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Bad against...

Ancient Apparition icon
  • Ice Blast icon Ice Blast prevents Io from healing the target.
  • Ancient Apparition can easily harass Io on lane with Chilling Touch icon Chilling Touch due to it's high range and damage. This can get even worse if Ancient Apparition buys Aghanim's Scepter icon Aghanim's Scepter and combines it with items that can give him bonus attack damage and attack speed.
  • Chilling Touch icon Chilling Touch combined with Ice Vortex icon Ice Vortex makes it nearly impossible for Io to escape from Cold Feet icon Cold Feet. Ice Vortex icon Ice Vortex can also make Io and it's tethered target more vulnerable to Ancient Apparition and his allies's magical damage.
Batrider icon
  • Batrider's Flaming Lasso icon Flaming Lasso can be used to cancel Io's attempts to escape with Relocate icon Relocate and drag him away from his Tether icon Tethered target. And since Io doesn't like buying Linken's Sphere icon Linken's Sphere, he will be always vulnerable to Batrider's initiations.
  • Io's tendency to stick close to it's Tether icon Tethered target can make Io and it's target vulnerable to Batrider's harrasing.
  • Aghanim's Scepter icon Aghanim's Scepter upgraded Flaming Lasso icon Flaming Lasso allows Batrider to catch and drag two heroes at once, not just one. Which can potentially turn Io's Tether icon Tether against him.
Bloodseeker icon
  • Thirst icon Thirst allows Bloodseeker to see where Io relocated to, should either Io or the tethered hero have low health.
  • Rupture icon Rupture forces Io to stay in place, preventing it from using the Tether bonus movement speed to escape.
Bristleback icon
  • Quill Spray icon Quill Spray is very effective against Io, as it has very low armor and has to stay close to the fight to not break its Tether.
Clinkz icon
Dazzle icon
  • Poison Touch icon Poison Touch allows Dazzle to harass both, Io and it's Tether icon Tethered target on lane. Aghanim's Shard icon Aghanim's Shard upgraded Poison Touch icon Poison Touch can also hex both, Io and it's Tether icon Tethered target, preventing them from escaping with Relocate, and also disarming them, silencing them, muting them and rendering them helpless against Dazzle and his allies.
  • Io's damage output is one of the weakest, therefore Dazzle will have plenty of time to save an ally with Shallow Grave icon Shallow Grave from gank by Io and it's Tether icon Tethered target.
  • Shadow Wave icon Shadow Wave will always hit both, Io and it's Tether icon Tethered target if they are near the ally Dazzle uses Shadow Wave icon Shadow Wave on, while healing Dazzle's allies near them. Aghanim's Scepter icon Aghanim's Scepter upgraded Shadow Wave icon Shadow Wave allows Dazzle Shadow Wave icon Shadow Wave directly on Io and it's Tether icon Tethered target which can also bounce on both, Io and it's tethered target, causing them both to take damage and to be attacked by Dazzle. And unlike Io who doesn't get healed while using Tether, Shadow Wave will always heal Dazzle no matter on which of his allies he uses it on.
  • Bad Juju icon Bad Juju will cause both, Io and it's tethered target to lose armor every time Dazzle casts a spell while strengthening armor of Dazzle's allies.
Disruptor icon
Grimstroke icon
  • Grimstroke can catch Io and his Tether icon Tethered ally easily with Soulbind icon Soulbind as Io has a tendency to Tether icon Tether himself with an ally frequently, which also makes them easier targets for Soulbind icon Soulbind.
  • Io is highly vulnerable to disables. Hence, Grimstroke's Phantom's Embrace icon Phantom's Embrace is a great ability to hinder Io's potential.
Gyrocopter icon
Jakiro icon
  • Jakiro's area-of-effect ability arsenal allows him to affect multiple heroes at once, giving Io difficulties in saving them as he can only heal one hero at a time with Tether.
  • Ice Path icon Ice Path can be used to cancel both, Tether and Relocate.
  • Jakiro commonly buys Rod of Atos icon Rod of Atos that can be used to cancel Relocate, prevent Io in escaping with Tether and make Io easy target for Ice Path icon Ice Path and Macropyre icon Macropyre.
Legion Commander icon
  • Duel icon Duel is very effective against Io due to its low health and armor.
Leshrac icon
  • Io is a hero who needs to be close to it's tethered target to make it effective, and that's where Leshrac gets the advantage thanks to many of his area-of-effect abilities.
  • Lightning Storm icon Lightning Storm will usually hit both Io and its tethered target since both will be close enough for the lightning to jump.
  • Diabolic Edict icon Diabolic Edict and Pulse Nova icon Pulse Nova hit all units near Leshrac, meaning he can do colossal damage to both, Io and its tethered target.
Lich icon
Luna icon
Naga Siren icon
Phantom Assassin icon
Sniper icon
Spirit Breaker icon
Terrorblade icon
  • Terrorblade can easily take advantage of Io's weak durability with Reflection icon Reflection and Metamorphosis icon Metamorphosis.
  • As Io relies on boosting his and his Tether icon Tethered target's attack speed with Overcharge icon Overcharge, Terrorblade can take advantage of this with Reflection icon Reflection, which can damage and slow both, Io and his Tether icon Tethered target.
  • Spirits icon Spirits's weak area-of-effect makes it a bad tool to deal with Terrorblade's illusions from Conjure Image icon Conjure Image and Manta Style icon Manta Style.
  • Io's damage output is one of the weakest, therefore Terrorblade will have plenty of time to save himself with Sunder icon Sunder.
  • However, Terrorblade has no way of stopping Io to escape with Tether icon Tether or to stop both, Io and his Tether icon Tethered target to escape with Relocate icon Relocate besides Terror Wave icon Terror Wave from Aghanim's Scepter icon Aghanim's Scepter.
Treant Protector icon
Winter Wyvern icon

