Dark Willow vs Snapfire

How this matchup plays

Seeing a Snapfire on the other team is often reason enough to pass on picking Dark Willow. The problem is that Snapfire's entire kit seems designed to counter what Willow wants to do. Dark Willow relies on Shadow Realm to become untargetable and reposition, but she still takes damage from area-of-effect spells. Both Scatterblast and Mortimer Kisses cover large areas, letting Snapfire easily hit and slow Willow even when she's hidden. This bypasses her main survival tool completely, leaving her exposed. Snapfire is also naturally tougher and can often survive Willow's burst, then turn the fight with a point-blank Scatterblast.

Throughout the game, this dynamic forces Dark Willow to play from the absolute fringe of fights, unable to contribute safely. Any attempt to use Bedlam offensively or Shadow Realm defensively can be punished by Mortimer Kisses blanketing her position. Snapfire can effectively zone Willow out of a teamfight by herself. For Willow to have an impact, she needs her team to draw all of Snapfire's attention first, creating a small window to go in. Snapfire, meanwhile, can play with confidence, knowing her spells will find their mark and disrupt Willow's game plan at every stage.