Abaddon + Lion

Why this works

Setting up a kill with this pair can feel promising at first. Lion provides a long chain of lockdown with Earth Spike and Hex, which gives Abaddon a clear window to run in and apply his passive. The problem is what happens next. Abaddon's own damage is low, and his main job is to keep allies alive with Aphotic Shield. While Lion brings the control, he often needs another hero to provide the damage that makes his setup lethal. Their kits don't combine to create something that one hero couldn't do; they mostly offer two separate tools for the team to use.

As the game progresses, this dynamic continues. You often have Lion playing his own game of finding pickoffs with his disables and Finger of Death, while Abaddon is busy on the other side of the fight, shielding a core and absorbing attention with Borrowed Time. They both contribute to the teamfight, but they don't actively work together. One provides single-target burst and control, the other provides team-wide survivability and dispel. This leaves the outcome of a fight feeling dependent on how well the rest of your team can use these separate advantages.