I play Ember mid, and the Lina lane has felt rough lately. Even when I dodge a spell, her right clicks seem to win the trade, and Flame Guard doesn’t seem to help much. Is the matchup especially Lina-favored now, or am I taking the wrong fights?
Flame Guard isn’t protection from Lina’s physical right clicks, so turning it on and standing there to trade can still go badly. Think of it more as a way to absorb some spell damage and help you control the wave, not as a signal to take a long fight.
Try to keep trades short and deliberate. Use creep aggro to bring the wave closer, prioritize safe last hits, and look for a quick spell trade when Lina has used an ability or stepped out of position. If she’s already winning the lane, staying alive and collecting what you can is better than forcing a commitment.
I wouldn’t call it impossible from this description alone, but Lina can make a straightforward back-and-forth trade miserable. The burn and her range can punish you even after you avoid one spell, so measure the lane by what you can safely farm, not by whether you can win every exchange. Patch changes may affect the exact feel, but the basic answer is to avoid giving her the long trade she wants.
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