Earthshaker vs Slardar

How this matchup plays

Trying to initiate on Earthshaker can feel very risky. Slardar has the tools to run him down with Corrosive Haze and his stun, but it's a dangerous game. A single Fissure can stop a charge cold, creating enough space for Earthshaker's team to collapse. The shaker is also excellent at punishing initiators who rely on Blink Dagger. If Slardar jumps in near his own teammates or a creep wave, he's setting up a perfect Echo Slam that can instantly turn the fight around. Both heroes want the other to make the first move.

The matchup often comes down to positioning and who gets the jump. A Slardar who can find Earthshaker alone can secure an easy kill before a fight even starts, removing a huge amount of teamfight control from the enemy. Earthshaker, on the other hand, often has to wait for Slardar to commit. Once Slardar is in the middle of things, chained stuns from Aftershock can lock him down for a surprisingly long time. It forces Slardar to build items like Black King Bar earlier than he might want, just to survive the counter-initiation.