Axe vs Magnus

How this matchup plays

Seeing these two heroes in a draft might make you think about them on the same team, stacking big area-of-effect spells. When they're on opposite sides, however, Axe's kit directly dismantles what Magnus is trying to accomplish. The entire game plan for Magnus revolves around landing a key Reverse Polarity and using Skewer to bring targets back to his team. Axe completely shuts this down with Berserker's Call. The moment Magnus blinks in, Axe can counter-initiate with his own blink and Call, forcing Magnus and anyone caught to attack him. With Blade Mail active, this often turns Magnus's perfect setup into his own death.

This interaction puts Magnus on the back foot for the entire game. He's forced to hold his ultimate, waiting for Axe to use Berserker's Call on someone else first. This means Axe is the one controlling the tempo of every teamfight. Magnus can't make the proactive, game-winning plays his team drafted him for. He has to settle for cleaning up or finding a pick when Axe isn't there. Meanwhile, Axe is free to play his normal aggressive game, jumping supports and creating chaos, knowing the enemy's biggest teamfight ability is neutered by his presence alone.