Templar Assassin vs Witch Doctor

How this matchup plays

Relying on Refraction for defense is a losing battle against Witch Doctor. Each tick of Maledict's damage-over-time will strip away a Refraction charge, quickly leaving Templar Assassin without her primary survival tool. This makes her incredibly vulnerable to any follow-up damage, especially from a Death Ward. Paralyzing Cask is also a major problem, as a single stun can hold her in place long enough for the Maledict to do its work or for teammates to collapse on her. Her defensive mechanics are systematically dismantled by his basic spells.

This dynamic makes the entire game difficult for Templar Assassin. During the laning phase, the threat of Maledict makes her an easy gank target and forces her to play passively. Later in teamfights, she can't confidently jump on a target because getting hit by a Cask or Maledict means she'll probably die before dealing significant damage. Templar Assassin is forced into buying an early Black King Bar, which can delay her core damage items, while the Witch Doctor simply needs to stay positioned safely and wait for his moment to disable and curse her.