Pangolier vs Phantom Lancer

How this matchup plays

Picking Pangolier into a Phantom Lancer is a tough sell, because Pango’s entire damage kit gets confused by illusions. Swashbuckle wants to hit a single hero four times, but against a swarm of illusions, that damage is completely scattered and wasted. Pangolier relies on landing his spells for control and survival, but Phantom Lancer can use Doppelganger to easily disjoint both the damage from Swashbuckle and the stun from Rolling Thunder. Pangolier ends up trying to hit a target that isn't really there, while the real PL is safe.

This dynamic gets worse over time. In the laning phase, Pangolier can still trade. But once Phantom Lancer gets a few items, he can hunt Pango down with impunity. The Pangolier is forced to either buy wave-clearing items he doesn’t want or become completely ineffective in fights. He can’t initiate on PL, he can’t burst him, and he can’t even reliably run away. Phantom Lancer, on the other hand, can simply send his army in, knowing Pango has no good way to deal with the pressure.