The large number of heroes in Dota 2 gives a lot of room for various combinations between them, creating deadly pairs and connections between heroes. Thanks to the synergy of their abilities, they can cause a lot of problems for opponents and put on a show for both players and spectators when it comes to eSports. In this Dota 2 hero synergy guide, we will look at the best connections between characters and how they work.

What is synergy and how it works

All characters in Dota 2 are connected to other characters in one way or another, not only in terms of the game's lore but also on the technical side. For each character, you can choose an alternative or opposite hero who will counter-pick it, i.e., thanks to theirs set of abilities, they will be capable of another. But allied heroes can also create interesting connections with each other, combining their abilities to maximize their effectiveness, as well as to overcome opponents more easily at different stages of the game, whether it be early or later.

How to choose characters for synergy

Dota 2 hero synergies can be simple, i.e. those involving two characters, and more complex, if more than two characters are needed to implement an interesting strategy. To choose a pair of characters that can synergize with each other, you should know the abilities of most characters and their effects. Alternatively, you can use websites and apps that select the best pair of heroes for you based on their stats, indicating their strengths, weaknesses, and how they work together.

The best hero combinations in Dota 2

Hero pairings that have the highest win rate, are easy to implement, and do not interfere with the play of other teammates can be considered the best combinations. Some combinations can be difficult to reproduce in the game for several reasons, such as the length of the match, experience with a particular hero, the ability to react in time, and so on. Therefore, the best optimal hero combos Dota 2 between heroes are those that require little effort and resources from the player.

Sven and Vengeful Spirit

The combination between Sven and Vengeful Spirit is one of the easiest and most popular for players. It is most suitable for the early stage of the game. Both heroes have strong and long-lasting stun abilities, which allows you to control enemies on the line, and with good timing, kill the enemy. The Warcry and Wave of Terror abilities create conditions for different armor values — the first increases armor for allies, and the second reduces armor for enemies, which increases personal survivability and the ability to deal with enemies. Although this pair is very effective in the lane, their value in the team and the ability to cause problems for enemies is invaluable throughout the game.

Spirit Breaker and Lifestealer

A fun, yet practical combination of Spirit Breaker and Lifestealer can cause a lot of problems for enemies, especially those with low mobility. Thanks to the Infest ability, Lifestealer can get into its allies, and Spirit Breaker becomes the main contender for this role. His Charge of Darkness ability allows him to target and run after a visible target, no matter where it is on the map. So in such a situation, as soon as Spirit Breaker reaches the target, an allied Lifestealer comes out of it, which simply destroys most of the enemies under the influence of its abilities and items.

Nyx Assassin and Lifestealer

A similar combination can be arranged by pairing Life Stealer with Nyx Assassin. Although it can't run across the map, thanks to its invisibility, high movement speed under the map, and strong procrastination, Nyx can kill most skinny heroes. However, if the target is a bit fatter, Life Stealer will help you deal with it.

Drow Ranger and Vengeful Spirit

This pair has quite a few strengths, which makes this matchup quite interesting. Firstly, both of their auras increase their damage, which makes it easier to finish off lane creeps and deal more damage to opponents. The ability to remove some armor from the target will help them with this, making them more pierceable. Gust's ability imposes a silence that prevents opponents from using their abilities and slows them down, in addition, Vengeful Spirit's stun is worth mentioning, which allows you to dominate the line with these winning hero combos Dota 2.

Shadow Shaman and Juggernaut

One of the simplest, yet most effective combos in the game is the Shadow Shaman and Juggernaut combo. Under the influence of Blade Fury, Juggernaut can deal significant damage, but the problem is that opponents can often escape from the AoE zone of this ability. But support can fix this issue. The shaman has two fairly long-lasting control abilities, one of which completely immobilizes the target, while Hex turns the enemy into a defenseless chicken. Thus, it becomes easier for Juggernaut to deal damage with his ability and, in addition, to deal with a few blows from his hand. This will mean simple and effective domination of the line, provided that the enemy line is not too fat and aggressive.

