Magnus vs Shadow Fiend

How this matchup plays

Catching Shadow Fiend is the whole game plan for Magnus. Reverse Polarity is a perfect tool for locking down a fragile, high-damage target, and a follow-up Skewer can drag him so far out of position that the fight is over for him instantly. This is Magnus's ideal scenario. The problem is that Shadow Fiend builds to do the exact same thing, but with damage. If he gets to use Requiem of Souls from a good position, or gets it off on death after being caught, he can wipe the team that just jumped on him.

This matchup often comes down to which hero gets to execute their plan first. In lane, they can trade farm with their respective nukes, with Magnus often feeling a bit safer against ganks. But once Blink Daggers come online, the game becomes a positioning duel. Magnus wants to initiate from the shadows before Shadow Fiend can react. In response, Shadow Fiend has to play with vision, waiting for the right moment to either commit his own spells or get a Black King Bar to survive the initial jump. The game really hinges on that first move.