Shadow Fiend vs Troll Warlord

How this matchup plays

Trying to build a farm advantage as Shadow Fiend is incredibly difficult when a Troll Warlord is on the map. Troll is designed to run at fragile heroes and commit to a fight, which is Shadow Fiend's worst-case scenario. Even landing a perfect Requiem of Souls isn't a guaranteed kill, since Troll can use Battle Trance to survive the burst and easily kill SF in return. This problem gets worse once Troll has a BKB, letting him walk through the Requiem's effects untouched. If Shadow Fiend goes for a physical build, Troll's melee Whirling Axes apply a miss chance that cripples his damage output in a direct fight.

This forces the game into a specific pattern. Troll Warlord can play aggressively, hunting Shadow Fiend and forcing him to hide. SF has to play from the edges of the fight, completely reliant on his team to control Troll with stuns and kiting. This pressure often forces Shadow Fiend into buying defensive items earlier than he wants, slowing his own timing and damage potential. All the while, Troll is free to push towers and take objectives, shrinking the map and squeezing SF out of the game.