One of the most satisfying feelings when playing League of Legends is coordinating flawlessly with a teammate to win a game. Duo-queueing is my favorite way to play, as every match has its own unique story and I enjoy sharing the experience with a friend. As a result, I have a huge appreciation for champion combinations that synergize to maximize damage or utility. Today we are going to take a deeper look into three pairs of champions that are heavily prioritized in the professional circuits of each region due to the potential power they represent if used in unison.

The primary trait these pairs share is the capability to chain crowd control abilities. Some combinations are more adept at killing single targets, while others are able to impact the map with semi-global abilities or manipulate terrain to prevent enemy champions from escaping. All have performed to great success on the professional stage and are certainly worth exploring in your climb up the ladder. The three pairs we will discuss today are as follows: Renekton and Elise, Jarvan IV and Rumble, and Taliyah and Pantheon.

Renekton, the Butcher of the Sands and Elise, the Spider Queen

Renekton and Elise both specialize in killing single targets and excel in outputting large amounts of damage in short periods of time. Renekton is normally played as a solo laner and is best picked into melee match-ups. Elise is most often played in the jungle, where her kit allows her to clear camps quickly and stay healthy as she prepares to gank for her laners. The potency of this combination stems from Renekton's ability to utilize his Slice and Dice to close distance and lock down a target with his Ruthless Predator stun. This is incredibly difficult to avoid in melee match-ups, as both laners will often be in close proximity to each other when farming. If empowered with Fury from his passive, the stun from Ruthless Predator will last 1.5 seconds. This is often more than enough time for Elise to land her crowd control ability, Cocoon. The stun from Cocoon lasts 1.6 seconds at first rank, totaling over 3 seconds of stun between the two abilities if timed well.

The critical component in layering these abilities is that Renekton's stun will always connect if the enemy is within distance and targeted correctly. Renekton can use his Slice and Dice to gain distance or Flash to immediately position himself next to an enemy champion, providing an instant stun. This removes most avenues for counterplay in the earlier parts of the game as an immobile target is unable to dodge Elise's Cocoon. After connecting with both abilities, and with multiple seconds to dump damage into a single target, Renekton and Elise are capable of bursting through the tankiest of champions. Even if an enemy laner manages to survive the initial onslaught and uses Flash to gain distance from the gank, Elise can effortlessly close the distance again using her Rappel in Spider Form. This type of gank is also highly repeatable as neither champion requires the use of an ultimate ability with a long cooldown period to execute the plan. Renekton's ultimate, Dominus, is a great resource for using multiple empowered abilities in short succession but is not an absolute requirement for a successful gank.

Like all of the pairs on this list, Renekton and Elise also differ in the primary type of damage they deal. Renekton focuses heavily on building attack damage and lethality items while Elise specializes in magic penetration and items that offer ability power. This difference in damage type makes tanking the duo efficiently very difficult in the early stages of the game. If an enemy laner prioritizes building armor to combat Renekton's primary damage type, Elise will sink her fangs directly into their health bar with little regard for the magic resistance shielding a champion without item supplementation. This combination of champions is especially potent when Renekton is played into top lane, where Cleanse is much less likely to be taken. The longer lane also allows more time to hunt down an enemy running for survival. Choose this combination if you plan on focusing the top side of the map heavily during the laning phase.

Jarvan IV, the Exemplar of Demacia and Rumble, the Mechanized Menace

Jarvan IV and Rumble synergize incredibly well in teamfights, with high-impact ultimates that manipulate terrain to trap enemies in the world's worst game of "The Floor Is Lava". This combination is serviceable in the laning phase, with Jarvan IV having decent clear speed through the jungle and strong ganking abilities in the early game. Rumble has one of the strongest laning phases of melee champions, especially into melee match-ups, as his Flamespitter ability allows him to clear minions quickly and roast the enemy laner in the process. Rumble can also perform well in ranged match-ups as well, with access to Scrap Shield for extra survivability and Electro Harpoon to farm minions from a distance.

However, the duo's true power burns brightest in teamfights during the middle and late game. Jarvan IV's ultimate ability Cataclysm creates a dome of impassable terrain with a radius of 325 units, dealing physical damage upon impact and trapping anything within the dome for up to 3.5 seconds. Enemies that have expended their Flash or other escape tools are stuck inside the dome with Jarvan IV for the duration. With enemies trapped within the dome, Rumble can layer his ultimate ability, The Equalizer, directly onto the newly created terrain and even extend onto the escape path the enemy champion(s) are likely to take afterwards.

