comparison
Shared-lane interaction

Compare reliable reach and repeatable value

Track which champion can apply damage, control or protection without crossing the enemy team's safe space. ARAM does not turn this kit comparison into a lane-counter claim.

Team context first

Rerolls, allied range, engage and protection can matter more than either champion in isolation.

Your plan

Use the route you prepared

Use the champion-specific ARAM build as a starting reference, then check the current Recommended shop, your five-player composition and the next available death shop.

Ability reminders

Fizz reminders

  • Since Fizz can move through units, find opportunities in lane to walk through minions and apply Seastone Trident's passive - following it up with the ability's active attack after a few seconds.
  • Fizz's ultimate ability, Chum the Waters, can be aimed at an enemy or towards the area where you think they'll be going.
  • Fizz's spells scale off Ability Power - consider getting items like Zhonya's Hourglass or Banshee's Veil against teams that have high burst threat - and items like Lich Bane or Rabadon's Deathcap if you think you can survive without the Health.
Ability reminders

Against Malzahar

  • When Malzahar hits a spell on enemies affected by Malefic Visions, the Visions are refreshed.
  • Avoid minion waves that have been affected by Malefic Visions. You never know when they may die and pass the Visions onto you.
  • Malzahar is especially dangerous when he has built up his Void Swarm.

Static alternatives

Compare the problem before changing the plan

These choices are not selected from live scores. Use one only after you identify the stated match problem yourself.

Too much healing

Chempunk Chainsword

Chempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.

Sustained magic damage

Kaenic Rookern

Kaenic Rookern is a defensive answer when repeated magic damage is the real problem.

Only when enemy healing is deciding fights

Oblivion Orb

Oblivion Orb supplies healing reduction without committing to a completed Morellonomicon. Skip both when healing is not the problem or an ally already covers your target reliably. Healing reduction does not reduce shields.

Conditional component, not a core item. Complete Morellonomicon only when its stats and slot efficiency justify delaying another purchase.

Ability reference

Compare both kits

Ability reference Data Dragon 16.20.1

Cooldown (s) / Cost / Listed range (units) Data Dragon 16.20.1

Fizz

  1. P
    Nimble Fighter

    Fizz can move through units and takes a flat amount of reduced damage from all sources

  2. Q
    Urchin Strike

    Fizz dashes through his target, dealing magic damage and applying on hit effects.

    Cooldown (s) 8/7.5/7/6.5/6 · Cost 50 · Listed range (units) 550
  3. W
    Seastone Trident

    Fizz's attacks bleed his enemies, dealing magic damage over several seconds. Fizz can empower his next attack to deal bonus damage and empower his further attacks for a short time.

    Cooldown (s) 7/6/5/4/3 · Cost 30/40/50/60/70 · Listed range (units) 600
  4. E
    Playful / Trickster

    Fizz hops into the air, landing gracefully upon his spear and becoming untargetable. From this position, Fizz can either slam the ground or choose to jump again before smashing back down.

    Cooldown (s) 16/14/12/10/8 · Cost 75/80/85/90/95 · Listed range (units) 400
  5. R
    Chum the Waters

    Fizz tosses a fish in a direction that attaches to any champion that touches it, slowing the target. After a short delay, a shark erupts from the ground, knocking up the target and knocking any nearby enemies aside. All enemies hit are dealt magic damage and slowed.

    Cooldown (s) 120/100/80 · Cost 100 · Listed range (units) 1300

Malzahar

  1. P
    Void Shift

    When he hasn't recently taken damage or been crowd controlled, Malzahar gains massive damage reduction and crowd control immunity, lingering for a short period after taking damage.

  2. Q
    Call of the Void

    Malzahar opens up two portals to the Void. After a short delay, they fire projectiles that deal Magic Damage and silence enemy champions.

    Cooldown (s) 6 · Cost 60/65/70/75/80 · Listed range (units) 900
  3. W
    Void Swarm

    Malzahar summons Voidlings to attack nearby enemies.

    Cooldown (s) 8 · Cost 40/45/50/55/60 · Listed range (units) 150
  4. E
    Malefic Visions

    Malzahar infects his target's mind with cruel visions of their demise, dealing damage over time. Using Malzahar's other spells on the target will refresh the visions. If the target dies while afflicted by the visions, they pass on to a nearby enemy unit and Malzahar gains Mana. Malzahar's Voidlings are attracted to affected units.

    Cooldown (s) 11/10/9/8/7 · Cost 60/70/80/90/100 · Listed range (units) 650
  5. R
    Nether Grasp

    Malzahar channels the essence of the Void to suppress an enemy champion over a zone of damaging negative energy.

    Cooldown (s) 140/110/80 · Cost 100 · Listed range (units) 700

Adapt the plan

What to do when the game changes

Judge the whole lane or map state, not only personal kills. Choose the situation closest to the current game.

Even plan

Trade around health, range and the next wave

1
Wave

Let the team clear without spending every important cooldown at once.

2
Map play

Track the shared lane, brush control and available relics rather than looking for a Rift rotation.

3
Fights

Use the champion's reliable range, protection or control before forcing a low-percentage engage.

Shared-lane plan

Fizz on Howling Abyss

Read health, range, wave position and respawn timing together. ARAM has no side-lane rotation, neutral-objective setup or normal ward-control loop.

ARAM only
1
Before the fight

Clear or escort the wave, check which allies are alive and preserve enough health to use the champion's reliable range, protection or engage.

2
During the fight

Use the nearest safe target and the team's reachable follow-up. Do not cross the whole enemy formation for a single low-health champion.

3
After the fight

Push with surviving minions, take the safe structure damage available and reset only through a real death rather than donating one alone.

Keep preparing

Stay with Howling Abyss information

Open the complete ARAM build or compare another champion. Rift role counters are intentionally kept out of this page.

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