Earthshaker vs Troll Warlord

How this matchup plays

Trying to control a committed Troll Warlord is exactly what Earthshaker is designed for. Long-range initiation with Fissure and follow-up stuns from Aftershock can lock Troll in place, preventing him from building Fervor stacks on a target. A big Echo Slam can also burst him down before he becomes a serious problem. The issue for Earthshaker is Battle Trance. Even if Troll Warlord gets caught and chain-stunned, his ultimate can allow him to survive the initial onslaught. This forces Earthshaker and his team to either kite Troll for the duration or have enough damage to kill him the instant it wears off.

The outcome of their engagements often comes down to timing and key items. An Earthshaker with an early Blink Dagger can catch Troll Warlord out of position and secure kills before he's farmed. Conversely, once Troll gets a Black King Bar, he can often ignore Earthshaker’s lockdown and run straight at him, since Earthshaker can’t withstand the physical damage for long. Fights become a matter of who gets the jump: a perfect initiation from Earthshaker can win the fight, but a prepared Troll can turn that initiation around and clean up.