Earthshaker + Tinker

Why this works

Drafting this pair often forces you to commit to two separate game plans. Earthshaker is all about finding that perfect Blink and Echo Slam, locking down multiple enemies for a big teamfight. Tinker, however, wants to stay far away from those engagements. He uses Rearm to apply pressure across the map, farming lanes and throwing out damage from extreme range. This fundamental difference in positioning means that when Shaker lands a huge stun, Tinker is frequently not there to contribute his burst damage to the primary targets.

As the game progresses, your team gets pulled in two directions. Earthshaker tries to group up for fights and objectives, but his best follow-up damage is often split-pushing another lane. The enemy team learns to abuse this, either by forcing a four-versus-five fight or by sending heroes to pick off the solo Tinker. The ideal scenario involves a long-range Fissure block setting up for Tinker, but more often than not, the lineup feels disconnected, with Earthshaker unable to protect Tinker and Tinker unable to follow up on Earthshaker's initiations.