How Slark and Witch Doctor perform as teammates in Dota 2 7.41e, from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Slark and Witch Doctor win 51.42% of ranked matches when playing on the same team, over 19,580 matches.
A successful leash from Slark creates a perfect window for Witch Doctor's spells. The Pounce guarantees that Paralyzing Cask can't be dodged, extending the lockdown on a single target. This provides ample time for Witch Doctor to apply Maledict, amplifying all the damage Slark deals as he builds up Essence Shift stacks. The result is a simple but effective ganking combination that can be surprisingly hard to survive, turning a quick jump into a secured kill before the target can react.
This partnership is strongest in the early and mid-game, helping Slark get the snowball rolling. Later on, their objectives can sometimes be at odds. Slark is an agile hunter, using Shadow Dance to weave through fights and find solo pickoffs, while Witch Doctor provides his best value from a protected position where he can channel Death Ward on grouped-up enemies. If a fight becomes chaotic and mobile, Witch Doctor can get left behind, and the initial lockdown synergy matters less than team-wide positioning.
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 | 53.29% | 1,154 |
| Crusader & Archon | 51.66% | 3,310 |
| Legend & Ancient | 51.37% | 2,620 |
| Divine & Immortal | 50.68% | 659 |
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 | 51.42% | ▲ +0.1pp | 19,580 |
| 7.41d | 51.28% | ▼ -0.2pp | 233,166 |
| 7.41c | 51.52% | ▼ -0.1pp | 136,608 |
| 7.41b | 51.63% | — | 162,245 |
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Data updated Aug 17, 2026.