Silencer + Slark

Why this works

The obvious play here is a Global Silence setting up for Slark to jump in, but the real synergy is more consistent than that. During ganks or even in lane, Arcane Curse makes it punishing for a target to use spells to escape from Pounce. If they hold their spells to avoid the damage, Last Word will likely trigger instead. This puts Slark's target in a bind where either choice helps him secure the kill and build his Essence Shift stacks. Global Silence is a great tool for teamfights, but it’s the constant pressure from Silencer's other abilities that creates the advantage.

This pairing allows Slark to play aggressively from the early mid-game, looking for pickoffs with Silencer's help. A successful gank or two is often all he needs to begin snowballing. The enemy's best response is to group up and force fights only when Global is down, or to rely on items that can break Pounce without casting a spell. If Slark can't find those early advantages, or if the enemy team plays very defensively, the pairing can feel much less threatening, since it relies on creating those initial openings.