Shadow Fiend vs Witch Doctor

How this matchup plays

Trying to land a big Requiem of Souls is incredibly frustrating when a Witch Doctor is on the other team. His Paralyzing Cask can bounce from a creep or another hero and interrupt the channel from a safe distance, completely negating Shadow Fiend’s big teamfight spell. Even outside of that specific interaction, Shadow Fiend is a glass cannon who relies on positioning to survive. Maledict is the perfect punishment for getting caught, as the damage amplification turns any stun into a near-certain death for a hero with no built-in escape or way to purge the effect.

This forces Shadow Fiend to play a completely different game. He needs a Black King Bar early to have any hope of channeling his ultimate, and he has to constantly worry about Witch Doctor’s positioning. A good Witch Doctor will simply stay in the backline, waiting for Shadow Fiend to commit before disabling him. The entire fight becomes a cat-and-mouse game where Shadow Fiend wants to burst the Witch Doctor first, while the Witch Doctor is content to react and counter-initiate, making it very difficult for SF to take over a fight.