Alchemist vs Bristleback

How this matchup plays

Dropping Acid Spray on Bristleback and expecting him to melt is a common mistake. He is perfectly happy to run through it to get on top of Alchemist and start stacking Quill Sprays. The matchup hinges on this tension: Bristleback wants to fight constantly and apply pressure from the very start, which directly interferes with Alchemist’s goal of accelerating his farm with Greevil’s Greed. While the armor reduction is a genuine problem for Bristleback against physical damage, Alchemist is very fragile before he gets his ultimate and a few core items.

The whole game becomes a race to see who can execute their plan first. If Alchemist gets the space to farm, he can come online with items that let him kite and burn down Bristleback from a safe distance. With a Radiance or an Assault Cuirass, a farmed Alchemist can make teamfights impossible for Bristleback. However, if Bristleback and his team successfully pressure Alchemist early, they can shut down his economy completely. An under-farmed Alchemist can’t itemize to handle the constant aggression and will get run over long before he becomes a threat.