Shadow Shaman vs Wraith King

How this matchup plays

Trying to kill Wraith King with long-cooldown disables is a massive tempo loss. Shadow Shaman's entire value comes from locking down one hero for a long time with Hex and Shackles, but Reincarnation means Wraith King gets a full reset after absorbing that entire spell rotation. This forces Shaman's team to waste time and mana killing him once, only for him to get back up and continue the fight while Shaman has nothing left. Even the act of channeling Shackles is risky, as Wraithfire Blast provides a simple and effective interrupt, leaving Shaman vulnerable.

The game becomes incredibly difficult for Shadow Shaman once Wraith King hits his first big timing. Before then, Shaman can set up ganks, but afterward, Wraith King can farm aggressively, knowing a solo rotation from Shaman is an inconvenience at worst. In teamfights, Shaman has to either use his spells on a target that will revive or let Wraith King run free while he disables someone else. This allows Wraith King's team to dictate the pace, often baiting out Shaman's ultimate and disables before re-engaging to win the fight.