Cho'Gath vs Malphite Matchup Guide

Cho'Gath

Cho'Gath

Top Lane Tank/Mage

The Terror of the Void - tanky control mage with AoE CC and true damage execute

VS
Malphite

Malphite

Top Lane Tank

Armor-stacking tank whose Ground Slam shreds attack speed, Seismic Shard delivers point-and-click poke with movement speed theft, and Unstoppable Force provides high-impact teamfight engage from fog of war

VerdictCho'Gath favored EarlyCho'Gath Favored MidCho'Gath Favored LateCho'Gath Favored Updated Jul 10, 2026 · Patch 26.13

Champ Select Cheat Sheet — Cho'Gath vs Malphite

Runes
Hail of Blades or Comet (AP) / Grasp of the Undying (Tank) - always take Demolish for free plates
Secondary: Demolish is mandatory; fill remaining slots from Resolve (Second Wind, Overgrowth) or Sorcery (Manaflow Band, Transcendence)
Summoners
Flash + Ghost or Flash + Teleport
Start
Doran's Ring + 2x Health Potion
Core Build
Dark Seal (first recall)HeartsteelFimbulwinter (Tank) or flexible AP items based on enemy composition
Trade Pattern
Q > W > AA > E > disengage
Every variation of this trade goes to Cho'Gath; Malphite has no answer. Walk back into minions for passive healing.
Danger Levels
Respect Malphite at levels 6, 11
First Back
Dark Seal (350g)
Ideal Back (1000g+)

Matchup Dynamics

How This Matchup Works

Cho'Gath controls this lane at every stage. CarnivoreP – CarnivoreWhenever Cho'Gath kills a unit, he recovers Health and Mana. The values restored increase with Cho'Gath's level. passive heals through Seismic ShardQ – Seismic ShardMalphite sends a shard of the earth through the ground at his foe, dealing damage upon impact and stealing Move Speed for 3 seconds. poke before it accumulates, and every trade pattern goes to Cho regardless of build path. AP (HoB or Comet) grabs Dark SealDark SealProvides Ability Power and Mana. Increases in power as you kill enemies. and snowballs through unchallenged trades; Tank (Grasp) stacks HeartsteelHeartsteelRestores Health on kill or assist for free and layers Fimbulwinter on top. DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. is mandatory on both paths - Malphite cannot contest plates. The only real threat is Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. in grouped fights later, so track R cooldown and position accordingly when Malphite leaves lane.

Early Game (1-5)

Cho'Gath Favored - CarnivoreP – CarnivoreWhenever Cho'Gath kills a unit, he recovers Health and Mana. The values restored increase with Cho'Gath's level. sustain negates Seismic ShardQ – Seismic ShardMalphite sends a shard of the earth through the ground at his foe, dealing damage upon impact and stealing Move Speed for 3 seconds. poke; trade freely with any combo and healHealRestores Health and grants Move Speed to you and target allied champion. back off minion kills; take DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. and farm plates from level 1.

Mid Game (6-11)

Cho'Gath Favored - HeartsteelHeartsteelRestores Health on kill or assist or AP items complete while Malphite scrambles for Negatron Cloak; continue plate pressure and stack FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. on cannons between objectives.

Late Game (12+)

Cho'Gath Favored - Side-lane dominance is total; Malphite cannot answer split push or contest 1v1. Only Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. teamfight engage keeps Malphite relevant.

