Bane + Pudge

Why this works

Setting up a Meat Hook with Fiend's Grip is the main idea here. Bane can lock down a target, giving Pudge an easy, guaranteed hook for damage and repositioning. The trouble begins when trying to use Nightmare for a setup. A hook will wake the sleeping target, and the Nightmare debuff then jumps over to Pudge himself. This can easily mess up his positioning or interrupt his own Dismember channel, making the gank far clunkier than intended. This interaction demands a level of coordination that can be difficult to achieve.

Across the game, the pair relies almost entirely on that ultimate combination. Committing both Fiend's Grip and Dismember to a single target is effective but often overkill, leaving both heroes with long cooldowns and little to contribute if the gank is interrupted or a larger fight breaks out. Outside of that specific combo, their kits don't offer much natural follow-up. Pudge wants to be a durable frontline hero running at people with Rot, while Bane operates best from the back lines, controlling key targets. This can lead to them feeling disconnected in fights, pulling the overall effectiveness of the duo down to an even split.