Others

Items

  • Radiance icon Radiance and Dagon icon Dagon combined with Ethereal Blade icon Ethereal Blade, Veil of Discord icon Veil of Discord and Revenant's Brooch icon Revenant's Brooch can take out Io quickly in teamfights or any of his teammates before he even gets a chance to save them. In addition, they are all good against Io in their own way: Radiance icon Radiance can deal damage-over-time to both, Io and it's tethered target while also causing them to miss attacks, reducing the effectiveness of Overcharge. Dagon icon Dagon can burst down either Io or any of his teammates before he can save them. Ethereal Blade icon Ethereal Blade can be used to disarm either Io or his tethered target and make them more vulnerable to magic damage, diminishing effects of the Overcharge in process. Veil of Discord icon Veil of Discord can make both, Io and it's tethered target more vulnerable to spell damage, Veil of Discord icon Veil of Discord can later be upgraded into Shiva's Guard icon Shiva's Guard which can also reduce Io's healing and reduce attack speed from Overcharge. Revenant's Brooch icon Revenant's Brooch's active ability allows it's owner's attacks to deal magic damage that can weaken either Io's or it's tethered target's magic resistance by 20%, and to make things worse, Revenant's Brooch icon Revenant's Brooch's active ability allows it's owner to attack ethereal units, making Ghost Scepter icon Ghost Scepter, one of the items Io relies on to survive against heroes reliant on direct attacks, useless and detrimental for Io.
  • Blink Dagger icon Blink Dagger and it's upgrades: Overwhelming Blink icon Overwhelming Blink, Swift Blink icon Swift Blink and Arcane Blink icon Arcane Blink allows heroes to jump on Io for quick kill.
  • Spirit Vessel icon Spirit Vessel and Shiva's Guard icon Shiva's Guard are very good items against Io: Spirit Vessel icon Spirit Vessel can heavily reduce any healing Io tries to provide to the Tethered target while Shiva's Guard icon Shiva's Guard can not just reduce any healing Io tries to provide to the Tethered target, but can also greatly reduce attack speed from Overcharge and make him more vulnerable to magical damage. Making Io weak even against heroes he naturally counters.
  • Black King Bar icon Black King Bar will render Io unable to damage enemy heroes who wield it at all.
  • Rod of Atos icon Rod of Atos shuts down Io's mobility and can be used to cancel Relocate. Later it can be upgraded into Gleipnir icon Gleipnir, to shut down mobility of both, Io and it's tethered target and cancel Relocate while also passively providing a chance to release a chain lightning that can damage, both Io and it's tethered target.
  • Orchid Malevolence icon Orchid Malevolence, it's upgrade Bloodthorn icon Bloodthorn and Scythe of Vyse icon Scythe of Vyse will render Io absolutely powerless if Io is not protected by any form of Spell Immunity.

