Dark Willow vs Grimstroke

How this matchup plays

Controlling the pace of the lane is difficult for Dark Willow when facing a Grimstroke. His long-range harass from Stroke of Fate can consistently wear down her small health pool from a distance where she can't easily retaliate. The more direct problem is Phantom's Embrace; a successful latch will silence Dark Willow, preventing her from using Shadow Realm to become untargetable and dodge incoming damage or stuns. This forces her to play much more passively, which can limit the farm for her lane partner and slow down her own item progression.

Later in the game, this dynamic creates openings for Grimstroke's team. Soulbind makes it dangerous for Dark Willow to position near her allies, as she can be disabled or killed as a side-effect of them being targeted. To succeed, Willow needs to play around vision, get the jump on Grimstroke with a Cursed Crown and Bramble Maze, or use Terrorize to counter-initiate before he can get his spells off. Grimstroke's kit simply makes it easier for him to initiate and control the engagement from the beginning.