Jakiro vs Pugna

How this matchup plays

Placing a Nether Ward near a teamfight completely changes how Jakiro can play. His whole job is to layer his abilities, but the high mana cost of Macropyre and his other spells means the Ward will punish him severely for doing so. He can easily kill himself simply by casting his ultimate. Pugna can also use Decrepify on anyone caught by Ice Path, making them take amplified damage from his team's spells and his own Nether Blast. This turns Jakiro's own setup into a death sentence for his teammates.

This dynamic forces Jakiro to play with extreme caution. Pugna's team will look to set up their Nether Ward before pushing a tower or taking Roshan, daring Jakiro to use his spells. The usual strategy of spamming Liquid Fire to defend a high-ground push becomes incredibly risky. Jakiro's main goal becomes finding and destroying the Ward before committing to a fight, but a well-placed Ward is often too deep to target safely. This pressure usually allows Pugna to dictate the pace of the game.