Shadow Shaman counter and synergy picks

Chronosphere locks enemies in place, giving Shadow Shaman a guaranteed full Mass Serpent Ward deployment. He can also safely channel Shackles or Ether Shock during the Chrono. Both heroes scale well and punish immobile backlines.

Axe forces fights with Berserker’s Call, trapping enemies for Shadow Shaman to follow up with Shackles or Hex. His durable frontline presence keeps the enemy from reaching Shaman. Together, they snowball kills into objectives with Serpent Wards.

Reverse Polarity groups enemies for a massive Serpent Ward trap and full disables. Magnus’s Empower helps right-click cores close out fights quickly once enemies are locked down. His utility gives Shaman breathing room to cast safely.

Ravage covers a wide AoE and gives Shadow Shaman time to land his full disable combo. Tidehunter absorbs early pressure while Shaman pushes with wards. The threat of both ultimates makes the enemy play passively.

Sand King stuns and zones enemies with Burrowstrike and Epicenter, while Shaman sets up a guaranteed kill. He scouts with Sandstorm, helping Shaman avoid ganks while placing deep Serpent Wards for objectives. Their kill combo is deadly.

Underlord’s Pit of Malice combos with Shackles and Hex for brutal control chains. His Firestorm clears waves while Shaman pushes towers with wards. Dark Rift gives both of them excellent repositioning after a successful siege or defense.

Snapfire’s Mortimer Kisses forces movement, pushing enemies into Shackles or Serpent Wards. She offers great AoE damage behind Shaman’s zoning. If Shaman locks someone down, Snapfire can rain fire safely from afar.

Nether Ward punishes enemies for casting spells into Shadow Shaman’s channeling. Pugna’s Decrepify saves Shaman or amplifies magic burst. Their combined magical damage and tower-push potential is overwhelming.

Jakiro slows enemies with Dual Breath and Ice Path, giving Shaman time to cast his disables. Their zoning power is immense in chokepoints or sieges. Both heroes excel in long-range tower pressure and area denial.

Earthshaker’s Fissure blocks escape routes or initiates for Shaman’s disables. Echo Slam clumps enemies near Serpent Wards for high burst follow-up. They thrive in chaotic fights where lockdown and AoE damage shine.

Slardar relies on mobility and brawling, but he gets shut down hard by Shadow Shaman’s Hex and Shackles. Once disabled, he melts to follow-up damage and can’t escape or counter-initiate effectively.

Outworld Destroyer needs time to build Arcane Charges and position, but Shadow Shaman can lock him down before he casts anything. Hex also removes OD’s threat instantly if timed well, especially pre-BKB.

Ursa depends on movement and early aggression, but Hex and Shackles completely stop him from fighting. Shadow Shaman punishes over-extension and holds Ursa in place for his team to burst him before Enrage.

Sven’s burst is dangerous, but if caught before activating BKB, Shadow Shaman can disable and zone him out with Serpent Wards. Hex nullifies God's Strength timing when well-coordinated.

Anti-Mage struggles against long disables and area control. Shackles and Hex make it hard for him to blink away, and Serpent Wards punish him if he jumps in carelessly or tries to split-push.

Though mobile, Queen of Pain can be caught with a fast Hex or Shackles if she missteps. Shadow Shaman can punish her blink aggression and trap her in wards for team follow-up.

Bounty Hunter wants to move freely and pick off supports, but Shadow Shaman’s disables and teamfighting zone control make it hard for him to get out safely. Once caught, he goes down fast.

If Storm doesn’t burst Shadow Shaman instantly, he risks getting Hexed mid-jump. Shadow Shaman’s instant disables make him one of the riskiest targets for Storm to go on early-mid game.

Nyx struggles against heroes who don’t rely on spell spam. Shadow Shaman can easily disable him before he uses Carapace or Vendetta to escape. Wards also zone Nyx from skirmishing during sieges.

Puck hates long-duration disables, and Shadow Shaman has two. Even a fast Phase Shift or Jaunt can be predicted or baited into a Hex. Once caught, Puck rarely escapes alive.

Visage’s familiars interrupt Shackles and easily cancel any channeling. His burst damage deletes Shadow Shaman quickly, and he’s tanky enough to survive wards with Cloak and Gravekeeper’s Cloak.

Terrorblade's illusions easily kill Serpent Wards while he remains untouched. Shadow Shaman lacks the AoE tools to clear illusions, and he dies in a few hits if caught out.

Lone Druid’s bear can break Shackles or tank Serpent Wards while the Druid focuses down Shaman. The dual-target threat makes it hard to lock him down properly in fights.

Too many illusions for Shadow Shaman to deal with. His single-target disables are ineffective against a flood of clones, and PL can easily slip past wards and isolate him.

Naga overwhelms Shadow Shaman with illusions. Song of the Siren also resets teamfights, negating his wards or Shackles mid-fight.

Beastmaster’s summons cancel Shackles. Primal Roar can easily kill or disable Shadow Shaman before he casts anything. He also pushes harder and faster.

Ringmaster can outplay Shadow Shaman with mobility and overwhelming burst. He excels at killing squishy supports and can disengage from Serpent Wards quickly with his toolkit.

Shadow Shaman’s long disables don’t matter much against a hero with Reincarnation. Once Wraith King revives, he can charge down Shaman with ease, especially when BKB is up.

Hoodwink keeps distance and punishes static casters. She can interrupt Shackles with Acorn Shot + Bushwhack and quickly reposition after dealing damage. Shadow Shaman can’t catch her alone.

Gyrocopter thrives in chaos and area fights, while Shadow Shaman wants controlled skirmishes. His Rocket Barrage and Flak Cannon make short work of Shaman if he’s not protected by teammates.