Hero combos: classic pairs

Pairs whose abilities make each other stronger, with their pros and cons, and the combos teams pick at championships right now — with fresh pair statistics.

Reading the pair statistics

• “+2 pp” means the pair wins 2 percentage points more often than each hero's own win rate predicts. A classic combo does not always win more in public games: many combos need coordination that random teammates rarely have.

Reverse Polarity + Sven's cleave (Magnus + Sven)

• Magnus pulls enemies into one spot and stuns them with Reverse Polarity, while Sven hits all of them at once thanks to Great Cleave. Magnus's Empower adds even more damage and cleave.
• Huge damage to the whole group in a couple of seconds
• Empower makes Sven stronger from the early game
• Reverse Polarity is a reliable initiation
• Magnus needs Blink Dagger and precise execution
• Loses power against Black King Bar and a spread formation
• Sven is vulnerable to control until Black King Bar

Chronosphere + Death Ward (Faceless Void + Witch Doctor)

• Everything inside Chronosphere freezes except Faceless Void. Witch Doctor places Death Ward outside the sphere — the ward keeps attacking the frozen enemies, and they cannot answer.
• Enemies caught in Chronosphere cannot answer
• Death Ward hits everyone inside without risk to Witch Doctor
• Chronosphere freezes allies too — Witch Doctor must stand outside
• Witch Doctor is fragile, and stunning him stops Death Ward
• Both ultimates have long cooldowns

Black Hole + Macropyre (Enigma + Jakiro)

• Black Hole holds the enemies in place for several seconds. Jakiro's Macropyre through its center deals damage the whole time — the classic mix of area control and area damage.
• Black Hole holds everyone in one spot
• Macropyre deals damage the whole time
• Jakiro is useful on his own: push and control
• Black Hole is easy to interrupt before the cast — Enigma needs Blink Dagger and Black King Bar
• Long ultimate cooldowns
• Jakiro is slow and fragile

Vacuum + Echo Slam (Dark Seer + Earthshaker)

• Vacuum pulls enemies tightly together, and Echo Slam's damage grows with every unit nearby. The tighter the crowd, the bigger the hit.
• Vacuum gathers enemies even around corners and in the fog
• Echo Slam becomes huge against a tight crowd
• Wall of Replica adds more damage and control
• Both need Blink Dagger and a shared timing
• Weaker against a spread formation and save items

Arena of Blood + Mortimer Kisses (Mars + Snapfire)

• Arena of Blood locks enemies inside a ring they cannot leave. Meanwhile Snapfire lobs Mortimer Kisses into the arena, and there is nowhere to dodge.
• Enemies have nowhere to dodge the blobs
• Snapfire hits from a safe distance
• Arena of Blood also blocks ranged attacks from outside
• Black King Bar protects from Mortimer Kisses damage
• Snapfire is vulnerable to diving heroes
• Long ultimate cooldowns

Soulbind + Finger of Death (Grimstroke + Lion)

• Soulbind links two enemies: a targeted spell on one also hits the other. Lion's Hex and Finger of Death hit both at once — a perfect pickoff.
• Control and damage on two targets at once
• A strong pickoff: two deaths for one spell
• Works from level six
• Both are fragile supports
• Linken's Sphere and Lotus Orb break the combo
• Two enemies have to stand close to each other

Tether and Relocate with a strong carry (Io + Gyrocopter)

• Io tethers to an ally, healing and speeding them up, and Relocate takes both anywhere on the map. Gyrocopter and his area damage appear where nobody expects them.
• Global presence: the carry appears anywhere on the map
• Io heals and speeds up the ally
• Early kills on other lanes
• Io is one of the hardest heroes to play
• Relocate has a long cooldown
• If Io dies first, the carry is left without support

Bloodlust on a fast attacker (Ogre Magi + Troll Warlord)

• Ogre Magi's Bloodlust increases attack and movement speed. On Troll Warlord, who already attacks very fast, it turns into huge damage to heroes and buildings.
• Huge right-click damage to heroes and buildings
• Fast tower takedowns
• Bloodlust can be cast in advance
• Troll depends on attacking: disarms, Ghost Scepter and Heaven's Halberd stop him
• Dispels remove Bloodlust

