Dark Willow vs Lion

How this matchup plays

Thinking you can reliably react to Lion's initiation is a common mistake. Dark Willow's Shadow Realm is an excellent escape, but Lion's Hex is an instant-cast disable. If he gets the jump on her, there is no window to react and become untargetable. This turns many encounters into a test of prediction and positioning. Lion has a direct, point-and-click way to lock her down before she can use her spells, which gives him a natural edge in one-on-one situations. Dark Willow can still play around this with good vision and by anticipating his movements, but the pressure is on her to make the first move.

Throughout the game, this interaction defines how they play around each other. Lion will often look for opportunities to blink in and use Hex to set up a kill on Dark Willow, especially once he has Finger of Death. For the Dark Willow player, survival means staying on the fringes of teamfights, using her teammates as a shield. She has to wait for Lion to commit his spells on a different target before she can safely move in with Bedlam to do her damage. The onus is on her to position perfectly, while Lion can often force the issue.