Axe vs Clinkz

How this matchup plays

Thinking you can kite Axe from the shadows is a fatal miscalculation for Clinkz. Axe’s whole design punishes heroes for hitting him, and Berserker's Call forces that exact situation. Once Clinkz is caught, his own high attack speed from items or Strafe becomes his undoing, triggering a barrage of Counter Helix spins against his tiny health pool. Axe doesn't even need to land a normal attack; Clinkz will often kill himself on the spins. Any attempt to channel Burning Barrage is also instantly stopped by the taunt, shutting down his main source of teamfight damage.

This dynamic really comes online once Axe secures a Blink Dagger. From that point on, Clinkz can't safely farm a lane or join a fight without the constant threat of being initiated on and deleted. His game becomes about staying on the absolute fringes of a fight, hoping his team can protect him. A smart Axe, however, will always be looking for an angle to bypass the front line and jump straight onto Clinkz. Surviving this matchup requires Clinkz to have exceptional positioning and awareness of Axe's likely location at all times.