Lifestealer vs Riki

How this matchup plays

Thinking you can Rage and run at Riki is the mistake here. While Rage blocks the silence from Riki's Smoke Screen, it doesn't stop the miss chance. Lifestealer is still stuck inside a cloud that denies him the attacks and lifesteal he needs to survive a fight. Riki can also use Tricks of the Trade to become untargetable, easily waiting out the short duration of Rage. It’s a frustrating matchup because Lifestealer wants to stand and fight, and Riki’s kit is built to stop him from doing that effectively.

Lifestealer can feel strong early, but his game becomes much harder once Riki gets a few levels and starts roaming. A well-placed smoke can completely turn a gank, leaving Lifestealer unable to fight back or Infest to escape. Lifestealer’s team has to invest heavily in detection just to let him farm safely. To win, Lifestealer needs to itemize specifically to hit through the miss chance or play tightly with his team. Riki, on the other hand, is always looking for that one moment to catch Lifestealer alone.