Dark Willow vs Vengeful Spirit

How this matchup plays

Getting caught by Nether Swap can be a major problem for Dark Willow. Vengeful Spirit can instantly pull her out of a safe backline position, separating her from the safety of her Bramble Maze and dropping her into the enemy team. A quick follow-up with Magic Missile provides the necessary lockdown for cores to burst Willow down before she can get a spell off. This direct, targeted initiation is difficult for Dark Willow to play around, as it bypasses the kiting and setup she normally relies on to control teamfights and stay alive.

Still, this doesn't mean Vengeful Spirit always wins the exchange. Dark Willow can anticipate and use Shadow Realm to dodge the incoming stun projectile after being swapped. The long cooldown on Nether Swap means Venge can’t do this constantly, and Willow can play aggressively when it’s down. If Vengeful Spirit swaps herself into a bad position to catch the Willow, she can easily be turned on and killed. It often comes down to which support gets the better initiation and whose team is positioned to follow up, giving Venge a slight but not overwhelming edge.