Kez + Zeus

Why this works

Trying to burst a single hero down reveals the core issue. Kez is a physical duelist who needs help sticking to a target to do his job, but Zeus brings almost no lockdown to the table. His entire contribution is magical damage, often from a great distance. The two heroes are essentially trying to win fights in completely different ways. Kez wants to isolate and surgically remove a single target with his stances and parries, while Zeus is focused on softening up the entire enemy team with widespread spell damage. Their kits rarely combine to achieve a single goal.

This disconnect plays out across the game. Early on, they provide very little for each other, and their timings don't line up well for ganks. In mid-game teamfights, Zeus can use Thundergod's Wrath to give vision of a target for Kez to hunt, but beyond that, their contributions feel separate. The enemy team can often deal with Zeus's magic poke from the backline while another hero kites Kez. It puts a lot of pressure on Kez to create his own opportunities, because Zeus simply doesn't have the tools to set up a physical carry.