Thornmail Malphite Build

General

1. You rush Thornmail.
2. You go full Armor.
3. Hit or miss. Works only if an enemy team is full of physical damage dealers (preferably auto-attackers).
4. If an enemy team is full of mages/AP damage, play regular tank build instead.

General

1. How is this Thornmail build for Malphite different to regular tank builds? Item order, Armor stacking and countering enemy physical damage dealers!
2. This build is aimed to counter AD comps. Since you don't know the enemy team, you need to adapt in game. It is hit or miss. If they are heavy AP - just play regular tank.
3. Late game, you can consider selling boots for 6th item - for even more sweet Thornmail damage!
4. Remember to consume your Grasp of the Undying procs!

Champion

1. You can rush Thornmail as the first item against a full AD team.
2. Against AD team, you can max Ground Slam (E), or even Thunderclap (W) for sweet Thornmail damage.
3. You are the spikiest when your Granite Shield (Passive) is up, thanks to tons of additional Armor from your Thunderclap (W).
4. You don't need boots for this build. You have good mobility - Seismic Shard (Q) for speed, Snowball / Unstoppable Force (R) for reach.

Champion

1. Universal skill order: default Seismic Shard (Q), Ground Slam (E) for countering auto attackers, Thunderclap (W) for Armor stacking builds.

Granite Shield (Passive)

1. Wait for your Granite Shield (Passive) to be up, before engaging or going in and to prevent poke. You will be more tanky and survive longer.

Seismic Shard (Q)

1. Chasing someone? You can use Seismic Shard (Q) on minions for speed buff, then for example Unstoppable Force (R) the target.
2. While not playing strictly AP builds, you can prioritize using Seismic Shard (Q) on enemy carries in order to cripple them.

Ground Slam (E)

1. Save Ground Slam (E) for enemy carries that rely on auto attacking, if possible.

Unstoppable Force (R)

1. Sometimes it is better to hold on your R, rather than using it if you are not sure if you hit it. It puts pressure on the enemy, as they need to take into account your R.
2. Want to hit more Unstoppable Force (R)? Surprise enemies by facing other directions before using your R.

Riot

1. Armor naturally reduces the rate that attacks go through Granite Shield, so Brutal Strikes will strengthen the shield against physical damage.
2. Despite his abilities scaling on Armor, some games require Malphite to get Magic Resist. When those games occur, try getting Aegis of the Legion, Mercury's Treads, and Guardian Angel.