Broodmother vs Rubick

How this matchup plays

Getting run down by a Broodmother feels awful as Rubick. He has no innate area-of-effect abilities to handle the spiderlings, and his low health pool makes him a prime target for Insatiable Hunger. This forces him to play from a safe distance. His one saving grace is Telekinesis. A good lift can stop Broodmother's charge in its tracks, giving his team a window to turn and kill her. However, the spells Rubick can steal from Broodmother are rarely game-changing. Taking Spawn Spiderlings is fine for some farm, but it's not the high-impact teamfight ability he's usually looking for.

This matchup revolves around positioning and initiation. Broodmother wants to find and burst Rubick before he can react, often as the first move in a fight to remove a key disable. Rubick, in turn, must play cautiously, staying near allies who can follow up on his Telekinesis or save him if he gets caught. Later in the game, items play a huge role. A Ghost Scepter or Force Staff can give Rubick the survivability he needs, while a Nullifier on Broodmother can shut him down completely. The outcome often depends on who gets the jump on whom.