Sniper + Spirit Breaker

Why this works

Getting caught by a Charge of Darkness is worse when you know Sniper is on the enemy team. Spirit Breaker provides exactly what Sniper needs: a reliable, long-range stun. That lockdown gives Sniper a stationary target to unload on, stacking Headshot slows and making escape nearly impossible. If the target somehow survives the initial assault, an Assassinate from Sniper can often secure the kill from a completely different part of the map. It's a simple but effective way to set up pickoffs on key heroes without putting Sniper himself at risk.

This pairing is strongest during the mid-game, where you can punish split-pushing or farming alone. Spirit Breaker creates pressure and finds ganks, and Sniper provides the consistent follow-up damage to turn those ganks into kills and objectives. This forces the enemy to play grouped up earlier than they might want to. The strategy's effectiveness fades in late-game teamfights, however. A five-man team can often save the charged target or simply turn and kill Spirit Breaker, leaving Sniper without his initiator and still vulnerable to being dove.