How Io and Witch Doctor perform as teammates in Dota 2 7.41e, from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Io and Witch Doctor win 51.85% of ranked matches when playing on the same team, over 7,244 matches.
The idea behind this pairing is for Io to keep a channeling Witch Doctor alive. Tether provides Overcharge's damage reduction, making it harder to burst down Witch Doctor during Death Ward. It also shares the healing from Voodoo Restoration, creating a mobile fountain of regeneration for both heroes. Io's Relocate can also be used to bring Witch Doctor in for a surprise ultimate from an unexpected angle. However, the core weakness remains: Io offers no protection against the stuns that will interrupt Death Ward. If the enemy has reliable lockdown, much of this synergy evaporates on the spot.
Early on, the lane can be a bit awkward as both heroes are supports who appreciate levels and a few items. The combo's main timing is the mid-game, where a successful Relocate into a Maledict and Death Ward can secure a key kill. This is a high-risk play that relies on catching someone isolated and without an instant disable. As the game goes on, Io will usually find more value in tethering and enabling a primary core hero, leaving Witch Doctor to find his own positioning. The synergy is opportunistic rather than a consistent game plan.
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 | 52.17% | 345 |
| Crusader & Archon | 50.56% | 1,062 |
| Legend & Ancient | 48.37% | 829 |
| Divine & Immortal | 45.25% | 263 |
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 | 51.85% | ▲ +0.8pp | 7,244 |
| 7.41d | 51.08% | ▲ +0.2pp | 50,366 |
| 7.41c | 50.85% | ▼ -0.6pp | 21,054 |
| 7.41b | 51.46% | — | 22,342 |
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Data updated Aug 18, 2026.