How Riki and Witch Doctor perform as teammates in Dota 2 7.41e, from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Riki and Witch Doctor win 53.47% of ranked matches when playing on the same team, over 1,195 matches.
Thinking you can interrupt Death Ward is the first mistake. Riki's Smoke Screen creates a huge zone where enemies are silenced and miss their attacks, making it incredibly safe for Witch Doctor to channel his ultimate. It's not about one hero setting up the other; it's about them creating a kill zone together. Anyone caught inside can't cast spells to escape or stun the Witch Doctor, and they can't reliably right-click their way out either. Adding Maledict to Riki's rapid attacks means the target often melts before they can react. This combination of lockdown and burst damage is what makes the duo so effective.
The pressure starts early and only gets worse. A well-placed Smoke Screen in lane can easily secure a kill with Maledict. As the game goes on, Riki scouts for pickoffs, providing the vision and initiation for Witch Doctor to follow up with his full arsenal. The opposing team is forced to burn key items like Black King Bar early or risk losing a core every time the two are missing. They must invest heavily in vision and stick together, but grouping up also makes them a prime target for the combo, creating a no-win situation during teamfights.
How this pairing performs across skill brackets — the duo's team win rate in recent ranked matches, split by average match rank. Ranks with too few recent matches are omitted. These rows use the last 30 days of quality-filtered ranked matches, all patches in that span combined — a wider window than the patch-scoped count above, so the per-rank match totals can exceed it.
| Rank | Team win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Herald & Guardian | 54.32% | 718 |
| Crusader & Archon | 54.28% | 1,426 |
| Legend & Ancient | 56.42% | 826 |
| Divine & Immortal | 56.41% | 195 |
This duo's team win rate in each recent balance patch — whether the pairing is trending up or down. Patches without enough matches are omitted.
| Patch | Team win rate | Change | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.41e | 53.47% | ▼ -1.3pp | 1,195 |
| 7.41d | 54.72% | ▼ -0.5pp | 116,643 |
| 7.41c | 55.19% | ▲ +0.3pp | 67,758 |
| 7.41b | 54.84% | — | 65,716 |
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Data updated Aug 11, 2026.