Greetings, fellow adventurers! Librarian Husky here, ready to guide you through the frosty depths of Lich mastery. Whether you’re a seasoned strategist or just venturing into the role of support, I’ve got the knowledge you need to climb the MMR ladder with precision and power. Let’s unlock the secrets of one of Dota 2’s strongest supports and bring some cold, calculated victories to your team!

Why Lich Stands Out

When comparing Lich to other popular position five heroes, like Warlock or Abaddon, Lich is often recommended as a top-tier choice. Especially for lower-ranked players, Lich provides a reliable option with his powerful abilities and utility. His kit has been adjusted frequently, but the buffs have made him one of the best supports to master. We’ll go through each of his strengths, helping you to make the most of this hero in your games.

Lich’s Innate Ability

One of the most unusual aspects of Lich is his innate ability, which prevents him from gaining mana regeneration. Instead, he gains 2.5% of his maximum mana whenever a creep or neutral unit dies near him, such as a creep denied or an Enigma Eidolon. Lich thrives in matchups against unit-heavy heroes due to this mechanic. Additionally, when a hero dies, Lich gains 15% of his mana, allowing him to maintain a high level of spell usage during the game.

Challenges with Mana Management

While Lich’s ability to gain mana from unit and hero deaths is strong, it also creates challenges. Items like Clarities, which are commonly used for mana regeneration, are less effective on him due to his passive. This forces Lich players to manage their resources more carefully, relying on his unique mechanics to stay effective in fights. Understanding this mechanic is crucial for mastering Lich and overcoming the limitations posed by his passive.

Managing Early Game Items and Laning

Sage’s Mask and Ring of Basilius do not work for Lich, so you need to be aware of this limitation in the early game. During the laning phase, take advantage of Frost Blast’s 30 attack speed slow, which has only a 7-second cooldown. This allows you to catch opponents off guard and nuke them twice before they can retaliate. Trade with opponents during the slow and kite out as it ends, using the small window for consistent trading.

Starting Items for Lich

Lich’s starting items are fairly standard, but there are some potential changes. Consider replacing a Fairy Fire with a Mango, as it offers more consistent mana recovery. Fairy Fire can help in outplays, but Lich has a tendency to run out of mana quickly. If your lane matchup doesn’t favor a Magic Stick, you can opt for multiple Mangoes to ensure you maintain enough mana for crucial moments, as Clarity and Sage’s Mask won’t help.

Importance of Mana Management

One of the key issues Lich faces is mana management. In fights, Lich’s mana regen won’t kick in quickly enough, which is why Magic Stick or Mangoes are essential in maintaining his ability to cast spells. In lanes like Bristleback, Magic Stick is a must-have, but against heroes like Rubick, you might consider alternative item choices to adapt to the game’s pace.

Securing Kills in Lane

As the lane progresses, proper item management and smart trading will eventually lead to kill opportunities. For example, Lich can capitalize on his mana regeneration issues by using Mangoes, allowing him to sustain spell usage and secure kills. In this context, even a tough matchup can be turned around with the right decisions in itemization and gameplay timing.

Effective Lane Strategy

In the laning phase, the primary goal is to nuke enemies as much as possible when they are within attack range. However, don’t use your nukes just for the sake of it. Many players make the mistake of throwing out Lich’s nukes casually. You need to ensure you are also getting in auto-attacks during the attack speed slow from your nukes to maximize damage and efficiency.

Level 2 Skill Build Options

At level two, you have two viable options for your skill build. One choice is to skill Frost Shield, which recently received a buff, giving a 45% barrier for 5 seconds at level one. This ability is incredibly powerful, especially in lanes where your ally has gap-close abilities like Slark, Anti-Mage, Monkey King, Phantom Assassin, or Troll Warlord. Even heroes like Gyrocopter, who can run at enemies, benefit from Frost Shield, allowing them to engage aggressively.

Positional Play in Lane

When your ally is shielded with Frost Shield, it’s essential to play passively and draw attention away from yourself. Focus on making sure the enemy targets the shielded ally, who can absorb more damage. A common mistake is poor positioning, where you take unnecessary hits. Instead, try to reposition to direct enemy attention towards your ally with Frost Shield, minimizing the damage they take and optimizing the shield’s effectiveness.

