Axe vs Phoenix

How this matchup plays

A chaotic teamfight often boils down to a test of cooldowns. Axe wants to blink in and use Berserker's Call to lock Phoenix in place for a quick kill, but Phoenix can often survive the taunt's duration. If Axe gets him low enough for Culling Blade, Phoenix can use Supernova to become invulnerable and reset the engagement. This creates a new objective: Axe and his team must now destroy the egg. Phoenix's Fire Spirits, however, can cripple their attack speed, making it much harder to break the Supernova in time.

During the laning phase, Phoenix can comfortably harass a melee hero like Axe from a distance with spells. Later on, the matchup becomes a waiting game. Axe is constantly looking for an opening when Supernova is unavailable to find a pickoff. Phoenix, in turn, has to play more cautiously when his ultimate is on cooldown, knowing he's a prime target. Success for either hero depends on catching the other with a key ability down or forcing a fight where the opponent's team cannot follow up effectively.