Key Interactions

  • CarnivoreP – CarnivoreWhenever Cho'Gath kills a unit, he recovers Health and Mana. The values restored increase with Cho'Gath's level. passive versus Seismic ShardQ – Seismic ShardMalphite sends a shard of the earth through the ground at his foe, dealing damage upon impact and stealing Move Speed for 3 seconds. poke: Malphite's primary harassment tool deals magic damage and steals movement speed, but CarnivoreP – CarnivoreWhenever Cho'Gath kills a unit, he recovers Health and Mana. The values restored increase with Cho'Gath's level. restores health and mana on every unit kill. Two minion kills offset a full Q trade, making sustained poke impossible for Malphite.
  • W - Feral ScreamW – Feral ScreamCho'Gath unleashes a terrible scream at enemies in a cone, dealing magic damage and Silencing enemies for a few seconds. to deny Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air.: Silence prevents Malphite from casting R during the mute window; cast W preemptively when Malphite walks into R range to force him to wait out the full silence duration or waste the engage timing.
  • DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. plate farming: Malphite lacks the damage or trading tools to prevent DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. procs; crash waves into tower and walk up for the plate. Repeat on every cannon wave for 160g per plate across the laning phase.
  • R - FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. versus Granite ShieldP – Granite ShieldMalphite is shielded by a layer of rock which absorbs damage up to 10% of his maximum Health. If Malphite has not been hit for a few seconds, this effect recharges.: FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. deals true damage that ignores Malphite's armor stacking entirely; Granite ShieldP – Granite ShieldMalphite is shielded by a layer of rock which absorbs damage up to 10% of his maximum Health. If Malphite has not been hit for a few seconds, this effect recharges. regenerates only out of combat, so sustained pressure keeps the passive down and makes R execute thresholds reliable.

Cho'Gath

Strengths

  • CarnivoreP – CarnivoreWhenever Cho'Gath kills a unit, he recovers Health and Mana. The values restored increase with Cho'Gath's level. passive heals through all of Malphite's poke; sustain advantage is permanent
  • Every trade pattern wins at every stage; Malphite has no favorable combat window
  • DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. converts lane dominance into free plates that Malphite cannot prevent
  • FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. deals true damage, bypassing Malphite's entire armor-stacking identity
  • Side-lane pressure is unanswerable late; Malphite must concede towers or lose the 1v1

Weaknesses

  • Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. gank setups with jungle can still force FlashFlashTeleports you a short distance toward your cursor. or kill through lane advantage
  • Low mobility means overextended plate pushes are punishable if Malphite R plus jungle arrives
  • Mana can run low if spamming Q and W for trades instead of farming with E and passive
  • Teamfight value drops if Malphite lands a clean multi-man Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. despite losing lane
  • FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. stacks lost on death hand the game back; respect tower dives with jungle even in easy lanes

Malphite

Strengths

  • Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. delivers game-deciding engage from fog regardless of lane results
  • First StrikeFirst StrikeWhen you initiate champion combat, deal 7% extra damage for 3 seconds and gain gold based on damage dealt. generates gold passively in a lane where contesting trades is impossible
  • Armor scaling still matters against AD teammates even when Cho'Gath deals magic damage
  • Seismic ShardQ – Seismic ShardMalphite sends a shard of the earth through the ground at his foe, dealing damage upon impact and stealing Move Speed for 3 seconds. movement speed theft helps set up ganks with jungle assistance
  • Negatron Cloak early provides enough MR to survive lane without falling behind in XP

Weaknesses

  • Cannot win any trade pattern against Cho'Gath at any point in the game
  • Granite ShieldP – Granite ShieldMalphite is shielded by a layer of rock which absorbs damage up to 10% of his maximum Health. If Malphite has not been hit for a few seconds, this effect recharges. passive gets broken by any ability before it regenerates meaningfully
  • Ground SlamE – Ground SlamMalphite slams the ground, sending out a shockwave that deals magic damage based on his Armor and reduces the Attack Speed of enemies for a short duration. attack speed slow is irrelevant against a mage whose damage is spell-based
  • No kill pressure solo at any stage; entirely dependent on jungle or teamfight R for impact
  • Armor stacking is wasted against FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. true damage and Cho'Gath's predominantly magic kit

