Pugna + Riki

Why this works

Controlling the map and taking objectives can be smoother with this duo. Riki excels at finding lone enemies and forcing them to use spells to escape. A well-placed Nether Ward from Pugna turns these reactions into self-inflicted damage, punishing any attempt to stun or burst Riki and often securing the kill. For targets that don't die instantly, Riki's Smoke Screen keeps them silenced inside the area while Pugna can safely channel Life Drain to finish them off or heal an ally. This combination makes their ganks more reliable.

The goal is to leverage this pickoff potential to build a lead before opponents can react. Pugna and Riki want to play aggressively, finding kills and then converting them into towers or Roshan control. The counter-play for the enemy team involves grouping up much earlier and maintaining vision control with sentries. By staying together and focusing their damage on the fragile Pugna at the start of a fight, they can remove the Nether Ward threat entirely. This forces Riki to play more carefully, as he loses the magical backup that makes his initiations so punishing.