Morphling vs Witch Doctor

How this matchup plays

Trying to tank a Maledict by shifting to Strength can easily backfire. The spell's final burst is based on the health you lose while it's active, not your maximum HP. So when Morphling gets cursed, shifts to high Strength, and then takes damage, he's losing health from a much larger pool. This feeds Maledict, setting up a surprisingly painful pop at the end. Paralyzing Cask holds him in place for that damage, preventing him from using Waveform to escape the follow-up attacks needed to make the curse hurt.

This dynamic creates constant pressure on Morphling, especially in lane. A simple stun-and-curse combo from Witch Doctor forces a defensive reaction or a bad trade. Later in the game, Witch Doctor's lockdown is a reliable way to peel for a teammate that Morphling tries to burst. Morphling needs to pick his targets carefully, either bursting Witch Doctor before he can act or waiting for those crucial spells to be used on an ally before he fully commits to a fight.