Dark Willow vs Earthshaker

How this matchup plays

Trying to survive a gank with Shadow Realm often fails against Earthshaker. His Fissure and the stuns from Aftershock are area-of-effect, so they'll still hit and lock down Dark Willow even when she's untargetable. This means she can't use her primary defensive spell to dodge his initiation combo. Because she's so fragile, getting caught by a Fissure or being in the radius of an Echo Slam is often fatal, since she lacks the health pool to survive the follow-up stuns and right-clicks from his team.

This dynamic forces Dark Willow to play much more cautiously. She can't safely position for Bedlam or Cursed Crown if Earthshaker is threatening to blink in. Her best course of action is to use Terrorize to send him away before he can get his spells off, or use Bramble Maze to zone him out of initiation range. The matchup becomes a game of vision and reaction. If Earthshaker finds an opening, she’s an easy kill, but a well-played Willow can keep him at a distance and prevent him from starting a fight on his terms.