Magnus vs Timbersaw

How this matchup plays

Thinking Timbersaw can stand his ground against a Reverse Polarity combo is a common mistake. The real issue for him isn't the initial magical burst, but the total loss of control that follows. Magnus excels at forced repositioning. A good Skewer can drag Timbersaw out of the trees and into the open river, completely disabling his Timber Chain escape. Reverse Polarity does the same thing on a larger scale, pulling him into the middle of five heroes with no trees in sight. Timbersaw's entire plan relies on zipping around the fight, and Magnus is uniquely equipped to shut that down.

Once Magnus gets a Blink Dagger, Timbersaw can no longer play aggressively. He can't safely push lanes or posture on the edge of a fight, because the threat of being skewed or ulted into a bad spot is always there. Magnus and his team will often make Timbersaw the primary target. Even with high armor from Reactive Armor, being stunned for that long while an Empower-buffed core unloads on him is a death sentence. Timbersaw is forced to play from behind or wait for Magnus to commit his spells elsewhere, severely limiting his impact.