Sven vs Witch Doctor

How this matchup plays

Landing a Maledict on Sven before he activates God's Strength and Black King Bar is the key to this matchup. A successful curse means all the follow-up damage from your team gets amplified, often bursting him down even while he's spell immune. Witch Doctor's Paralyzing Cask is also effective at holding Sven in place for that initial setup, or for kiting him if his BKB is on cooldown. This forces Sven to either commit very quickly or risk being rendered useless before he can even start hitting.

The game then becomes about initiation and positioning. A Sven who gets the jump with Blink Dagger can usually delete Witch Doctor before he can react. However, a cautious Witch Doctor who plays from the back lines and uses vision to his advantage can often set the terms of the fight. Sven's Warcry also gives his team significant armor to survive a Death Ward, which keeps the engagement from being completely one-sided. It often comes down to who lands their spells first, giving a small but noticeable edge to the Witch Doctor's control.