Necrophos vs Sand King

How this matchup plays

Thinking you can burst Necrophos with Sand King's Blink-Burrowstrike-Epicenter combo is a common trap. Necrophos wants you close. His Heartstopper Aura constantly wears down anyone nearby, and activating Ghost Shroud makes him immune to Sand King's physical attacks while amplifying his own healing from Death Pulse. This turns Sand King's all-in initiation from a kill attempt into a slow, predictable suicide. Necrophos simply sustains through the initial damage and waits for Sand King's health to drop into Reaper's Scythe range.

This dynamic gets worse for Sand King as the game goes on. In mid-game teamfights, his job is to jump in and cause chaos, but targeting Necrophos is a mistake. If Sand King goes on a different hero, Necrophos is free to sustain his own team and execute a target with his ultimate. A successful Scythe kill on any hero, especially the Sand King who just dove in, provides a massive amount of regeneration that can swing the entire fight. Sand King is left with no good options for his most important spells.