Sand King vs Weaver

How this matchup plays

Locking down Weaver is the whole game for Sand King. A successful Burrowstrike into a full Epicenter will almost always kill Weaver before he can react. The problem is getting that stun to land. Weaver's Shukuchi makes him incredibly hard to pin down, and he can often juke the stun or simply run out of the channeled ultimate. Even if everything goes right for Sand King, a quick Time Lapse from Weaver can completely undo all the damage and reset the fight, leaving Sand King with his biggest cooldowns spent for nothing. The interaction is a constant test of reflexes and positioning.

This dynamic makes their lanes and teamfights very tense. Sand King wants to play from the fog with a Blink Dagger, hoping to initiate before Weaver is ready. Weaver, on the other hand, plays on the edges of the fight, using The Swarm for vision and to soften targets while always tracking Sand King. He has to be ready to use Time Lapse defensively at a moment's notice. If Weaver can bait out the Epicenter and survive, his team can usually clean up the exposed Sand King. If Sand King finds that clean initiation, Weaver disappears from the fight instantly.