Bad against...[]
- Berserker's Call prevents Anti-Mage from escaping with Blink, and works well with Blade Mail against Anti-Mage's relatively low health.
- Counter Helix often triggers even if Axe's depleted of mana, which will make Anti-Mage take more damage than he's dealing and deals pure damage, ignoring the protection from Counterspell.
- Axe's low mana pool makes him a bad target for using Mana Void.
- Axe's high base health regeneration allows him to dominate the lane against Anti-Mage, especially with a support.
- Fiend's Grip prevents Anti-Mage from Blinking away or using Manta Style. It also pierces spell immunity.
- Nightmare sets Bane's team up for chain disables on Anti-Mage.
- Enfeeble lowers Anti-Mage's status resistance and magic resistance, making him more vulnerable to disables and magic damage.
- Glimpse brings Anti-Mage back after he Blinks away.
- Static Storm stops Anti-Mage from Blinking.
- Doom shuts down Anti-Mage's escape capabilities with Blink. The ability also deals pure damage, which ignores the protection from Counterspell.
- However, a well-timed Counterspell can reflect it back.
- If Doom has Aghanim's Scepter, Doom can break Mana Break and Counterspell, weakening both his offense and defense.
- Doom's low mana pool causes him to take little damage from Mana Void.
- A combination of Soulbind and Phantom's Embrace can prevent Anti-Mage from casting spells.
- If Grimstroke has Aghanim's Scepter, Dark Portrait can reflect Anti-Mage's Mana Break, making it useful in team fights.
- Duel renders Anti-Mage's escape capabilities with Blink and Counterspell useless. Blade Mail and Moment of Courage work well against Anti-Mage's relatively low health.
- A good initiation from Legion Commander and her team is enough to effortlessly kill Anti-Mage.
- Multiple Earthbinds allows Meepo to lock down Anti-Mage almost indefinitely.
- Meepo's clones can only use their mana for Poof, keeping their mana pool nearly full and thus making them a bad target for a Mana Void.
- Counterspell does not protect Anti-Mage from Sacred Arrow.
- Moonlight Shadow can help her allies avoid Mana Break and Mana Void.
- Blink's cooldown isn't short enough to escape from Leap, especially when she has the extra charge from Aghanim's Shard.
- Crippling Fear makes Night Stalker one of the best early game gankers to shut down Anti-Mage.
- Night Stalker's low mana pool causes him to take little damage from Mana Void.
- Arcane Orb's pure damage, making Counterspell ineffective.
- Sanity's Eclipse will hit Anti-Mage while he is disabled from Astral Imprisonment, and forces him to take heavy damage due to his low intelligence.
- Essence Flux keeps Outworld Destroyer at high mana, thus greatly reducing the damage from Mana Void.
- Anti-Mage's low health pool making vulnerable to Phantom Assassin's burst damage and Coup de Grace critical strike, while Blink is on cooldown.
- Blur makes Anti-Mage unable to deal Mana Break to her.
- Phantom Assassin has low intelligence and low mana pool, making Mana Void do minimal damage.
- Waning Rift silences Anti-Mage, preventing him from blinking away.
- However, Waning Rift can be dispelled by Manta Style.
- Dream Coil stops Anti-Mage from blinking, with Aghanim's Scepter also locks down Anti-Mage for long duration.
- Slardar deals entirely physical damage. He does not have to worry about Counterspell.
- Slithereen Crush and Bash of the Deep prevent Anti-Mage from using Blink, the latter even if Anti-Mage activates Black King Bar.
- Corrosive Haze allows allies to take down Anti-Mage before he has a chance to Blink, and maintains vision over him even if he does Blink away.
- Pounce prevents Anti-Mage from using Blink, and lets him disengage from Anti-Mage if needed.
- Essence Shift allows Slark to permanently steal agility from Anti-Mage.
- Shadow Dance stops Anti-Mage from being able to fight back in a slippery situation.
- Disruption sets up Anti-Mage for a chain disable. The illusions will deal extra damage due to Mana Break.
- Shadow Poison hits Anti-Mage even after he's Blinked away.
- If Shadow Demon has Aghanim's Scepter, Demonic Purge can break Mana Break and Counterspell, weakening both his offense and defense.
- Refraction protects against Anti-Mage's low burst damage, and allows her to win most fights against Anti-Mage during the early game.
- Meld's burst damage and armor reduction is often enough to finish off Anti-Mage before he Blinks away.
- Troll Warlord's passive root, high attack speed, and blind from Whirling Axes makes him an exceedingly difficult opponent for Anti-Mage to take down in a one-on-one fight.
- Troll Warlord's low mana causes him to take little damage from Mana Void.
- Viper's skill set makes him an effective early game ganker against Anti-Mage before he is sufficiently farmed.
