Kunkka + Riki

Why this works

Getting caught by an X Marks the Spot feels a lot worse when a Riki is on Kunkka's team. The setup is straightforward: Kunkka guarantees a hero's return position, and Riki can preemptively drop Smoke Screen and Tricks of the Trade right on the X. This makes the combo a reliable way to secure silence, damage, and control on a single target without much room for error or escape. Torrent can also be layered on top, making it very difficult for anyone to survive the initial burst and lockdown.

This ganking potential is most effective during the mid-game when teams are spread out, allowing Kunkka and Riki to find pickoffs. As the game shifts towards five-on-five teamfights, however, their objectives can diverge. Riki is usually looking to flank and assassinate fragile backline heroes, while Kunkka is casting Ghostship and using Tidebringer to control the main battle from the front or middle. They start fighting different parts of the teamfight, so the direct combo happens less often, leading to a fairly neutral dynamic overall.