Alchemist vs Witch Doctor

How this matchup plays

Getting hit with Maledict makes Chemical Rage a lot less safe. Alchemist relies on his regeneration to fight through damage, but Maledict's final burst can easily finish him off even when his ultimate is active. The bouncing stun from Paralyzing Cask adds to the problem, either interrupting Alchemist's own stun charge or simply holding him in place to get bursted. This kind of lockdown is exactly what you don't want when your hero needs to stand his ground and right-click during a fight.

The matchup becomes a race between Alchemist's farm and Witch Doctor's ability to punish it. Alchemist wants to get so far ahead on items that he can buy a Black King Bar or another defensive tool early, letting him ignore the control spells. Witch Doctor’s job is to delay that timing by finding kills on him during the mid-game. If Witch Doctor can successfully gank Alchemist and slow his momentum, it makes it much harder for Alchemist to take over the map before the enemy team catches up in farm.