- Viper's Corrosive Skin and low mana pool causes him to take little damage from Mana Void.
- Nethertoxin disables Mana Break and Counterspell, weakening both his offense and defense.
Others[]
- Huskar does not need any mana to fight Anti-Mage as most of his skills cost HP instead. He is a good counter to take away Anti-mage's farm in early to mid-game. He, however, struggles to kill Anti-Mage in the late game.
- Kunkka can bring Anti-Mage back with X Marks the Spot, effectively negating Blink or forcing him to wait out the debuff before Blinking.
- Sven's Great Cleave can clear Anti-Mage's illusions from Manta Style and his high health pool and low mana, making Mana Void very ineffective, although keep in mind that Storm Hammer is extremely easy to reflect with a well-timed Counterspell.
- Terrorblade's Reflection turns Mana Break against Anti-Mage draining his mana making it useful during team fights.
- Heroes with abilities or items that can silence or disable Anti-Mage for long periods of time will prevent him from Blinking away: Lion, Silencer, Shadow Shaman, Grimstroke, Witch Doctor, Riki, Faceless Void, Skywrath Mage, Puck.
Items[]
- Aeon Disk is a great item for supports who wish to survive Anti-Mage's initiation with Abyssal Blade and Mana Void.
- Black King Bar protects its owners against Mana Break and Mana Void.
- Linken's Sphere blocks Mana Void, and can be used on vulnerable teammates.
- Arcane Boots and Guardian Greaves keep the team's mana high, reducing the damage from Mana Void.
- Scythe of Vyse prevents Anti-Mage from Blinking away. And hex cannot be dispelled with Manta Style at all.
- Butterfly gives evasion against Mana Break.
- Orchid Malevolence prevents Anti-Mage from Blinking away.
- Diffusal Blade Drain's Anti Mage mana preventing him from blinking away
- Silver Edge breaks Mana Break and Counterspell's magic resistance, making Anti-Mage weak even against heroes he naturally counters.
Good against...[]
- Anti-Mage easily Blinks out of Cold Feet's freeze radius.
- Ancient Apparition lacks mobility, thus making him fall easily to Mana Void.
- Counterspell reduces all Ancient Apparition's spell damage.
- Mana Break drains Abaddon's mana, preventing him from using Aphotic Shield to zone out enemies in lane.
- Counterspell decreases the amount of damage received from Aphotic Shield and Mist Coil.
- Anti-Mage Blinks directly into Magnetic Field, bypassing its protection.
- Anti-Mage's high mobility allows him to deal with Tempest Double while it is split-pushing.
- Mana Break quickly eats away at Bristleback's small mana pool, preventing him from spamming Viscous Nasal Goo and Quill Sprays.
- Bristleback has no innate mobility. Bristleback is easily kited by Blink, ignoring the protection from Bristleback.
- Anti-Mage can Blink into or out of Power Cogs, negating Clockwerk's initiation and bypassing his defenses.
- Counterspell can helpful blocked off to Dragon Tail.
- Echo Stomp and Earth Splitter's long cast times give Anti-Mage plenty of time to Blink away.
- Anti-Mage easily destroys Mana Shield with Mana Break, especially once he has Manta Style.
- Anti-Mage effectively avoids Stone Gaze with Blink, and can reinitiate after its duration is over.
- Ogre Magi only deals magical damage, which Anti-Mage is exceptionally resistant due to Counterspell.
- Anti-Mage dispels Ignite with Manta Style.
- Ogre Magi has a very large mana pool which means Anti-Mage can do large amounts of damage to him with Mana Break and Mana Void.
- Anti-Mage dispels Phoenix's slows with Manta Style.
- Anti-Mage can Blink directly next to Supernova, giving him more time to destroy the egg.
- Pugna only deals magical damage, which Anti-Mage is exceptionally resistant due to Counterspell.
- Anti-Mage can dispel Decrepify with Manta Style.
- Pugna has a very large mana pool. This allows Anti-Mage to constantly deal bonus damage to Pugna with Mana Break and devastate Pugna's entire team with Mana Void.
- Mana Break quickly eats away at Rubick's low mana pool, preventing Spell Steal abilities from triggering.
- Rubick's complete lack of mobility makes him very easy for Anti-Mage to chase down with Blink.
- Anti-Mage can dispel Fade Bolt damage reduction debuff with Manta Style or reduce it by Counterspell.
- Anti-Mage also has no useful abilities for Rubick to steal with Spell Steal.
- Spectre cannot chase down Anti-Mage with Spectral Dagger because of Blink, though it still grants her team vision over him.
- Counterspell reduces much of the damage from Dispersion and Spectre's Radiance.
- Anti-Mage usually builds a Manta Style, preventing Spectre from dealing any Desolate damage to him once he summons his illusions.
