How Sand King and Tusk perform as teammates in Dota 2 7.41e, from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Sand King and Tusk win 45.83% of ranked matches when playing on the same team, over 2,544 matches.
Stacking stuns from Burrowstrike and Snowball seems like a straightforward way to delete a target, but the execution can be clumsy. Both Tusk and Sand King often want to be the primary initiator, which can lead to them stepping on each other's toes. One hero might jump in while the other isn't quite ready or in position, splitting the team's focus. Tusk's Ice Shards can also be a problem; a poorly placed wall can accidentally trap Sand King after he's gone in, leaving him isolated. They both want to do the same job, and they don't always do it in a way that helps the other.
During the laning phase, their combined burst can feel effective. As teams start grouping up, however, the overlap in their roles becomes a liability. They offer a lot of initiation but not enough follow-up damage or control on their own. After both Tusk and Sand King have used their primary spells to start a fight, the enemy team can often survive the initial impact and turn on them. The duo creates an opening, but they rely heavily on the rest of their team to convert it into a won fight, leaving them both vulnerable if the follow-up isn't immediate.
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 | 42.19% | 128 |
| Crusader & Archon | 43.63% | 353 |
| Legend & Ancient | 43.42% | 403 |
| Divine & Immortal | 44.90% | 147 |
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 | 45.83% | ▼ -0.3pp | 2,544 |
| 7.41d | 46.15% | ▼ -0.2pp | 28,570 |
| 7.41c | 46.38% | ▼ -2.1pp | 15,335 |
| 7.41b | 48.52% | — | 23,583 |
Move this data into a draft
Both heroes start on Radiant. Fill the remaining slots to test this pairing inside a complete draft and get next-pick recommendations.
Data updated Aug 17, 2026.