Power Curve Comparison EXPERIMENTAL

Power Curve Visualization

Win Conditions

Cho'Gath's Win Condition

  • Take DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. on every rune page and farm plates from the first cannon wave; Malphite cannot prevent procs
  • AP path: buy Dark SealDark SealProvides Ability Power and Mana. Increases in power as you kill enemies. on first recall and snowball through trades that Malphite has no answer for
  • Tank path: stack HeartsteelHeartsteelRestores Health on kill or assist freely since Malphite cannot contest short trades; add Fimbulwinter for permanent mana and shielding
  • Hold R for objectives or confirmed kills; stack on cannon minions between objective timers
  • Win side lane late and force Malphite to choose between matching the split or grouping for teamfight R

Malphite's Win Condition

  • Farm safely with 3 points in E for wave clear; do not contest trades that Cho'Gath wins at every level
  • Rush Negatron Cloak to reduce Cho'Gath magic damage and survive lane without falling behind in XP
  • Generate gold through First StrikeFirst StrikeWhen you initiate champion combat, deal 7% extra damage for 3 seconds and gain gold based on damage dealt. procs on safe Q poke rather than trying to force fights
  • Save Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. for grouped fights where the AoE knock-up outweighs lane deficit
  • Build toward Malignance for ultimate cooldown reduction; teamfight R frequency is the entire win condition

Laning Phase Guide

Level/Phase Cho'Gath Malphite
Level 1 Start E - Vorpal SpikesE – Vorpal SpikesCho'Gath's attacks release deadly spikes, dealing damage and slowing all enemy units in front of him. (Tank) or Q - RuptureQ – RuptureRuptures the ground at target location, popping enemy units into the air, dealing damage and slowing them. (AP); trade aggressively on Malphite's first CS attempts. Passive heals every unit kill. Ward pixel brush at 2:30. Start E - Ground SlamE – Ground SlamMalphite slams the ground, sending out a shockwave that deals magic damage based on his Armor and reduces the Attack Speed of enemies for a short duration. for wave management; avoid any extended contact. Ward river at 2:30 and concede contested CS rather than trading into Cho'Gath.
Level 2 Take W - Feral ScreamW – Feral ScreamCho'Gath unleashes a terrible scream at enemies in a cone, dealing magic damage and Silencing enemies for a few seconds.; Q > W trades chunk Malphite and he cannot retaliate effectively. Push the wave and set up the first DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. proc on cannon crash. Take Q - Seismic ShardQ – Seismic ShardMalphite sends a shard of the earth through the ground at his foe, dealing damage upon impact and stealing Move Speed for 3 seconds.; poke from max range only when Cho'Gath commits to a last-hit. Do not walk into W silence range.
Level 3 Full kit online; Q > W > AA with E active for a dominant short trade. Malphite's Ground SlamE – Ground SlamMalphite slams the ground, sending out a shockwave that deals magic damage based on his Armor and reduces the Attack Speed of enemies for a short duration. AS slow is irrelevant against spell-based damage. Crash for first plate. Full kit available but every trade still goes to Cho'Gath. Put second point in E at level 3 for wave clear. Call jungle if Cho overextends for plates.
Level 4-5 Continue DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. plate farming on every cannon wave. Back for Dark SealDark SealProvides Ability Power and Mana. Increases in power as you kill enemies. (AP) or Ruby Crystal into HeartsteelHeartsteelRestores Health on kill or assist components (Tank). The lane is free. Third point in E for faster wave clear. Back for Negatron Cloak when possible; the MR is mandatory against Cho'Gath magic damage. Survive to 6.
Level 6 FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. unlocks true damage execute that bypasses all armor stacking. Stack on cannons between objectives. R confirm indicator makes kills reliable against a low-threat opponent. Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. available but do not waste it in a 1v1 that Cho wins anyway. Save R for jungle ganks or grouped skirmishes where the knock-up has real value.
Level 7-8 AP: Q max continues safe poke and wave control. Tank: E max provides consistent DPS in trades Malphite cannot escape. Push for remaining plates before they fall at 14:00. Transition Q max after 3 points in E. Buy Ionian Boots for ability haste; Malignance components if gold allows. Rotate for grouped plays with R available.
Level 9 First ability maxed; push side lane with impunity. Rotate for Herald or Dragon with R available; FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. secures neutrals through any contest. Complete Malignance if possible; ultimate cooldown reduction is the scaling payoff. Group with team and look for Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. angles that bypass lane deficit.

