Lifestealer + Riki

Why this works

Playing against this combination feels like there's nowhere to hide. Riki finds a target with his invisibility, drops Smoke Screen, and suddenly Lifestealer is on top of them too. The silence from the smoke means the victim can't use spells or items to escape, and Lifestealer can activate Rage to become immune to any stuns from teammates trying to help. The target is trapped, silenced, and being attacked by two cores with no real way to fight back. This initiation is almost guaranteed to secure a kill on anyone caught alone.

This ganking pressure starts early and never really lets up. Lifestealer using Infest on Riki gives them a nearly foolproof delivery system for getting onto backline heroes. To have a chance, opponents have to play grouped up and maintain constant Sentry Ward vision to prevent Riki from finding that opening. Forcing Riki to show himself before he's ready is key. If a team can't establish map control with vision or stick together, Lifestealer and Riki will pick their heroes apart one by one.