Tidehunter vs Io

How this matchup plays

A well-timed Relocate can completely sidestep Ravage, making Tidehunter's biggest contribution feel wasted. If a key hero gets caught by the ultimate, Io can simply teleport them out. Even if they can't escape, the constant healing and damage reduction from being tethered often lets Io's partner survive the follow-up damage that would normally secure a kill. This puts the pressure back on Tidehunter's team to have an answer for Io, either by catching him in the Ravage itself or by having enough lockdown to hold a target down through the Tether.

This matchup is all about controlling the big teamfights. Tidehunter wants to find an initiation where Io is already out of position or where Relocate is still on cooldown. For Io, the goal is to play around Tidehunter's blink range, keeping his partner safe until Ravage is used and then turning the fight. Because Tidehunter's team can still win by bursting down other targets or by simply out-muscling the rest of the lineup after Ravage, the fight is far from decided by this one interaction alone.