Diana vs Malzahar Mid Matchup

Diana Mid wins 49.6% of 2,710 Low Elo games against Malzahar Mid, +0.1 points vs expected, 2-patch window 26.19-26.20.

Researched on LoL patch 26.20. Tips are written to hold at any rank; stats come from Low Elo ranked games up to patch 26.20.

How to play as Diana

Use Crescent Strike(Q) through the wave to clear Voidlings and mark Malzahar, then dash in and use Pale Cascade(W) to absorb damage during the trade. Avoid a long engage if his Nether Grasp(R) is ready and you are exposed to a gank.

Crescent Strike(Q) can hit Malzahar and his Voidlings(W) while marking him; Diana can then use her dash on a marked target to close the gap.

Pale Cascade(W) gives Diana a shield and area damage, helping her mitigate Malzahar's poke while clearing nearby Voidlings(W).

How to play as Malzahar

Keep a safe distance and avoid letting Crescent Strike(Q) hit you and the wave together; if Diana misses Q, she loses the mark that makes her dash engage easy, so that is a safer window to trade.

Sources

These notes come from r/DianaMains, checked against the champions' abilities.