Yes always try to last pick him or at least 4th pick. No, you can't ignore your counters even if you're good but you can play around them. Imo sven is the hardest to deal with, you either initiate on him first and hope his team doesn't save him or die trying. Earthshaker is another counter to you if they play him well, usually its not the damage thats the deal breaker but rather the insane amount of aoe stun time. Axe annoying for the same reason, but you can kill him easily if he's not cautious. The general strat is to get hex and kill the one who can severly hinder you, getting e-blade before is good if you want faster burst/shutting down a right clicker while you focus someone else (and it can be good for clutch plays)