Shadow Shaman vs Venomancer

How this matchup plays

Trying to control a fight often comes down to who acts first, and Shadow Shaman's lockdown is instant. Hex or Shackle will completely immobilize a target, which is the perfect counter to a hero like Venomancer who needs time and space to apply his damage-over-time spells. Venomancer has no defensive abilities to survive being held in place, and his entire kit of slows and poisons is useless while he's disabled. Shadow Shaman can simply lock him down and, with a little help, remove him from the fight before his spells have any impact.

This dynamic makes ganking and pushing towers against Venomancer very effective. Shadow Shaman can repeatedly find and kill him around the map, shutting down his ability to farm or set up Plague Wards. When it's time to take objectives, Shaman's Mass Serpent Ward presents a huge problem. Venomancer is too slow and fragile to clear the wards safely, and trying to do so often leaves him exposed to the very lockdown that makes this matchup so difficult for him. His best option is playing from the back line, hoping to land a good Poison Nova before Shaman can initiate on him.