Pugna vs Viper

How this matchup plays

The duel between these two often comes down to a battle of attrition. Viper applies constant pressure with slows and magical damage over time, making it hard for anyone to stand their ground against him. Pugna’s main response is Life Drain, which can out-heal Viper’s sustained damage if left uninterrupted. Furthermore, Nether Ward taxes Viper for every spell he casts, punishing the use of his ultimate especially hard. The real wild card is Decrepify; saving an ally from Viper's physical attacks comes at the cost of making them extremely vulnerable to his poison, turning a good save into a bad one with poor timing.

Early on, this creates a tense lane where Viper can bully with attacks, but Pugna can severely punish him for getting too close. Later in the game, success depends entirely on positioning and initiation. A Pugna caught out of position by Viper Strike is almost certainly dead. In a larger teamfight, however, Pugna can sit in the backline, using Decrepify on distant targets and Life Drain to sustain his team through Viper’s assault. The fight is usually won by whichever hero's team better enables their specific game plan.