Power Spikes

Level Spikes

Cho'Gath Malphite
Level Description Level Description
2 Minor W - Feral ScreamW – Feral ScreamCho'Gath unleashes a terrible scream at enemies in a cone, dealing magic damage and Silencing enemies for a few seconds. unlocks Q > W trade; silence prevents any retaliation from Malphite 3 Minor Third point in E for wave clear since contesting trades is impossible
6 Major R - FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. adds true damage execute that bypasses armor stacking; objective control begins 6 Major Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. unlocks; save for ganks or grouped fights, not solo lane use
9 Major AP: Q max delivers dominant poke; Tank: E max provides consistent DPS in uncontested trades 11 Major R2 lowers Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. cooldown; teamfight impact increases with Malignance
11 Major R2 reduces FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. cooldown; more stacks and tighter objective control windows

Item Spikes

Cho'Gath Malphite
Item Description Item Description
Dark SealDark SealProvides Ability Power and Mana. Increases in power as you kill enemies. (350g) AP path: first-recall purchase; stacks freely in a lane where trades always go to Cho'Gath Negatron Cloak (900g) Early MR rush against Cho'Gath magic damage; mandatory for lane survival
HeartsteelHeartsteelRestores Health on kill or assist Tank path: permanent HP stacking is free when the opponent cannot contest procs Ionian Boots of LucidityIonian Boots of LucidityIncreases Move Speed and Cooldown Reduction Ability haste for more R uptime; Malphite's entire value is Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. frequency
Fimbulwinter Tank path: pairs with HeartsteelHeartsteelRestores Health on kill or assist for permanent mana sustain and a shield on immobilize Malignance Ultimate cooldown reduction and mana; first completed item for teamfight-focused Malphite
Rod of AgesRod of Ages45 Ability Power350 Health500 ManaTimelessThis item gains 10 Health, 30 Mana and 3 Ability Power every 60 seconds up to 10 times. AP Tank hybrid; stacking HP, AP, and mana provide the scaling this free lane enables Doran's RingDoran's RingGood starting item for casters (400g) Starting item for mana sustain and AP; Federals1 recommends over Corrupting PotionCorrupting PotionRestores Health and Mana over time and boosts combat power - Refills at Shop
Zhonya's HourglassZhonya's HourglassActivate to become invincible but unable to take actions AP path: stasis denies Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. follow-up in teamfights

Best Build for Cho'Gath

Starting Items

Doran's RingDoran's RingGood starting item for casters + 2x Health PotionHealth PotionConsume to restore Health over time

Core Items

Dark SealDark SealProvides Ability Power and Mana. Increases in power as you kill enemies. (first recall) → HeartsteelHeartsteelRestores Health on kill or assist → Fimbulwinter (Tank) or flexible AP items based on enemy composition

Runes

Primary: Hail of BladesHail of BladesGain a large amount of Attack Speed and bonus true damage for the first 3 attacks made against enemy champions. or Comet (AP) / Grasp of the UndyingGrasp of the UndyingEvery 4s your next attack on a champion deals bonus magic damage, heals you, and permanently increases your health. (Tank) - always take DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. for free plates

Secondary: DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. is mandatory; fill remaining slots from Resolve (Second WindSecond WindAfter taking damage from an enemy champion heal back some missing health over time., OvergrowthOvergrowthGain permanent max health when minions or monsters die near you.) or Sorcery (Manaflow BandManaflow BandHitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum mana by 25, up to 250 mana.After reaching 250 bonus mana, restore 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds., TranscendenceTranscendenceGain bonuses upon reaching the following levels:Level 5: +5 Ability Haste Level 8: +5 Ability Haste Level 11: On Champion takedown, reduce the remaining cooldown of basic abilities by 20%.)

