Arena of Valor Maloch Guide: Trading, Shock Engages, and Builds

To win trades and teamfights with Maloch in Arena of Valor, you must consistently land Cleave to trigger his Plunder passive, absorb incoming damage by catching multiple units with Souleater, and use Shock to cut off enemy escape routes. Because Plunder converts all of Maloch's basic attacks and blade swings into true damage while active, your build should prioritize flat physical attack and durability rather than armor penetration.

Laning and Trading with Cleave and Plunder

Maloch controls the Slayer Lane by activating Plunder. Landing Cleave against an enemy hero enchants his blade, causing his subsequent basic attacks and abilities to deal true damage that completely bypasses physical and magical armor. Additionally, hitting an enemy hero with Cleave while already enchanted heals Maloch for a percentage of his lost health.

Apply these rules during laning trades:

• Position across the wave: Stand perpendicular to minion waves so the horizontal sweep of Cleave hits both the minions and the opposing laner.
• Lead with the tip: Bait out an enemy ability animation, then strike with the outer edge of Cleave's arc.
• Never trade un-enchanted: Avoid basic-attacking before Plunder activates. If Cleave misses, immediately disengage toward your tower until the cooldown resets, as fighting without Plunder strips Maloch of his primary sustain and trading power.

Maximizing Souleater Shields

Souleater provides Maloch with crowd control and survivability. When cast, Maloch drains souls from nearby enemies, dealing minor damage, slowing movement speed, and granting a protective shield.

The shield's strength scales with the number of targets hit, up to a four-target cap. To maximize shielding, cast Souleater when the enemy laner stands inside a minion wave. The movement slow also makes it much harder for opponents to dodge the brief wind-up animation on Cleave.

Avoid taking extended duels in barren river channels or neutral territory where no minions are present. In an isolated 1v1 without extra targets, Souleater provides only a minimal single-target barrier, leaving you vulnerable to burst damage.

Executing Shock Engages and Jungle Invasions

Maloch's ultimate, Shock, launches him airborne and smashes into a target zone. Enemies caught in the epicenter are knocked airborne, while those touching the perimeter suffer a heavy movement slow. Hitting an enemy champion with Shock instantly enchants Maloch's blade, granting true damage without needing a prior Cleave.

When invading contested zones such as the enemy Blue Golem camp or fighting for river objectives, follow this engagement sequence:

1. Conceal your position: Wait inside brush or behind camp walls so the enemy cannot see your ultimate indicator before committing their cooldowns.
2. Place Shock behind the target: Aim the center slightly behind the enemy's escape route rather than directly on their current position, forcing them into the slowing perimeter.
3. Chain crowd control upon landing: Cast Souleater immediately upon touchdown to slow airborne targets and absorb retaliatory damage.
4. Follow up with Cleave: Swing Cleave while the target is slowed, delivering an unavoidable true damage hit and restoring lost health.

Core Item Build

Because Plunder bypasses armor entirely, items with armor penetration (such as Spear of Longinus) provide no value to Maloch's enchanted attacks. Prioritize defensive stats, cooldown reduction, and flat physical attack.

Teamfight Positioning and Counterplay

In 5v5 teamfights, do not use Shock as a raw engagement tool against mobile carries holding movement abilities or Flicker. Jumping in first leaves Maloch stranded in the enemy backline while his abilities are on cooldown.

Instead, play as a counter-engager and frontline anchor:

• Wait for frontline commitment: Let your roamer or support bait out initial enemy crowd-control spells.
• Bisect the enemy team: Drop Shock between the enemy frontline and backline in choke points around the Dark Slayer or Abyssal Dragon pits, cutting off reinforcements and trapping squishier carries inside the perimeter slow.
• Watch for interruptions: Hard crowd control can cancel Cleave's wind-up animation, putting the skill on cooldown without granting Plunder. Wait out suppressions and stuns before winding up your blade.
• Respect ranged kiting: Mobile ranged carries like Hayate and Elsu can whittle Maloch down outside his effective radius. Force fights inside tight jungle corridors rather than wide-open lanes to minimize their kiting advantage.