Talk:Malphite/@comment-212.117.1.33-20120710114330/@comment-5162027-20120711122820

Vladimir is pretty much the only AP top I can think of that Malphite can actually do anything against. Either they just flat out beat him early game through mid (Rumble), can AFK push to your turret then go somewhere else and gank (Malzahar, Swain), can straight up outsustain him (Swain, Vladimir once he's about level 9 but rough early is rough), or can totally outpoke and zone him (Kennen).

Malphite can itemise against them with magic resistance items, but most of the cases I outlined do well enough early game or don't require more than one or two items mid game that anything he does to them early does jack, while the rest of the team is likely not prepared for their damage. Malphite, even midgame, is just a tanky jerk with a great initiator and can screw up your AD carry. Not much of his kit actually bothers AP carries or tanky AP champs.