Summoner Spells

FlashFlashTeleports you a short distance toward your cursor. + GhostGhostGain Move Speed and ignore unit collision for the duration. or FlashFlashTeleports you a short distance toward your cursor. + TeleportTeleportAfter a brief channel, become untargetable and travel to an allied unit. Upgrades into Unleashed Teleport, which significantly increases travel speed.

Priority Build Path

1
Dark Seal

First-recall buy for AP path; stacks accumulate freely since Malphite cannot trade back

2
Heartsteel

Tank core; permanent HP stacking is completely free when the opponent poses zero trade threat

3
Fimbulwinter

Tank second item; permanent mana pool eliminates sustain concerns and shield procs on Q knock-up

4
Rod of Ages

AP Tank hybrid option; stacking stats reward the free lane with scaling into every phase

Situational Adjustments

  • Zhonya's HourglassZhonya's HourglassActivate to become invincible but unable to take actions: AP path: stasis denies Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. follow-up damage and buys cooldowns in teamfights
  • Kaenic RookernKaenic Rookern400 Health80 Magic Resist100% Base Health RegenMagebaneAfter not taking magic damage for 15 seconds, gain a magic shield.: Heavy AP threats elsewhere on the enemy team; the MR shield absorbs burst windows
  • Hollow RadianceHollow RadianceImmobilize enemies to gain a shield. Activate to run faster at opponents.: Tank path with mixed enemy damage; AoE burn adds wave clear and fight DPS
  • Frozen HeartFrozen HeartMassively increases Armor and slows enemy basic attacks: Enemy AD carries rely on attack speed; mana plus ability haste improves Q and W rotation uptime

Key Patterns

Lethal Combos

Cho'Gath Full Combo (Level 6+):

Q > W > AA > E > R

Full rotation into FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health.; only commit R when the execute indicator confirms the kill. True damage ignores Malphite armor entirely.
Malphite Escape/Counter Combo:

R > E > Q > AA

Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. engage into Ground SlamE – Ground SlamMalphite slams the ground, sending out a shockwave that deals magic damage based on his Armor and reduces the Attack Speed of enemies for a short duration. and Seismic ShardQ – Seismic ShardMalphite sends a shard of the earth through the ground at his foe, dealing damage upon impact and stealing Move Speed for 3 seconds.; realistic only with jungle follow-up since solo kill pressure is zero.

Trading Combos

Cho'Gath Short Trade:

Q > W > AA > E > disengage

Every variation of this trade goes to Cho'Gath; Malphite has no answer. Walk back into minions for passive healing.
Malphite Quick Trade:

Q from max range > retreat

Seismic ShardQ – Seismic ShardMalphite sends a shard of the earth through the ground at his foe, dealing damage upon impact and stealing Move Speed for 3 seconds. poke is the only safe option; the stolen movement speed helps disengage, but CarnivoreP – CarnivoreWhenever Cho'Gath kills a unit, he recovers Health and Mana. The values restored increase with Cho'Gath's level. passive heals the damage immediately.

Lethal Thresholds

  • Cho'Gath Kill Range: FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. execute is reliable below roughly 25-30% HP after the full Q > W > E rotation; confirm the indicator before pressing R.
  • Malphite Kill Range: Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. plus Ground SlamE – Ground SlamMalphite slams the ground, sending out a shockwave that deals magic damage based on his Armor and reduces the Attack Speed of enemies for a short duration. deals meaningful burst only with jungle follow-up; solo kill threat against Cho'Gath is effectively zero at all stages.
  • Critical Levels: Cho'Gath controls every level bracket. Malphite's level 6 R unlock is relevant only for gank setups, not solo fights.

