Dawnbreaker vs Phantom Assassin

How this matchup plays

Picking Phantom Assassin after the enemy has already locked in Dawnbreaker is a tough call. Phantom Assassin wants to close the distance and burst a single hero with physical damage, but Dawnbreaker’s kit is perfectly suited to stopping that. Starbreaker delivers a wide, stunning attack that’s difficult to dodge even with Phantom Strike, and it deals magical damage that ignores Blur. Dawnbreaker is also naturally tough enough to survive the initial jump, and her self-healing makes it very difficult for PA to finish the job before help arrives.

This forces the Phantom Assassin to play a much more careful game. Any attempt to gank a vulnerable target can be instantly punished by a Solar Guardian arrival, turning a sure kill into a teamfight loss. Dawnbreaker can simply group up and dare the PA to engage, controlling teamfights with her stuns and slows. The Phantom Assassin’s only real window is to wait for Dawnbreaker's spells to be used and then commit with a BKB, but a patient Dawnbreaker player will often hold their abilities specifically for the moment PA reveals herself.