How Axe and Pugna perform as teammates in Dota 2 7.41e, from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Axe and Pugna win 56.85% of ranked matches when playing on the same team, over 1,087 matches.
Casting Decrepify on Axe the moment he lands a Berserker's Call makes him completely immune to the physical damage from all taunted enemies. This turns his aggressive initiation into a defensive lockdown, holding multiple heroes in place for Pugna to follow up with a safe Nether Blast. While Axe is holding them still, he isn't taking any right-click damage, letting him survive situations that would normally get him killed. Pugna can even use Life Drain on a priority target caught in the call, piling on more damage from a safe distance.
This combo forces opponents into a terrible position. Trying to burst down the ethereal Axe with spells is often punished by a well-placed Nether Ward. The alternative is diving past the initiation to kill Pugna, but that's difficult when his team is positioned to protect him. This dynamic lets the duo control the teamfight tempo, turning Axe's Blink Dagger timing into a major power spike. Pugna's ability to heal Axe after a fight also helps them maintain pressure on the map and take objectives.
How this pairing performs across skill brackets — the duo's team win rate in recent ranked matches, split by average match rank. Ranks with too few recent matches are omitted. These rows use the last 30 days of quality-filtered ranked matches, all patches in that span combined — a wider window than the patch-scoped count above, so the per-rank match totals can exceed it.
| Rank | Team win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Herald & Guardian | 55.01% | 509 |
| Crusader & Archon | 55.28% | 1,230 |
| Legend & Ancient | 54.13% | 957 |
| Divine & Immortal | 56.33% | 300 |
This duo's team win rate in each recent balance patch — whether the pairing is trending up or down. Patches without enough matches are omitted.
| Patch | Team win rate | Change | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.41e | 56.85% | ▲ +3.1pp | 1,087 |
| 7.41d | 53.75% | ▼ -0.8pp | 98,166 |
| 7.41c | 54.55% | ▲ +0.4pp | 52,467 |
| 7.41b | 54.12% | — | 46,758 |
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Data updated Aug 11, 2026.