Shallow Grave + Huskar (Dazzle + Huskar)

• Huskar is strongest at low health but risks dying. Dazzle's Shallow Grave keeps an ally from dying for a few seconds — Huskar fights at minimum health with no risk.
• Huskar fights at minimum health with no risk
• A strong early push
• While Shallow Grave is on cooldown, the next fight is risky
• Spirit Vessel and other anti-heal effects hurt the combo badly

Wolves and treants on every lane (Lycan + Nature's Prophet)

• Lycan with his wolves and Nature's Prophet with his treants and teleport pressure several lanes at once. The enemy has to split up, and buildings fall one after another.
• Pressure on several lanes at once
• Early tower timings
• Nature's Prophet moves around the map by teleport
• Weaker in big five-on-five fights
• Depend on an early advantage
• Area-damage heroes easily kill the summons

Combos at championships

• Ember Spirit + Hoodwink — 122 games, 51.6% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, PGL Wallachia 2026 Season 9
• Centaur Warrunner + Hoodwink — 105 games, 54.3% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Road to ENC 2026 Regional Qualifiers
• Winter Wyvern + Dark Willow — 85 games, 58.8% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers
• Earth Spirit + Hoodwink — 84 games, 56% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Road to ENC 2026 Regional Qualifiers
• Mirana + Ember Spirit — 83 games, 56.6% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, PGL Wallachia 2026 Season 9
• Shadow Fiend + Hoodwink — 77 games, 51.9% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Road to ENC 2026 Regional Qualifiers
• Ember Spirit + Dark Willow — 72 games, 63.9% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers
• Shadow Fiend + Ember Spirit — 72 games, 58.3% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, Road to ENC 2026 Regional Qualifiers, EPL Masters 2026
• Winter Wyvern + Hoodwink — 69 games, 56.5% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, PGL Wallachia 2026 Season 9
• Earth Spirit + Dark Willow — 68 games, 57.4% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Esports World Cup 2026
• Undying + Dark Willow — 66 games, 36.4% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, PGL Wallachia 2026 Season 9
• Tiny + Hoodwink — 65 games, 44.6% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, BLAST SLAM VIII
• Earth Spirit + Winter Wyvern — 65 games, 67.7% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Esports World Cup 2026
• Undying + Hoodwink — 63 games, 39.7% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Esports World Cup 2026
• Rubick + Ember Spirit — 62 games, 48.4% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, Road to ENC 2026 Regional Qualifiers, DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers
• Tiny + Dark Willow — 62 games, 45.2% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, BLAST SLAM VIII
• Ember Spirit + Winter Wyvern — 62 games, 74.2% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers
• Rubick + Underlord — 62 games, 37.1% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, Road to ENC 2026 Regional Qualifiers, EPL Masters 2026
• Mirana + Earth Spirit — 60 games, 55% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Esports World Cup 2026
• Hoodwink + Largo — 60 games, 55% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Esports World Cup 2026
• Pangolier + Hoodwink — 60 games, 45% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, BLAST SLAM VIII
• Doom + Hoodwink — 60 games, 60% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers, The International 2026 - Regional Qualifier Southeast Asia
• Ember Spirit + Largo — 59 games, 69.5% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Esports World Cup 2026
• Axe + Hoodwink — 58 games, 39.7% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Esports World Cup 2026
• Winter Wyvern + Kez — 57 games, 59.6% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Esports World Cup 2026
• Shadow Fiend + Tusk — 56 games, 55.4% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, Road to ENC 2026 Regional Qualifiers, EPL Masters 2026
• Centaur Warrunner + Winter Wyvern — 55 games, 52.7% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, Road to ENC 2026 Regional Qualifiers
• Dark Seer + Hoodwink — 55 games, 41.8% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, EPL Masters 2026, The Games of the Future 2026
• Dark Willow + Pangolier — 55 games, 61.8% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers, BLAST SLAM VIII
• Windranger + Ember Spirit — 55 games, 58.2% wins; tournaments: The International 2026, Road to ENC 2026 Regional Qualifiers, DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers