Ember Spirit + Tidehunter

Why this works

Setting up big teamfights is the main idea here. Tidehunter’s Ravage provides a huge window for Ember Spirit to land a multi-hero Sleight of Fist and follow up with Searing Chains on stunned targets. This can be a reliable way to win a critical fight, especially if the enemy team is grouped up. The problem is that both heroes' contributions are tied to long cooldowns. If Ravage is used defensively or catches no one important, Ember loses his best setup. Their laning phases are also completely separate, and they don't offer each other much until those first big teamfights around the mid-game.

Success for this pair hinges on Tidehunter forcing a fight at the right time. When he lands a good Ravage, Ember Spirit can often clean up the entire enemy team, turning the fight into a tower or Roshan. However, a patient opponent will try to play around Ravage's cooldown, splitting the map to avoid getting caught together. They can pressure Tidehunter when his ultimate is down or pick off a split-pushing Ember. The game often becomes a contest of whether Tidehunter can force the ideal fight before the enemy can create a situation where the two heroes are forced apart.