Dragon Knight vs Phantom Assassin

How this matchup plays

Trying to burst down a Dragon Knight with physical damage is always a tough ask. His Dragon's Blood passive gives him a ton of armor, and Breathe Fire can cut Phantom Assassin's damage output right when she needs it most. She can have trouble sticking to him, but her evasion from Blur makes her an equally frustrating target for him to hit without the right items. Dragon Knight's single-target Dragon Tail is reliable lockdown, but it's often not enough to kill her on his own, and a well-timed Phantom Strike can sometimes dodge the projectile.

This leaves the matchup in a bit of a stalemate for much of the game. Phantom Assassin will usually ignore Dragon Knight in fights, preferring to hunt his more fragile teammates. Likewise, DK often lacks the damage to threaten PA until he gets specific items to counter her evasion. The whole dynamic comes down to who gets ahead in farm and which team plays around their carry's item timings better. A late-game Phantom Assassin with the right items can eventually overwhelm him, but a farmed Dragon Knight is one of the hardest heroes to kill.