Dark Willow vs Storm Spirit

How this matchup plays

Trying to lock down Storm Spirit can feel like a sure thing with Dark Willow's kit, but the reality is more complicated. She has Bramble Maze to root him in place and Cursed Crown for a delayed stun. While Storm Spirit cannot use Ball Lightning to escape the stun from Cursed Crown landing on himself, he can use the delay to fly a huge distance. This often means he drags an unfortunate ally with Electric Vortex far out of position or simply repositions himself to safety before the stun finally triggers. What looks like a clean kill for Dark Willow frequently turns into a messy trade.

This back-and-forth defines the matchup at all stages. Early on, Dark Willow's control makes ganking and laning against Storm Spirit quite effective. Once Storm gets his core items, however, he has enough damage to find and burst her before she can even cast her full combo. Fights between them become a duel of initiation. If Dark Willow gets the jump with her team, Storm is shut down. If Storm finds her alone, she dies instantly. The winner is usually decided by vision, positioning, and who acts first.