Crystal Maiden and Juggernaut

The combination is essentially identical to the previous one, although it's not really that strong. Crystal Maiden has Frostbite, which immobilizes the target, but the duration of the ability is not as long as that of the shaman. In addition, she has Crystal Nova, which slows down targets in AoE, but this may not always be enough to kill the desired target. The low survivability of the CM spoils the picture, as she can die if she wants to help an allied laner if she gets exposed. Despite this, the lane can't be called bad, it's just not as strong as the previous hero.

Shadow Shaman and Ursa

Shaman is a very strong support that will be useful in almost any lane, and when paired with Ursa, this combination is very successful. Ursa's Fury Swipes ability deals more damage to its target with each new hit, but Ursa has rather low mobility. Therefore, Shadow Shaman's control abilities will help to hold the target longer, and carry will be able to deal more damage, while Overpower increases the attack speed, which means potential death for the enemy. The synergy between these heroes is strong at any stage of the game, as control is one of the most important abilities in a team.

Undying and Weawer

This pair of heroes boasts very annoying creatures that they unleash on their targets. The zombies that appear under the effect of Undying's Tombstone and the bugs from Swarm that cling to enemies deal periodic damage, slow, and reduce armor to enemies. Under the influence of these effects, it becomes straightforward to catch up with targets. Given the painful and powerful attacks of Weawer and the reduction of enemy attributes from Decay, enemy heroes will not be able to farm or just stand comfortably next to you.

Faceless Void and Ancient Apparition

These heroes do not have to be in the same line to fulfill their role synergy, as they can choose better Dota 2 hero pairings on the line. However, their ultimates work quite well in synergy; the key is proper communication and timing. As soon as Faceless Void sets up its chronosphere, AA should launch its ultimates into the dome. Ice Blast can be launched from anywhere on the map, and if the health threshold of the targets under the effect is below the corresponding threshold, they will die instantly.

Enigma and Lich (+Axe)

The strong ultimates of these heroes can become a real deadly combo against the entire enemy team under the right conditions if you manage to successfully implement them. All you need is an Enigma that successfully breaks into the battle and throws a Black Hole at the enemy team. Once this happens, all Lich has to do is throw his Chain Frost at the immobilized enemy team. The projectile from the ultimatum will bounce between all the enemies in the black hole zone, which is guaranteed to allow your team to take out the enemy team. For a more successful scenario, you can use the third character, Axe. Axe will break into the crowd of enemies and provoke them to gather them more tightly and prevent the enemy heroes from being able to shoot down the Enigma ultimates.

Mirana, Bane, and Razor

The main character in this team is Bane, who casts Nightmare on his target, immobilizing it for a while. After that, Mirana, standing as far away from the target as possible, launches her arrow at the sleeping enemy to deal the maximum possible damage from the ability and stun the target. Mirana can play the role of a carry here, although this is not the best option. Then, for the best effectiveness of the bundle, a third character is needed — Razor, who can drain damage from the enemy, adding it to himself and attacking the immobilized target. This trio of heroes can easily take out an enemy target if each player uses their abilities correctly.

Viper and Venomancer

Both Viper and Venomancer are endowed with poisonous abilities that deal intermittent damage and slow down opponents, which makes them top hero synergies Dota 2. Standing against this pair in the line is very unpleasant, as you need to constantly carry healing supplies. If the opponents are melee heroes, their stay in the line will become even more unbearable, and the possibility of farming for them will be difficult. If the enemy heroes are reckless and get exposed, you should take advantage of the moment to dominate the lane with poisons and slows.

Pudge and Techies

Not all synergizing heroes in Dota 2 are serious, some are just interesting and funny, but not very practical and serious, such as Pudge and Techies. Thanks to his hook, Pudge has to pull his target onto the mines of the allied Techies, who have placed them somewhere nearby. It sounds fascinating, but having Techies in the team is not the best choice on its own, and to realize this pair of heroes, you need players who know how to play Pudge and Techies.

Conclusion

There are a lot of effective combinations and ideas for one or more heroes, but you need to have a basic understanding of how abilities work and which character has which magic or passive skill. Often, you can watch professional players play and follow their combinations to learn from their experience and recreate them in your matches.