Rubick vs Shadow Demon

How this matchup plays

Casting any spell as Shadow Demon feels like a liability when Rubick is in the game. His entire kit is a menu of high-value steals. A stolen Disruption gives Rubick an incredible save or setup tool, and Demonic Purge is a game-changing ultimate that can be turned back against Shadow Demon's own team. There are no bad options for Rubick here; even a simple Shadow Poison can be used effectively. This constant threat of feeding the enemy your best spells means Shadow Demon is punished for doing his job, making his impact much harder to realize.

This pressure forces the Shadow Demon player into a horribly defensive posture all game. Using Disruption to save an ally is a calculated risk, as it might give Rubick the spell he needs to save his own core moments later. The tension is highest around Demonic Purge. The Shadow Demon has to either hold a critical teamfight ultimate, or cast it and risk Rubick immediately stealing it to break and purge one of his allies. Rubick doesn't have to do anything special; he simply needs to exist and be ready to capitalize on the spells Shadow Demon must eventually use.