Kez

Kez excels with heroes who can provide setup and control for his assassination attempts. Magnus can group enemies for Kez's combos with Reverse Polarity, while Shadow Shaman provides follow-up disable after Kez initiates. Winter Wyvern offers protection and amplification with Winter's Curse, and Crystal Maiden provides mana regeneration and slow from Crystal Nova. Disruptor can trap enemies with Static Storm, ensuring Kez's combos land perfectly. The key is heroes who can lock down targets or create the opportunity for Kez to execute his elaborate blade sequences without interruption.

Kez struggles against heroes who can disrupt his delicate timing or neutralize his core mechanics. Viper applies toxic damage that breaks Kez's momentum and reduces his damage output significantly. Doom Bringer can completely silence Kez with Doom, preventing all blade switching and combo execution. Silencer burns mana with Last Word and Global Silence, crippling Kez's ability to use his frequent ability switching. Batrider can drag Kez out of position with Flaming Lasso, while Bane can combo Kez before he can execute his sequences. Heroes with prolonged disables, mana burn effects, or damage-over-time abilities all pose serious threats to Kez's rhythm-dependent playstyle.

Kez dominates heroes who lack mobility or escape mechanisms and rely on positioning. Sniper and Drow Ranger are prime targets - they have no reliable escape and Kez's burst damage can eliminate them before they can react. Crystal Maiden and Witch Doctor are squishy supports who get destroyed by Kez's assassination combos. Illusion heroes like Phantom Lancer suffer because Kez's long sword form has excellent area damage to clear illusions quickly. Channeling heroes such as Enigma and Shadow Shaman are especially vulnerable as Kez can interrupt their abilities and burst them down. Any hero that needs to stand still or has poor mobility becomes a feast for Kez's blade switching assassinations.