Monkey King vs Viper

How this matchup plays

Trying to build Jingu Mastery stacks in lane is a losing battle for Monkey King. Every time he steps up, Viper can apply Poison Attack, making it impossible to stay on target long enough for the passive to activate. If Monkey King tries to use Tree Dance to escape or re-engage, any of Viper's damage-over-time effects can knock him right out of the trees. The real problem is Nethertoxin, which straight-up disables passives. This turns off Jingu Mastery entirely, removing Monkey King’s main source of damage and sustain in a trade. On top of that, Corrosive Skin makes hitting Viper a painful exchange.

This pressure often forces Monkey King to abandon the lane early and roam for kills, but even that is difficult. Viper can push the wave and take the tower, accelerating his own farm. In later teamfights, Viper makes Wukong’s Command much less effective by placing Nethertoxin on the area, again disabling Jingu Mastery for its duration. Monkey King's game becomes about trying to find fights where Viper isn't present, while Viper can confidently stand with his team, knowing their primary initiator has a hard time getting anything done against him.