Franco is the most punishing roamer in MLBB when played correctly. His Iron Hook pulls enemies out of position, his Bloody Hunt suppresses them for 1.8 seconds, and his Fury Shock slows anything still alive. The problem? All that CC is wasted if your team stares at the hooked target instead of bursting it.
His 47.0% win rate in the current meta is a reflection of that gap. Most Franco games are lost not by the hook missing, but by teammates too slow or too far away to follow up. The fix is picking teammates who sync with his kit by default.
This guide covers the 5 heroes that make Franco actually work in ranked, what each combo looks like step-by-step, and how to build a team comp around him.
#Why Franco's Synergy Pool Is Narrow
Franco creates opportunities in a 1.8-second window. That's the suppression duration of Bloody Hunt. Your follow-up heroes need to be either already in range or mobile enough to close the gap in that window.
Heroes that do NOT work well with Franco:
- Slow-projectile mages who need setup (Cyclops, Odette)
- Marksmen with no burst (Miya in the first 12 minutes)
- Tanks who only add more CC without damage (stacking tank-tank is a dead comp)
What you want is burst, mobility into range, or channel abilities that deal damage during the suppression. With those in mind, here are the five that work best.
#The 5 Best Franco Synergy Heroes
1. Pharsa
Why she works: Pharsa's Feathered Air Strike is a channeled aerial bombardment that deals massive AoE magic damage. You need the target to sit still. Franco's suppression holds them in place for exactly 1.8 seconds. That's enough for two to three bomb waves to land directly on the target.
The combo:
- Franco lands Iron Hook (S1)
- Immediately cast Bloody Hunt (Ult) to suppress
- Pharsa activates Feathered Air Strike from a safe distance
- The bombs land on the suppressed enemy before they can escape
What makes it deadly: Pharsa doesn't need to be close. She can sit behind your frontline, which means she stays alive while dealing 1000+ magic damage mid-flight. After the suppression ends, Franco's Fury Shock (S2) slows the target for 1.5 seconds, giving Pharsa's remaining bombs more time to connect.
In ranked: If you're duo queueing with a friend, this is the clearest Franco synergy in the game. The timing is forgiving because Pharsa fires from range. Your friend doesn't need to be standing on top of you to make it work.
2. Kimmy
Kimmy is one of the few marksmen who can deal continuous damage while moving. Her Energy Bullets fire in a stream rather than single shots, which means she doesn't need a full channel to do damage. Every second the target is suppressed, Kimmy is doing work.
The combo:
- Franco hooks the enemy carry (prioritize the mage or marksman)
- Bloody Hunt suppresses immediately on landing
- Kimmy walks in and fires Energy Bullets point-blank through the suppression window
- If the target survives, Franco's S2 slow gives Kimmy 1-2 more seconds of clean DPS
What makes it deadly: Kimmy doesn't care about line-of-sight in the way that projectile heroes do. She just aims at the hooked target and streams damage in. This combo is especially brutal against tanky carries because Kimmy's Astral Echo passive deals bonus damage the longer she fires.
Positioning note: Kimmy should roam close to Franco in the mid game. The further apart they are, the less likely she arrives before the suppression ends. Keep her within 5 units of Franco at all times during the rotation phase.
3. Saber
Saber is the cleanest single-target assassin to pair with Franco. His Triple Sweep ultimate deals three hits of physical damage in rapid succession and keeps the target briefly airborne. The window for activating it is tight, but if Saber is in range when the hook lands, the combo becomes a near-instant delete.
The combo:
- Franco lands Iron Hook
- Bloody Hunt suppresses the target
- Saber dashes in with Charge (S1) and activates Triple Sweep (Ult) immediately
- The three-hit burst during suppression means the enemy cannot dodge, dash, or use any skills in response
What makes it deadly: Triple Sweep deals its full burst before the suppression ends. Against squishy targets like mages or marksmen, this is an execution, not a trade. There is no counterplay once the hook lands.
Matchup context: This combo punishes immobile backliners hardest. Against Pharsa, Layla, Chang'e, or Eudora, one Franco hook into Saber ult ends the fight. Use this pairing specifically when the enemy team has two or more immobile carries in gold lane and mid.
4. Karrie
Karrie's Lightwheel Mark passive deals true damage. True damage bypasses both physical and magic resistance, which makes her the ideal partner against tank-heavy enemy compositions. When Franco hooks a tanky hero (Hylos, Belerick, or a farmed Franco mirror), Karrie melts them where normal burst heroes would struggle.
