Mars vs Sand King

How this matchup plays

Getting trapped inside Arena of Blood is a lot less scary for Sand King. He can use Burrowstrike to leap over the wall and escape, completely negating Mars's biggest spell. This mobility also makes it difficult for Mars to land a good Spear, as Sand King can often dodge it or reposition before a follow-up stun. Furthermore, the damage reduction from Bulwark is mostly ineffective against the area-of-effect damage from Sand Storm and Epicenter, which don't care which direction Mars is facing.

This dynamic starts in the lane, where Sand King uses Sand Storm to secure farm and avoid Mars's aggression. Later, Mars is hesitant to commit his ultimate, knowing Sand King can render it useless for a key target. The best Mars can do is try to bait out Burrowstrike first, which forces him to play reactively. Sand King is free to make his own plays and initiate on his own terms, knowing his escape is almost always available against the enemy team's primary controller.