Anti-Mage vs Venomancer

How this matchup plays

Fighting into an Anti-Mage can be frustrating for a Venomancer, as the impact of his poisons feels diminished. Anti-Mage's passive magic resistance from Counterspell shaves the effectiveness off of every tick of damage, from Venomous Gale to Poison Sting. This allows him to survive engagements long enough to find a target with Blink. He isn't looking to trade damage over time; his goal is to get in, secure a kill on a support, and escape before the slow-acting damage can accumulate and become a real threat.

Across the game, Venomancer will try to control space and slow down pushes with Plague Wards, but this does little to deter a split-pushing Anti-Mage. In teamfights, Anti-Mage can wait for the initial chaos, and once Poison Nova is used, he has a window to strike. Venomancer is often an easy target himself, being relatively fragile and burning through his mana pool, which sets him up perfectly for a Mana Void. Without strong, instant lockdown from Venomancer's allies, Anti-Mage can usually dictate the terms of the fight.