How Dark Willow and Witch Doctor perform as teammates in Dota 2 7.41e, from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Dark Willow and Witch Doctor win 49.78% of ranked matches when playing on the same team, over 5,890 matches.
Trying to set up for a big Death Ward can feel awkward. Dark Willow has a lot of control, but it doesn't always line up cleanly with what Witch Doctor needs. A well-timed Terrorize can save her team, but it can also scatter enemies right as the ward starts doing its work. Similarly, Cursed Crown and Paralyzing Cask are both effective stuns, but using them on the same target at the same time often wastes a lot of lockdown duration. They both want to control the start of a fight, and sometimes they end up stepping on each other's toes.
The result is a lane that feels very all-or-nothing. With perfect coordination, they can chain their spells for a kill, but they are also two very fragile heroes who are easy to gank. Later in the game, this inconsistency continues. A fight can be won if Witch Doctor lands a huge Maledict and Death Ward while Dark Willow provides follow-up control. A fight can also be lost because both supports are prime targets for the enemy, and neither offers a good way to save the other from being jumped on and blown up.
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 | 48.92% | 464 |
| Crusader & Archon | 51.35% | 960 |
| Legend & Ancient | 48.62% | 689 |
| Divine & Immortal | 43.56% | 225 |
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 | 49.78% | ▲ +0.6pp | 5,890 |
| 7.41d | 49.17% | ▲ +0.3pp | 65,446 |
| 7.41c | 48.90% | ▲ +0.6pp | 28,274 |
| 7.41b | 48.26% | — | 30,430 |
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Data updated Aug 17, 2026.