Rubick vs Io

How this matchup plays

Seeing a Rubick on the other team means the Io player has to be constantly aware of Spell Steal. A successful steal of Relocate is game-defining, allowing Rubick to counter ganks, initiate on his own terms, or pull off incredible saves. It's one of the highest-value spells available. However, Io isn't completely defenseless. Since its other abilities have low cooldowns, a quick Io can cast something else right after teleporting, baiting Rubick into stealing a much less impactful spell and leaving his ultimate on cooldown for the next big fight.

The matchup really comes down to execution in mid-game teamfights. Rubick wants to play around vision, waiting for that one moment to snag Relocate and turn a fight. His team's job is to set him up for that. Meanwhile, Io is focused on keeping its chosen core alive and mobile, often ignoring Rubick entirely. If Io and its partner get ahead, they can be too slippery and survivable for Rubick to ever get a clean opportunity. The game often hinges on whether Rubick can land the perfect spell, or if Io can simply play its own game better.