Kunkka vs Lion

How this matchup plays

Getting caught by Lion’s chain stuns feels like a death sentence, but Kunkka has a direct answer. X Marks the Spot can be cast on a focused ally, returning them to safety after the Hex and Earth Spike wear off. This forces Lion to either find a different target or risk wasting his entire cooldown rotation for no result. On the other side of the coin, Lion is extremely fragile. He has no way to survive Kunkka's Torrent and Ghostship combo, and can even die to a stray Tidebringer cleave while trying to position himself in a teamfight.

The matchup often becomes a game of cat and mouse. Lion will try to catch Kunkka or his allies out of position before a saving X Mark can be cast. Kunkka, meanwhile, looks for any opportunity to land his combo on the vulnerable Lion, instantly removing him from the fight. A Black King Bar on Kunkka heavily tilts this interaction in his favor, allowing him to cast his spells without fear of being disabled. Until that point, however, it's a standoff where the player with better positioning and faster reactions usually comes out ahead.