Mastering Malena: Sneaky Strategies To Cheese Your Way To Victory

Cheesing Malenia, a notoriously challenging boss in *Elden Ring*, involves exploiting specific strategies to bypass her aggressive combat mechanics and secure an easier victory. Players often rely on tactics like summoning NPC allies to distract her, using bleed or poison build-ups to whittle down her health, or exploiting her AI by staying at a distance and chipping away at her stamina. Additionally, equipping items like Rivers of Blood or utilizing the Bloodhound Step Ash of War can significantly reduce the fight's difficulty. While these methods may not align with a traditional, honorable approach, they offer a practical solution for players struggling to overcome Malenia's relentless attacks and second-phase transformations.

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Exploit Malena's Slow Start: Focus early pressure, rush her before she scales mid-game

Malena's early game is her Achilles' heel. Her abilities, while devastating later, have long cooldowns and require mana investment initially. This vulnerability presents a golden opportunity for aggressive players to dictate the lane and cripple her before she reaches her power spike.

Imagine a boxer with a powerful haymaker but sluggish footwork. You wouldn't stand back and wait for the inevitable knockout. You'd swarm them early, peppering them with jabs, disrupting their rhythm, and preventing them from setting up their signature move. The same principle applies to Malena.

The key lies in relentless early pressure. Harass her constantly during the laning phase. Short trades, poking with auto-attacks and low-cost abilities, chip away at her health and mana. Force her to burn through potions and back off, denying her crucial experience and gold. Champions with strong level 1-2 power spikes, like Zed or Talon, excel at this strategy. Their burst damage and mobility allow them to engage, deal significant damage, and disengage before Malena can retaliate effectively.

Remember, the goal isn't necessarily to secure a kill (though that's a bonus). It's to stifle her development, forcing her to play defensively and hindering her ability to farm and scale.

However, caution is paramount. Malena's not helpless. Her early game may be weak, but she still possesses tools for self-preservation. Her shield and movement speed boost can turn the tide of a fight if you overextend. Respect her range, avoid all-in engagements unless you have a clear advantage, and prioritize wave control to deny her minion gold.

By exploiting Malena's slow start, you gain a significant advantage. You dictate the pace of the lane, control the flow of resources, and hinder her ability to reach her mid-game dominance. This early pressure snowballs into a lead that can be leveraged to secure objectives, push lanes, and ultimately, secure victory.

Counter Her Ultimate: Stun or silence Malena during her ultimate to disable it

Malena's ultimate ability can be a game-changer, but it's not invincible. A well-timed stun or silence can completely disable her ultimate, rendering her vulnerable and giving your team a significant advantage. This tactic requires precision and coordination, but when executed correctly, it can be a powerful tool in your arsenal.

To effectively counter Malena's ultimate, it's essential to understand the timing and duration of her ability. Typically, her ultimate lasts for 6-8 seconds, during which she gains increased damage and mobility. Identifying the moment she activates her ultimate is crucial, as this is when you'll want to apply the stun or silence. Abilities like a 2-second stun or a 3-second silence, when applied within the first 1-2 seconds of her ultimate, can completely negate her advantage. For instance, using a hard crowd control (CC) ability, such as a point-and-click stun or a targeted silence, ensures that Malena is unable to capitalize on her ultimate's benefits.

When planning to counter Malena's ultimate, consider the following practical tips: first, communicate with your team to ensure someone has a stun or silence ability ready. Abilities like a 1.5-second root followed by a 2-second stun can be particularly effective, as they provide a total of 3.5 seconds of CC, which is often enough to disable her ultimate entirely. Second, position yourself or your team members within range to apply the CC immediately upon detection of her ultimate. This may involve anticipating her movements or baiting her into using her ultimate in a predictable location. Lastly, be mindful of Malena's cooldowns and ability usage patterns, as she may try to deceive your team by feigning an ultimate activation.

Comparing different CC abilities, it's clear that some are more effective than others against Malena's ultimate. For example, a 4-second silence is overkill, as her ultimate typically ends before the full duration of the silence. Conversely, a 1-second stun may not provide enough time to disable her ultimate fully. The sweet spot lies in abilities that offer 2-3 seconds of CC, striking a balance between effectiveness and efficiency. Additionally, abilities that provide both damage and CC, such as a damaging stun, can be particularly valuable, as they not only disable Malena's ultimate but also contribute to her overall health depletion.

In conclusion, countering Malena's ultimate through strategic stunning or silencing requires a combination of timing, coordination, and ability selection. By understanding the duration of her ultimate and employing well-timed CC abilities, you can effectively neutralize her threat and turn the tide of battle in your favor. Remember to communicate with your team, position yourselves strategically, and choose the right abilities to maximize your chances of success. With practice and precision, this tactic can become a reliable method for cheesing Malena and securing victory.

Target Squishy Allies: Force her to use abilities defensively by threatening her team

Malena's strength lies in her ability to control the battlefield with her powerful abilities. However, her effectiveness diminishes when she's forced to play defensively. By targeting her squishy allies, you can create a situation where Malena has no choice but to use her abilities to protect her team, rather than to engage offensively. This strategy requires careful planning and execution, as well as a deep understanding of Malena's abilities and her team's composition.

To execute this strategy, start by identifying the squishy allies on Malena's team. These are typically the heroes with low health pools and minimal defensive capabilities, such as mages or marksmen. Focus your attacks on these heroes, using abilities and basic attacks to whittle down their health. Be mindful of your positioning, as you don't want to get caught out of position and become an easy target for Malena's counter-attacks. As you apply pressure to her squishy allies, Malena will be forced to use her abilities to protect them, leaving her vulnerable to counter-attacks.

