Necrophos + Slardar

Why this works

Securing key pickoffs becomes more reliable with this pairing. Slardar is excellent at finding a target and locking them down with Slithereen Crush. Once Corrosive Haze is on someone, it's a clear signal for the whole team to focus them. This is perfect for Necrophos, who can be slow to join a fight. The stun guarantees he can get in range to apply Heartstopper Aura and Death Pulse without the target simply running away. While the armor reduction doesn't help Necrophos's magic damage, it makes Slardar a serious physical threat on his own, forcing opponents to deal with two different damage types.

The game plan is to use this pickoff potential to control the map's tempo. A successful gank from Slardar that leads into a Reaper's Scythe kill often means a long respawn timer and a major power play opportunity. This can translate into taking a tower or Roshan. The enemy team is forced to play more defensively and group up earlier than they might want to, which can starve them of farm. Their best response is to have strong save abilities ready or to try and burst either Slardar or Necrophos before they can coordinate their attack.