Grimstroke vs Jakiro

How this matchup plays

Landing Phantom's Embrace on Jakiro is devastating. The silence shuts down his entire contribution, and his low mobility makes it almost impossible for him to outrun the phantom before it latches. This problem gets worse with Soulbind, as Grimstroke can bind Jakiro to a core and silence them both, creating a huge opening. It's the inverse of why they work poorly together on the same team: Grimstroke's kit is built to amplify single-target spells, while Jakiro's spells are all area-of-effect and receive no benefit from Soulbind. Grimstroke simply has the better tools for controlling one or two specific targets.

Throughout the game, this dynamic puts Jakiro on the back foot. In lane, Grimstroke can safely harass with Stroke of Fate from outside Jakiro’s range. In teamfights, Jakiro needs time to cast his spells like Ice Path and Macropyre, but Grimstroke's Ink Swell provides an easy stun to interrupt him. Because Jakiro is so slow, he becomes a prime target for Grimstroke's team to isolate and burst down. To avoid Soulbind, Jakiro and his allies are forced to play separated, which makes it harder for him to land his own multi-hero spells and control the fight.