Good against...

Drow Ranger icon
  • Drow Ranger's lack of escape abilities makes her an easy target for Relocate ganks.
Meepo icon
  • Tether helps Io escape from Earthbind even if Meepo has Blink Dagger.
  • Io's Spirits can pressure Meepo while laning and will usually hit at least one of his clones.
Nature's Prophet icon
  • Nature's Prophet is extremely easy to gank with Relocate while he's split pushing.
  • Tether on a friendly unit can destroy Nature Prophet's trees should he surround himself with Sprout icon Sprout as a defense.
Phoenix icon
  • Phoenix's limit AoE, damage-over-time abilities give Io plenty of time to save allies with Relocate.
Pudge icon
  • Tether and Overcharge makes it much harder for Pudge to kill a target with Meat Hook icon Meat Hook, and Relocate can save the Io's ally while Dismember icon Dismember is being channeled.
Underlord icon
  • Io can escape from Pit of Malice with Tether or Relocate.
  • Relocate can counter Dark Rift's split pushing.

Works well with...

Chaos Knight icon
  • Chaos Knight's single target disables makes him a formidable ganker when Relocated.
  • Reality Rift icon Reality Rift can bring an enemy into the Spirits slow.
Gyrocopter icon
  • Tether's regeneration and movement speed buff fuel Gyrocopter's abilities and ganks in the early and mid game.
  • Spirits's movement speed slow keeps enemies in range of Gyrocopter's abilities and attacks.
  • Overcharge's attack speed buff complements Gyrocopter's attack damage items in the late game.
Juggernaut icon
  • Healing Ward icon Healing Ward works with Tether, healing both heroes for an enourmous amount.
  • When Juggernaut uses Omnislash icon Omnislash, Io's Tether will persist, buffing Juggernaut's attack speed with Overcharge.
Legion Commander icon
  • Press the Attack icon Press the Attack's heal is very powerful when combined with Tether.
  • Relocate can be used to pick off lone enemies using Duel icon Duel.
  • Overcharge helps Legion Commander win Duel icon Duels more easily.
Lifestealer icon
  • With Infest icon Infest, Io can Relocate two heroes at the same time for a surprise gank.
Phantom Assassin icon
  • Stifling Dagger icon Stifling Dagger's movement speed slow helps Io land Spirits.
  • Overcharge makes Phantom Assassin more durable and allows her to get more hits in.
Spirit Breaker icon
  • Greater Bash icon Greater Bash becomes more powerful with higher movement speed, and benefits from Overcharge's attack speed increase.
  • Tethering to Spirit Breaker while he is using Charge of Darkness icon Charge of Darkness can pull Io along for a considerable distance.
Sven icon
  • Sven's mobility is greatly improved by Tether.
  • Storm Hammer icon Storm Hammer and God's Strength icon God's Strength will take down an enemy in no time after a Relocate.
  • Mana regeneration from Io's items allows Sven to initiate much more often with Storm Hammer icon Storm Hammer.
Tiny icon
  • Tiny's burst damage with Avalanche icon Avalanche and Toss icon Toss is ideal for finishing off enemies quickly during a Relocate gank.
  • Tiny can also Toss icon Toss Io if the enemy gets away.
  • Relocate helps negate Tiny's mobility issues.
  • Overcharge greatly boosts Tiny's slow base attack speed.
Ursa icon
  • Ursa's burst melee damage makes him an ideal ally to bring along on Relocate ganks.
  • Ursa's mobility is greatly improved by Tether.
  • Overcharge will allow Ursa to dish out heavy damage with Fury Swipes icon Fury Swipes as well as making him literally invincible while enraged.

Others

Items

  • Armlet of Mordiggian icon Armlet of Mordiggian's health drain is mitigated by Tether's healing.
  • Smoke of Deceit icon Smoke of Deceit and Relocate to bring in another hero make ganking easy.
  • Mekansm icon Mekansm can heal your teammates and tethered hero large amounts of hp.
  • Heart of Tarrasque icon Heart of Tarrasque grants you and your tethered teammate amazingly high survivability.


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