Bristleback vs Lion

How this matchup plays

Dealing with Bristleback is all about control, which makes Lion a natural fit for the job. Lion can use Hex or Earth Spike to stop Bristleback from turning his back, forcing him to take full damage from your team. Mana Drain is also a huge problem for him, as it stops the constant Quill Sprays that make him so dangerous in a long fight. The risk for Lion is that if he doesn't have backup, or if Bristleback has a way to dispel the lockdown, the situation reverses instantly. A free-casting Bristleback will run down and kill a fragile support like Lion very quickly.

This makes the game a race against the clock. Early on, Lion is a major threat and can help secure kills that shut Bristleback down. If your team can play aggressively and keep him poor, Lion's control remains effective for most of the game. If Bristleback gets a good start and builds items that let him survive or ignore Lion's spells, like a Black King Bar, he becomes incredibly difficult to handle. He'll simply run past the supports and go straight for the cores, and Lion can't do much to stop him alone.