Pangolier vs Slark

How this matchup plays

Picking Pangolier into a Slark means accepting that your control will be less reliable. Slark's Dark Pact is the main problem, as it can purge away the stun from Rolling Thunder. This forces Pangolier to either time the roll perfectly or accept that Slark will often get to act freely inside of it. Furthermore, a well-timed Pounce can leap over Rolling Thunder entirely, letting Slark escape or even turn on Pangolier. These tools allow Slark to consistently undermine the disruption that Pangolier wants to bring to a fight, making him a slippery and difficult target to lock down.

As a result, the Pangolier player often has to ignore Slark and focus on controlling other heroes, which isn't always possible if Slark is the main threat. A smart Slark will often wait for Rolling Thunder to be committed before looking for a target with Shadow Dance. Pangolier's escape with Swashbuckle is good, but it's not a guaranteed out if he gets caught by Pounce first. While Pangolier can still cause chaos, he struggles to personally deal with Slark, giving the fish a small but noticeable advantage in fights.