The Equalizer is one of the highest damage abilities in League of Legends, balanced on the fact that enemies can normally walk off the 1000-unit long path of rocket fire limiting the damage they take. Trapped in the dome without any means of escape, enemy champions take massive amounts of magic damage every half-second while roasting inside of the Cataclysm. The Equalizer lasts for 5 seconds, with damage lingering for 1 second after leaving the area, and even slows enemies on the line of rockets by 35%, making it even harder to escape. This combination is particularly well suited for killing squishier back-line champions that are normally difficult to access in team fights. Jarvan IV can infiltrate enemy team compositions by using Dragon Strike in conjunction with Demacian Standard to propel himself forward, threatening crowd control on any champion caught in the crossfire.

Combining the ranges of his Demacian Standard and Cataclysm, Jarvan IV can easily traverse over 1000 units of distance in just a few seconds, granting access to valuable carry champions positioned in the rear of the enemy team formation. This engage potential allows Rumble to lay down his Equalizer from up to 1700 units away, roasting enemies until the opportune moment to close distance and Flamespitter presents itself. This combination can be truly oppressive in teamfights and is best selected against enemy team compositions with limited mobility.

Taliyah, the Stoneweaver and Pantheon, the Unbreakable Spear

Taliyah and Pantheon are a unique pair within this list as they can be played in the jungle and solo lane roles interchangeably. Taliyah is primarily played in the middle lane, but is considered to be one of the strongest magic damage junglers as well. Pantheon can be played in either solo lane as an aggressive lethality-focused mage, or in the jungle with very strong gank potential using his point-and-click crowd control ability Shield Vault. This combination synergizes heavily in two very potent ways, first with Pantheon enabling Taliyah to land her abilities more easily and output massive amounts of damage. Secondly, both champions have ultimates that allow them to travel thousands of units across the map in seconds, facilitating number advantages during skirmishes in any area of Summoner's Rift.

In the laning phase, Taliyah and Pantheon are able to threaten kill potential by chaining their crowd control abilities similarly to Renekton and Elise. Pantheon, like Renekton, has an undodgeable stun in his Shield Vault ability, stunning a target for 1 second. During this time Taliyah layers her Unraveled Earth around the target and uses Seismic Shove to push the immobile enemy through the boulders. Enemies sent through Unraveled Earth with Seismic Shove trigger the boulders to explode, maximizing the amount of damage Taliyah can output with these two abilities. This can also reposition the enemy champion closer to the duo, significantly increasing the accuracy of her Threaded Volley and his Comet Spear. Like the other two pairs on this list, Taliyah and Pantheon also differ in primary damage types, making it difficult to build effective resistances in the earlier stages of the game.

The second reason this pair is highly valued in professional circuits is because of their ability to travel massive distances across the map at a moment's notice. Taliyah's Weaver's Wall creates an impassable wall of terrain that she is then able to surf on at 1500 speed to a new location. The distance she is able to travel increases as she levels up her ultimate, increasing from 3000 units at first rank to 6000 units at maximum rank. Pantheon's ultimate Grand Starfall has a range of 5500 units all ranks, making it one of the most effective tools for influencing other areas of the map. Combined, these two ultimate abilities allow the duo to make efficient and deadly rotations around the map, often granting numbers advantages in fights and heavily punishing enemy positioning mistakes. The threat of a roam from these champions while in Fog of War, the areas of the map without vision granted, will often force the enemy team to think twice about taking any fights under fair circumstances. Choose this combination if you and your partner plan to influence the entire map by out-rotating the enemy.

Summary

The three pairs discussed are all strong choices to play with your friends whether you're climbing in Solo Queue, Flex Queue or competing with your Clash team. All three duos differ in primary damage type, making them especially potent in the earlier stages of the game when budgets are tight and resistances are harder to come by. Elise and Renekton are strong choices if you plan on focusing one side of the map, particularly if you plan on ganking for Renekton multiple times in the early game. Jarvan IV and Rumble are strongest in team fights, providing massive amounts of damage across multiple enemies if used correctly. Taliyah and Pantheon are the best options for influencing all areas of the map, often turning the tide in skirmishes by outnumbering the enemy. I hope you find these combinations as fun to play as I have, and don't hesitate to brew up some new pairs and try them on your way up the ladder! Thank you for reading and as always, good luck and have fun!