Grimstroke vs Phoenix

How this matchup plays

Picking Phoenix into Grimstroke creates an interesting standoff. Grimstroke wants to lock key targets down for his team with Soulbind, but Phoenix can often escape the tether immediately with Icarus Dive. This forces Grimstroke to wait for Phoenix to be out of position or for Dive to be on cooldown. Similarly, landing Phantom's Embrace for a silence can be difficult, as Phoenix can preemptively use Fire Spirits to damage and destroy the phantom before it latches. Grimstroke has the control, but Phoenix has the tools to dodge it if he's paying attention.

This dynamic comes to a head in teamfights around Supernova. Grimstroke himself poses little threat to the egg, but he can be lethal by using Soulbind on two enemies trying to attack it. This turns Phoenix's own ultimate into a potential liability, setting up a double stun for Grimstroke's team. On the other hand, if the enemy team commits too hard to killing the egg, they can get caught out of position when it explodes. The fight often hinges on which hero uses their ultimate to better control the positioning of the enemy team.