League Classic matchup
Jax vs Malphite
The lane, from both sides
Jax’s side
- Weak against Malphitefrom the Top On-Hit Bruiser build (Top)
Ground SlamGround SlamEActive: Malphite slams the ground beneath him, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and crippling them for 3 seconds. strips 30 to 50% attack speed from the champion whose damage is stacked attack speed, and 
Granite ShieldGranite ShieldPassiveInnate: Malphite grants himself a shield equal to 10% of his maximum health. The shield lasts until it is broken, and replenishes to full strength after a few seconds of not taking damage. plus the armor from 
Brutal StrikesBrutal StrikesWMalphite starts to hit with such force that his attacks deal damage to all units in front of him. Activating Brutal Strikes greatly increases his Armor and Attack Damage for a short amount of time. blunts the long trade 
Grandmaster's MightGrandmaster's MightRPassive: Jax's basic attacks grant bonus attack speed, stacking up to 10 times. Jax's basic attacks generate a stack of Grandmaster-at-Arms on-hit for 2.5 seconds, refreshing on subsequent hits and stacking up to 2 times. At 2 stacks, his next basic attack on-hit consumes all stacks to deal additional magic damage. needs.
Malphite’s side
- Strong against Jaxfrom the Armor Tank build (Top)
Seismic ShardSeismic ShardQActive: Malphite sends a shard to the target enemy that deals magic damage and slows them for 4 seconds upon impact. Malphite also gains bonus movement speed equal to the raw amount of movement speed the target lost from the slow for the duration. gives Malphite ranged poke against Jax. 
Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second. reduces Ground SlamGround SlamEActive: Malphite slams the ground beneath him, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and crippling them for 3 seconds.'s area damage, but the slam also cripples Jax's attack speed for 3 seconds.
The lane in detail
JaxMalphiteMalphite-favored: the cripple hits the stacks
A 7 second cooldown against a 2 second stance is not a fair clock.
Ground SlamGround SlamEActive: Malphite slams the ground beneath him, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and crippling them for 3 seconds. is a champion ability, so Evasion only shaves 25% off it. The cripple that follows takes 30 to 50% attack speed off Grandmaster's MightGrandmaster's MightRPassive: Jax's basic attacks grant bonus attack speed, stacking up to 10 times. Jax's basic attacks generate a stack of Grandmaster-at-Arms on-hit for 2.5 seconds, refreshing on subsequent hits and stacking up to 2 times. At 2 stacks, his next basic attack on-hit consumes all stacks to deal additional magic damage., which is the stat Jax's whole build is stacking.
Who has the lane, level by level
2–89–1314–18- 1Even: One 70 mana shard, one stance
- 2–8Malphite: A cripple every 7 seconds from level 2
- 9–13Malphite: Ground Slam's cripple on its way to 50%
- 14–18Malphite: Both third abilities leave rank 1
- 2Ground SlamLevel 2: Rank 1: 60 damage plus 30% of armor, and a 30% cripple
- 6Grandmaster's MightLevel 6: 6% attack speed a hit, ten landed hits to reach the 60% cap
- 6Unstoppable ForceLevel 6: 1000 units of dash, 1.5 seconds up, 130 before the next one
- 9Counter StrikeLevel 9: Its fifth point already: 10 seconds, 90 mana, still 2 seconds long
- 9Seismic ShardLevel 9: Same level, and the shard is at 270 with a 26% slow
- 13Ground SlamLevel 13: 220 damage now, and half of Jax's attack speed with it
The numbers, head to head
JaxMalphiteThe second button, both at rank 1
Same clock. One adds 40 magic damage, the other removes 30% attack speed.
Whose stat wins the long trade
Ground SlamGround SlamEActive: Malphite slams the ground beneath him, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and crippling them for 3 seconds. reduces Jax's attack speed for 3 seconds; it does not erase his accumulated stacks.
Mains at rank 5, both at level 9
The shard is thrown from 625. The stance only works standing inside the fight.
Reach on the opener, units
One of them ends with Jax at 125, inside Ground SlamGround SlamEActive: Malphite slams the ground beneath him, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and crippling them for 3 seconds.. The other ends with Malphite moving faster.
Whose armor is also a damage stat
25.75Ground SlamGround SlamEActive: Malphite slams the ground beneath him, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and crippling them for 3 seconds. carries 30% of Malphite's armor, so his defense is also his damage.
Who owns level 6, and for how long
Jax's has no cast and no cost. Malphite's turns one fight and then costs 130 seconds.
Reach, from above
Jax
Malphite
Rings are ranges in game units, both radars on one scale. Abilities wear their icon, the basic attack wears the champion’s own face; the dashed ring wearing the opponent’s face is their longest reach.
