Grimstroke + Sand King

Why this works

Controlling the map with this duo can be straightforward, since they threaten kills on multiple heroes at once. The idea is for Grimstroke to lock two enemies together with Soulbind, creating a target for Sand King. With the enemies tethered, a single Burrowstrike stun can hit both, and a subsequent Epicenter will damage them equally as they're forced to stay close. This punishes teams that like to group up, and a successful combo on two cores can decide a fight.

However, the whole sequence is conditional and can be played around. Sand King often needs a Blink Dagger to get into position, and the combo relies on Grimstroke finding a good Soulbind in the first place. Smart enemies will make a point to spread out, denying that initial setup. Furthermore, Sand King’s Epicenter has a long channel time that can be interrupted by any stun or silence. If the enemy team has reliable lockdown, they can often shut down the attempt before the real damage comes out, leaving both Grimstroke and Sand King in a bad spot.