- Because of the high mana cost of Ball Lightning, Storm Spirit is often vulnerable to Mana Void.
- Mana Break diminishes Storm Spirit's mobility with Ball Lightning, and Anti-Mage can catch him with Blink over short distances.
- Almost all of Storm Spirit's damage is magical, which is severely reduced by Counterspell.
- Storm Spirit has a very large mana pool which means Anti-Mage can do large amounts of damage to him with Mana Break and Mana Void.
- Both Gush and Ravage do little damage against Counterspell.
- Blink helps Anti-Mage escape through Anchor Smash.
- Tidehunter's small mana pool can be eated by Mana Break, preventing to spam his abilities and ignores the protection from Kraken Shell.
- Tombstone's zombies rarely inhibit Anti-Mage, as he can either Blink away or onto the Tombstone and destroy it.
- Venomancer's damage-over-time abilities do little damage against Counterspell.
- Blink helps Anti-Mage get away from Venomancer's slows.
- Counterspell can reflects triggering with Focus Fire. Since Focus Fire target against Anti-Mage, Focus Fire damage can return to Anti-Mage easily destroy to Windranger's.
- Anti-Mage items Abyssal Blade and Monkey King Bar can useful for Anti-Mage's and easily complicated escaping Windranger's fighting against Anti-Mage's and also bypasses to Windrun evasion.
- Mana Break quickly eats away at Wraith King's small mana pool, preventing Reincarnation from triggering.
- Wraith King has no innate mobility. Even with Blink Dagger, Wraith King is easily kited by Blink.
- Anti-Mage can farm much more quickly than Wraith King, allowing Anti-Mage to overpower Wraith King once a significant farm advantage is established.
- Zeus almost exclusively relies on magical damage, which is heavily reduced by Counterspell.
- Zeus' complete lack of mobility makes him very easy for Anti-Mage to chase down with Blink.
- Zeus likes to stand in the back during team fights, but Anti-Mage can easily Blink to close the distance.
Others[]
- Anti-Mage can withstand magical burst damage much better than other carries, making him effective against nukers: Lich, Necrophos, Oracle, and Leshrac.
- Anti-Mage's high mobility from Blink and tendency to build Battle Fury makes him strong against split-pushing heroes: Nature's Prophet, Tinker, and Arc Warden.
- Heroes who build mana boosting items but have low mana regeneration are especially vulnerable against Mana Break and Mana Void: Timbersaw, Slark, Shadow Fiend, Clinkz, Bristleback Nyx Assassin, Magnus
- Abilities with poor cast time are easily dodged with Blink or blocked by Counterspell: Double Edge, Echo Stomp, Ice Path, Fissure.
Works well with...[]
- Fiend's Grip allows Anti-Mage to attack an enemy with impunity, and its mana drain sets Anti-Mage up for a very effective Mana Void.
- Track keeps an eye on gankers, allowing Anti-Mage to avoid danger and farm safely, or pursue a dying enemy.
- Blink helps Anti-Mage hunt down Tracked heroes.
- Shallow Grave gives Anti-Mage the extra time needed to Blink away and survive a fight or gank.
- Vacuum helps Anti-Mage hit multiple enemies with Mana Void.
- Mana Drain helps Anti-Mage deal more damage with Mana Void.
- Hex and Earth Spike locks down enemies and compensates for Anti-Mage's lack of disables.
- Magnus' early game nuke potential with Shockwave and Skewer creates space for Anti-Mage to farm.
- Empower helps Anti-Mage farm substantially faster and dish out more damage during teamfights.
- Reverse Polarity can cluster enemies to set up for a devastating Mana Void.
- Counterspell reduces Purifying Flames's damage, making it a very effective heal on Anti-Mage.
- Disruption can save Anti-Mage from dangerous abilities, and creates extra illusions for Anti-Mage, which benefit from Mana Break and Counterspell. This is especially useful when pushing.
- Corrosive Haze not only helps Anti-Mage deal more damage but also keeps vision over a target for him to pursue with Blink.
- Living Armor helps Anti-Mage split push and allows him to farm alone in lane, helping him get more experience.
Others[]
- Heroes who can reduce the enemy's mana will set Anti-Mage up for a hard-hitting Mana Void: Nyx Assassin, Invoker, Lion, Bane
- Heroes who can group or keep enemies together will help Anti-Mage hit multiple targets with Mana Void: Disruptor, Puck, Enigma, Magnus, Dark Seer
- Because Anti-Mage has decent resistance to physical damage and great resistance to magical damage, he gets good value from healing heroes: Abaddon, Chen, Dazzle, Omniknight, Treant Protector.
- Aggressive heroes who can help create space for Anti-Mage's farming: Tusk, Queen of Pain.