Mars + Rubick

Why this works

Setting up a perfect Arena of Blood often feels awkward with a Rubick as the primary follow-up. Mars creates a physical damage kill zone, but Rubick’s kit is almost entirely magical and lacks the area-of-effect damage needed to melt targets inside. His Telekinesis can even be disruptive, lifting an enemy that Mars wants to pin against the wall with Spear of Mars. A core part of Rubick's identity is stealing game-defining ultimates; playing with Mars means he is permanently denied the chance to steal Arena, which is often one of the best spells in the game for him to get.

The laning phase for this pair can be decent, as Telekinesis provides a reliable setup for Spear. The issues become clear after that. Mars will look for his big teamfight initiation, but the burden of capitalizing on it falls entirely to other cores. The success of the combo hinges on Rubick stealing an incredible spell from another enemy caught inside the Arena. If the enemy draft doesn't offer good targets for Spell Steal, Rubick’s contribution is minimal. This leaves Mars trying to solo kill enemies in his ultimate while Rubick waits on the sidelines for an opportunity that might not come.