The combo:
- Franco hooks a tanky target or the enemy carry
- Bloody Hunt suppresses
- Karrie closes in with Phantom Step (S2) and fires continuously to stack Lightwheel Marks
- Every 5th auto-attack on the same target triggers true damage regardless of how much armor they've built
What makes it deadly: Other follow-up heroes like Saber or Eudora lose effectiveness when the enemy team has a Dominance Ice-stacking tank or a bruiser gold laner. Karrie doesn't. Her true damage scales off the enemy's max HP, so the tankier the target, the more she melts.
Team comp role: Use Karrie when you see two or more tanks or fighters on the enemy draft. Against assassin-heavy or squishy compositions, Pharsa or Saber will outperform her. Know which comp you're playing into before locking this pairing.
5. Eudora
Eudora is the most accessible Franco combo partner in the game. Her Chain Lightning (S1) and Thunderstruck (Ult) together deal burst magic damage that doesn't require any skill expression to land. If the target is suppressed and Eudora is within casting range, all three of her skills connect with zero effort.
The combo:
- Franco hooks and suppresses with Bloody Hunt
- Eudora casts Ball Lightning (S2) to apply the Superconducting debuff
- Then Chain Lightning (S1) into Thunderstruck (Ult)
- The full combo deals roughly 3,000 to 5,000 magic damage at level 4+ against squishies, before any magic items complete
What makes it deadly: Eudora's combo is the fastest in the game at lower levels. This pairs perfectly with Franco's early-game dominance. They win first blood almost every time the hook lands, which snowballs both heroes into mid-game power spikes.
For solo queue: If you can't duo queue with someone who knows the timing, Eudora is your pick. Her combo is short enough that even a solo queue teammate, if they see the hook land, can follow up. The visual of the hook is obvious. The window is forgiving. Most Eudora players know to cast when they see the target yanked forward.
#How to Build a Full Team Comp Around Franco
You don't just want two synergy heroes. You want a comp where every slot amplifies Franco's pick-off playstyle. Here's a working 5-hero setup for ranked:
| Role | Hero | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Roamer | Franco | Initiator and CC anchor |
| Mid | Pharsa | Safe burst, doesn't need Franco nearby to be useful |
| Gold Lane | Kimmy or Karrie | Sustained damage into hooks and team fights |
| Jungler | Saber or Lancelot | Assassination to close out picks |
| EXP Lane | Gusion or Chou | Second engage option, flexible |
The key principle: you need at least one hero who can follow up from range (Pharsa) and one who can reach the hooked target in under 0.5 seconds (Saber, Kimmy). If your comp requires three people to walk into range before dealing damage, the suppression ends before anyone does anything.
Two things to avoid:
- Drafting a second tank. Franco is already your frontline. You need damage.
- Drafting channel-dependent ultimates that can be interrupted (Odette, Vexana's old kit). If the suppression ends and the enemy flashes, those ults get canceled mid-cast.
#Positioning Tips That Make These Combos Work
The combo only executes if you're in position before the hook lands. Not after.
Early game (levels 1-4): Roam with Saber or the jungler during crab fights. If you land a hook at level 2, a level 2 Saber nearby makes first blood happen. A level 2 Saber on the other side of the map does nothing.
Mid game (levels 5-9): This is when Pharsa and Kimmy come online. Franco should be hovering near mid lane for rotation hooks. Pharsa should be farming blue buff or mid tower safely. When you call for a gank, Pharsa activates air strike at the same time as the hook, not after she sees the hook land.
Late game (level 10+): Don't hook alone. Franco's hook becomes less decisive late game when enemies have more HP and defensive items. Your job shifts to locking down the carry during the enemy's final push. Hook, suppress, let your carries clean up the backline.
#Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best 2-man duo with Franco in ranked? Franco and Pharsa is the safest duo because Pharsa can follow up from long range. For aggressive, early-game duos, Franco and Saber deletes squishy targets before they can react.
Does Franco need a burst teammate or sustained damage? Burst is better. The suppression window is 1.8 seconds. You want the target dead during that window, not slowly melting after it ends. Pharsa, Saber, and Eudora all deliver burst. Karrie is the one exception, and she's only worth picking against tanky comps.
Should Franco roam with his synergy partner or play independently? Mid-game roams are most effective when your synergy partner (Kimmy, Saber) stays within half-map distance. Against enemies who group early, pre-communicate your hook targets. "I hook their mage" before the team fight starts is better than hoping someone reacts in time.
Can Franco work with two tanks in the team? Not effectively. You lose too much damage. Franco handles your CC and frontline. The other four slots should all contribute meaningful damage or mobility.
How do I practice the Franco-Saber timing? Go into classic or versus AI with a friend. Have Saber activate Triple Sweep the instant they hear the hook connect, not when they see the pull animation. The visual delay is about 0.3 seconds. If Saber waits for the visual, you'll lose 0.5 seconds of the suppression window.