Ogre Magi + Viper

Why this works

Pairing a support with a core often involves looking for an ability combo, and Bloodlust is Ogre Magi's main gift. The trouble is that Viper doesn't get as much from the attack speed as other cores might. Much of Viper's damage comes from his poisons and the magic burn from Nethertoxin, neither of which scale directly with how fast he hits. Both heroes also bring a lot of slows to a fight, which can feel redundant. Instead of enabling something new, they both end up doing a similar job of pinning down a single target, which offers diminishing returns.

This lane can be oppressive early on, as their combined slows make it nearly impossible for one enemy to get away. The problem comes later. A Viper and Ogre Magi duo is extremely focused on single-target lockdown. If the enemy team starts grouping up, gets saves like a shallow grave, or simply has multiple elusive heroes, the strategy falls apart. The pair lacks strong area-of-effect damage or teamfight control, meaning they have to win the game by picking people off. If they can't secure that early lead and snowball, they often get out-scaled by teams with better push and teamfight.