A key aspect of this strategy is to maintain a balance between aggression and caution. While it's essential to apply pressure to Malena's squishy allies, you also need to be aware of her positioning and abilities. If you get too aggressive, you may walk into a trap and become an easy target for her ultimate ability. To avoid this, use abilities that provide vision control, such as wards or scouting abilities, to keep track of Malena's movements. Additionally, communicate with your team to coordinate your attacks and ensure that you have backup in case things go wrong.

One effective way to target squishy allies is to use crowd control abilities, such as stuns or slows, to lock them down and prevent them from escaping. For example, if you're playing a hero with a strong initiate ability, such as a stun or a pull, use it to catch Malena's squishy allies off guard and create an opportunity for your team to follow up with damage. Be mindful of the duration and range of your crowd control abilities, as well as the cooldowns, to ensure that you're using them effectively. A well-timed crowd control ability can be the difference between success and failure in this strategy.

In conclusion, targeting Malena's squishy allies is a high-risk, high-reward strategy that requires careful planning and execution. By forcing Malena to use her abilities defensively, you can create opportunities for your team to gain an advantage and ultimately secure the win. Remember to maintain a balance between aggression and caution, use vision control to keep track of Malena's movements, and coordinate with your team to maximize your chances of success. With practice and patience, you can master this strategy and become a formidable opponent against Malena and her team.

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Build Anti-Heal Items: Reduce her sustain with items like Executioner's Calling or Mortal Reminder

Malena's ability to sustain herself in prolonged fights can be a game-changer, often tipping the scales in her favor. To counter this, building anti-heal items like Executioner's Calling or Mortal Reminder becomes a strategic necessity. These items apply grievous wounds, reducing healing and regeneration effects on Malena, effectively diminishing her sustain capabilities. Executioner's Calling, in particular, is a cost-effective option, providing 25% grievous wounds and 20% attack speed for only 1100 gold, making it an early-game staple against healing-heavy champions.

The effectiveness of these items lies in their ability to disrupt Malena's core strengths. By reducing her healing, you force her to play more cautiously, limiting her aggressive playstyle. For instance, a well-timed Mortal Reminder, which costs 2600 gold and provides 30% grievous wounds, 40% attack damage, and 20% life steal, can turn the tide of a team fight. Its passive, which activates on attack, ensures that Malena’s sustain is consistently mitigated, making her more vulnerable to burst damage and crowd control.

When incorporating these items into your build, timing is crucial. Prioritize Executioner's Calling early if Malena is dominating lane, as its low cost allows you to apply pressure without sacrificing other core items. However, if the game progresses into the mid to late stages, Mortal Reminder becomes a more attractive option due to its additional stats, which enhance your own offensive capabilities while countering her sustain. Be mindful of her build, though; if she opts for non-healing abilities, these items may offer less value, and shifting focus to pure damage or defense could be more beneficial.

A practical tip is to communicate with your team about Malena’s healing sources. If she relies heavily on abilities like lifesteal or spell vamp, anti-heal items become even more impactful. Coordinate with your team to focus her during fights, as the reduced healing will make her easier to burst down. Additionally, consider pairing these items with abilities or spells that deal percent health damage, such as Cho’Gath’s *Rupture* or Mordekaiser’s *Mace of Spades*, to further capitalize on her weakened sustain.

In conclusion, building Executioner's Calling or Mortal Reminder against Malena is a targeted strategy to neutralize her sustain, forcing her into a more defensive playstyle. These items not only reduce her healing but also provide additional stats that enhance your own performance. By timing their purchase effectively and coordinating with your team, you can significantly reduce Malena’s impact on the game, turning her strength into a liability.

Split Push Safely: Avoid team fights; split push to draw her away from objectives

Malena thrives in chaotic team fights, where her abilities can decimate grouped enemies. To neutralize her impact, adopt a split-push strategy that forces her to choose between defending her towers and pursuing objectives. This tactic leverages her instinct to protect her team’s structures, drawing her away from crucial map objectives like Roshan or enemy towers. By isolating her, you minimize her ability to coordinate with her team and maximize her cooldown windows, effectively reducing her overall influence on the game.

Executing a safe split push requires careful hero selection and timing. Choose heroes with strong wave clear, escape mechanisms, or self-sustain, such as Phantom Lancer, Nature’s Prophet, or Anti-Mage. These heroes can push lanes quickly while surviving ganks if Malena attempts to counter. Time your pushes during her cooldowns or when she’s visibly engaged elsewhere on the map. Warding key areas like the river and enemy jungle provides critical vision to avoid ambushes, ensuring you can retreat safely if she rotates toward you.

A common mistake in split pushing is overextending, which Malena can exploit with her mobility and burst damage. Always maintain a safe distance from enemy towers and keep an eye on the minimap. If Malena begins to rotate toward you, prioritize escaping over securing the last hit. Use your escape abilities proactively—for instance, Nature’s Prophet’s *Teleportation* or Anti-Mage’s *Blink*—to disengage before she closes the gap. Remember, your goal isn’t to kill her but to keep her occupied and away from her team.

The effectiveness of this strategy lies in its psychological impact. Malena players often feel compelled to respond to split pushes, especially if their towers are under threat. This predictability allows your team to secure objectives unopposed. For example, while Malena chases you across the map, your team can take Roshan, push mid lane, or secure bountiful farm in unguarded areas. Coordinate with your team via pings or chat to ensure they capitalize on her absence, turning her defensive instincts into a strategic liability.

In summary, split pushing safely against Malena is a high-reward tactic that requires discipline, hero synergy, and map awareness. By forcing her to choose between defending and engaging, you disrupt her rhythm and limit her impact on team fights. Pair this strategy with strong vision control and coordinated objective timing, and you’ll transform Malena’s aggression into a tool for your team’s success. Master this approach, and you’ll not only cheese Malena but also gain a strategic edge in every game.

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