Abaddon + Lina

Why this works

Pairing Abaddon with a fragile damage dealer like Lina seems like an obvious way to keep her alive. In theory, Aphotic Shield and Borrowed Time should let her survive any attempt on her life. The issue is a fundamental clash in how they want to position. Abaddon needs to be in the enemy's face, drawing aggression and soaking damage to be effective. Lina wants to play from the edges of the fight, staying far away from danger to cast her spells. This means Abaddon is rarely in the perfect spot to save Lina when she gets flanked or initiated on.

This disconnect plays out in teamfights. If Abaddon charges in to disrupt the enemy, he leaves Lina vulnerable without a peel. If he hangs back to protect her, he isn't fulfilling his own role as a frontline tank and healer. The duo relies on the enemy team making the mistake of over-committing onto Lina when her ultimate is ready or a shield is available. A coordinated team will often control her with silence or stuns from different angles, or simply walk past the Abaddon who is trying to body-block. Their game plans don't actively help each other, leading to an inconsistent result.