Level by Level Game Plan

Level Primary Goal Lane Position Trading Opportunities Kill Windows Setup Opportunities
1 establish trade dominance push into Malphite; contest his CS auto-trade freely; passive heals everything back low without jungle ward pixel brush 2:30
2 unlock silence punish push for first DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. proc Q > W; Malphite cannot retaliate through silence only with jungle gank crash cannon wave for plate
3 full combo trades push and proc DemolishDemolishYour third attack against turrets deals bonus damage. Q > W > AA with E active; every trade wins possible if Malphite walks into full combo at low HP continue plate farming
4-5 back for Dark SealDark SealProvides Ability Power and Mana. Increases in power as you kill enemies. or components crash wave then recall continue dominant trades on return medium if Malphite stays without MR back on cannon wave crash
6 FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. stacking begins push and stack R on cannons full combo plus R if kill confirmed high with R execute hold R for objectives if spawning soon
7-8 complete first item continue push and plate pressure Q poke (AP) or E trades (Tank); both paths dominate consistent with R available rotate for Herald or Dragon with R
9+ transition to side-lane and objectives push freely; Malphite cannot contest any combo into R confirm high in side-lane group with team for objectives when R is available
Mid Game (11-16) split push and objective control side-lane dominance; force Malphite to match or lose towers front-to-back with AoE CC in grouped fights R2 execute on any target below threshold track Malphite R cooldown; warn team of Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. angles
Late Game (16+) objective control with R Baron and Dragon pits where FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. secures zone with Q; silence key targets with W any Q land into R confirm on a carry deny vision near objectives; body-block with FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. HP

First Back Goals

Ideal Back (1000g+)

  • Dark SealDark SealProvides Ability Power and Mana. Increases in power as you kill enemies. (350g)
  • Amplifying Tome (435g) or Ruby Crystal (400g)
  • Control Ward (75g)

Crash cannon wave; buy Dark SealDark SealProvides Ability Power and Mana. Increases in power as you kill enemies. to snowball the free lane advantage

Behind Back (600-900g)

  • Boots (300g)
  • Ruby Crystal (400g) or Doran's RingDoran's RingGood starting item for casters (400g)

Base on bounce; even a suboptimal back maintains lane dominance against Malphite

Teamfight Tips

Aspect Cho'Gath Malphite
Primary Role Frontline zone control with AoE CC; engage off Q hits and silence key targets to deny Malphite R follow-up Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. delivery system; land multi-man R from fog of war to win fights regardless of lane deficit
Target Priority ADC or fed carry after Q connects
Malphite if he whiffs Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. and is stranded
Jungler near contested objective		 Backline carries with Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. from flanking angle
Cho'Gath if caught without team in side-lane
Grouped enemies in choke points for multi-man R
Objective Control R - FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. secures neutrals through any contest; arrive early and zone with Q
Force fights in tight spaces where Q and W land reliably on grouped enemies		 Use Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. to engage fights near objectives; win the teamfight to win the objective
Force Baron or Dragon when Cho'Gath is split pushing on the opposite side of the map
Positioning Fight in choke points and jungle entrances where Q hits reliably
Body-block with FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health. HP; absorb Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. for carries when possible		 Flank from fog of war for multi-man Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air.
Avoid fighting Cho'Gath directly; land R on backline targets instead
Other Tips Cast W preemptively when Malphite walks into R range to deny the Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. cast window entirely
Body-block Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. with FeastR – FeastDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health.-stacked size to absorb the knock-up for carries behind you		 Flank from unwarded angles; a clean multi-man Unstoppable ForceR – Unstoppable ForceMalphite launches himself to a location at high speed, damaging enemies and knocking them into the air. wins fights even from a large gold deficit
Coordinate R timing with jungle CC for chain knock-ups that Cho'Gath cannot silence through