The item race
Jax
1200gBase attack damage on the next hit after a cast, once every 2 seconds.
3628gAttack speed helps Jax stack his passive, though Ground Slam temporarily reduces his attack rate.
3200gThe active damages Malphite based on maximum health and steals movement speed for following his retreat.
skipThe build carries it late; this lane is the exception, because 8 stacks of attack speed meet a cripple every 7 seconds.
Malphite
720gArmor is Ground Slam's damage stat, and 40 of it lands at 720 gold.
2650g450 health for Granite Shield to scale off, plus a burn that ticks on anyone stuck at 125.
2900gThe aura takes 20% attack speed before Ground Slam is even cast, and its 95 armor feeds the slam.
3125gCold Steel takes 15% more attack speed off every attacker who lands a hit.
Play it as Jax
- 1Take the trade while Granite ShieldGranite ShieldPassiveInnate: Malphite grants himself a shield equal to 10% of his maximum health. The shield lasts until it is broken, and replenishes to full strength after a few seconds of not taking damage. is broken. It only refills after a few seconds of not taking damage.
- 2Open with
EmpowerEmpowerWActive: Jax empowers his next basic attack or Leap Strike against an enemy within 10 seconds to deal additional magic damage to his target and nearby enemies. Empower resets Jax's basic attack timer.. 
Leap StrikeLeap StrikeQActive: Jax dashes to the target unit's location. If the target is an enemy and they are in range upon arrival, Jax deals physical damage to them. Jax can cast any of his abilities during the dash. is the way out of Ground SlamGround SlamEActive: Malphite slams the ground beneath him, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and crippling them for 3 seconds.'s 400 radius, so do not spend it walking in. - 3Buy attack speed back, not armor: Ground SlamGround SlamEActive: Malphite slams the ground beneath him, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and crippling them for 3 seconds.'s damage is magic and its cripple takes the stat Trinity Force gives you.
Play it as Malphite
- 1Use Ground SlamGround SlamEActive: Malphite slams the ground beneath him, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and crippling them for 3 seconds. when Jax commits to repeated attacks. Its cripple slows the rate at which he builds and uses his passive.
- 2Poke with Seismic ShardSeismic ShardQActive: Malphite sends a shard to the target enemy that deals magic damage and slows them for 4 seconds upon impact. Malphite also gains bonus movement speed equal to the raw amount of movement speed the target lost from the slow for the duration. and retreat on the stolen speed. Leave room for Jax's 700 unit Leap StrikeLeap StrikeQActive: Jax dashes to the target unit's location. If the target is an enemy and they are in range upon arrival, Jax deals physical damage to them. Jax can cast any of his abilities during the dash..
- 3Keep
Unstoppable ForceUnstoppable ForceRActive: Malphite dashes with displacement immunity to the target location. Upon arrival, he deals magic damage to nearby enemies and knocks them up for 1.5 seconds. for a committed fight; its rank 1 cooldown is 130 seconds.
The catch
Malphite's defense pays twice. Ground SlamGround SlamEActive: Malphite slams the ground beneath him, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and crippling them for 3 seconds. deals 60 to 220 plus 30% of his armor. Chain Vest, Sunfire Cape and Frozen Heart all raise that second number, and Brutal StrikesBrutal StrikesWMalphite starts to hit with such force that his attacks deal damage to all units in front of him. Activating Brutal Strikes greatly increases his Armor and Attack Damage for a short amount of time. adds 20 to 40% more on a 14 second button. Jax's defense pays once. Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second. is 2 seconds of evasion on a cooldown falling from 18 to 10, and 
Equipment MasteryEquipment MasteryPassiveInnate: Jax gains 3 maximum health per 1 bonus attack damage and 2 maximum health per 1 ability power from items. turns bought attack damage into health.
The kits at a glance
- Equipment Mastery
- Leap Strike
- Empower
- Counter Strike
- Grandmaster's Might
Malphite
Full abilities- Granite Shield
- Seismic Shard
- Brutal Strikes
- Ground Slam
- Unstoppable Force
Base stats, side by side
| Stat | Jax | Malphite |
|---|---|---|
| Health | 506 (+83) | 513 (+90) |
| HP regen | 1.6 (+0.11) | 1.6 (+0.11) |
| Mana | 265 (+35) | 255 (+40) |
| Attack damage | 59.675 (+3.375) | 59.675 (+3.375) |
| Armor | 25.5 (+3.2) | 25.75 (+3.75) |
| Magic resist | 31.25 (+1.25) | 31.25 (+1.25) |
| Attack speed | 0.638 (+3.4) | 0.638 (+3.4) |
| Move speed | 350 | 335 |
| Attack range | 125 | 125 |
Level-1 values with per-level growth in parentheses, read from the Classic client and re-checked against it on every update.
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