Alchemist vs Anti-Mage

How this matchup plays

Farming against an Alchemist feels like a race against the clock. His Greevil's Greed lets him accelerate into key items so fast that he can be teamfighting while Anti-Mage is still trying to finish a Battle Fury. However, Alchemist relies on his spells to farm and fight, and Anti-Mage's Mana Break is a constant drain on his small mana pool. While Alchemist can try to lock him down with Unstable Concoction, a quick Blink is usually enough for Anti-Mage to escape danger and continue farming the map, making him an incredibly frustrating and slippery target to shut down.

The whole game boils down to which hero's team can better enable their strategy. Alchemist wants his team to group with him as soon as he gets his core items, forcing down towers and ending the game before other carries can come online. The Anti-Mage player is counting on his team to create space, split the map, and delay fights for as long as possible. If the game goes late, Anti-Mage eventually out-scales Alchemist. He can hunt him down, burn all his mana, and secure a kill with Mana Void, completely flipping the script.