Lion + Necrophos

Why this works

Picking off a single target becomes very straightforward with this pairing. Lion provides the long-duration lockdown with Earth Spike and Hex, which is exactly what Necrophos needs to get in range and apply his sustained damage. The real threat comes from combining their ultimates. Lion’s Finger of Death can often get an enemy into the kill threshold for Reaper’s Scythe, making it a reliable way to remove one key hero from the map before a fight. This sequence is simple and effective for securing ganks and controlling the tempo of the mid-game.

The main drawback is that this whole strategy is focused on bursting one person. Enemies can counter this by grouping up or buying defensive items like Force Staffs and Glimmer Capes to rescue the person Lion initiates on. The duo can struggle in large, drawn-out teamfights where their single-target burst is less impactful. While the Lion and Necrophos combo is good for creating an advantage by picking people off, it can fall short if the opposing team is disciplined and forces fights on their own terms.