Item Progression During Laning Phase

During the laning phase, it’s important to continuously buy consumables like Tangoes to maintain lane presence. In this specific scenario, Lich purchases another set of Tangoes to stay sustained in the lane. It’s crucial to keep an eye on your health and mana resources, ensuring you have what you need to continue applying pressure or supporting your carry in lane.

Mana Management with Mangoes

One key point to consider when playing Lich is having a Mango in your inventory. There will often be situations where you run out of mana, and having a Mango can save you in critical moments. Given Lich’s reliance on his spells, keeping a Mango handy ensures you can continue to support your team effectively during fights and skirmishes.

Alternative Level 2 Skill: Sinister Gaze

At level two, an alternative skill choice is Sinister Gaze, which can be especially effective when paired with heroes like Shadow Fiend, who have overwhelming damage at level two. Sinister Gaze can pull enemies into your teammate’s abilities, making it a powerful option in lanes with high kill potential. Moreover, it drains the enemy’s mana and costs only half the mana of Frost Shield, making it an excellent choice when you’re running low on resources.

Utility of Sinister Gaze in Lane

Sinister Gaze also provides utility by dealing 550 damage to large creeps, allowing you to secure creep kills efficiently. If the enemy pulls and the large creep is at half health, you can instantly kill it, preventing the pull from being too effective. This ability not only helps with mana management but also ensures your lane control remains strong.

Using the Gate as Lich

Lich is one of the best gate users in the game, thanks to his two slows and a disable that can pull enemies into your team. It’s crucial to make sure you have enough mana for this play, which can be facilitated by managing your resources well in the lane. Although not every gate play may work perfectly, Lich’s ability to slow and disable makes him a significant threat when coordinating with your team.

Executing the Pull Play with Lich

In this scenario, Sand King showed up without having his stun or Sandstorm ready, making the play look less effective. Additionally, pulling Luna into himself wasn’t ideal, though it happened because he was netted and couldn’t reposition. Ideally, you want to pull the enemy into your team, using Frost Blast to slow them first, followed by Frost Shield on yourself to apply another slow, making it easy to execute the play. Despite the failure in this instance, this is still a powerful play for Lich.

Understanding the Enemy’s Reaction

One interesting tactic showcased here involved using movement to read the enemy’s behavior. As Lich approached mid, he placed a sentry and ward, then used his movement to gauge whether the Rubick had vision of him. By walking around deliberately, Lich observed Rubick’s reaction. If Rubick moved sharply to the right or left in response, it would indicate that Rubick had vision from a ward, allowing Lich to deduce its placement.

Analyzing Movement and Warding

This technique relies on closely observing how the enemy reacts to your positioning. If Rubick made sudden or deliberate movements, it would confirm the presence of a ward. This subtle tactic can help you identify whether the enemy team has vision, enabling you to adjust your gameplay accordingly and remove the ward, giving your team a significant vision advantage in the mid-lane.

Advanced Tactics with Sentry Placement

By combining sentry placement and careful observation of enemy movement, Lich can effectively scout out and de-ward areas, minimizing the enemy’s vision control. While the play may seem simple, using movement to trigger a reaction is an advanced strategy that can provide valuable information without requiring aggressive actions. This level of strategic awareness can greatly benefit your team in controlling key areas of the map.

Assessing Warding and Enemy Movements

Although the initial thought was that Rubick’s movements might indicate the presence of a ward, upon closer observation, it appeared that Rubick’s reactions weren’t very responsive to Lich’s positioning. This could suggest that there wasn’t a ward on the hill after all. Despite this, the idea of testing enemy movements to deduce vision was a clever tactic, even if it didn’t yield the desired result. The play lost its purpose, but the concept behind it was still valuable for strategic decision-making.

Item Decision-Making at Minute 11

By minute 11, it’s important to focus on item choices and decision-making for Lich. One of Lich’s strengths is being able to drain neutral camps efficiently. For example, using his abilities to drain a Hellbear Smasher creep, dealing more than half of its health, then waiting for the nuke to hit both creeps, allows Lich to regenerate mana while clearing the camp. This method is effective for sustaining mana during neutral farming.

Importance of Item Choices

When it comes to neutral item selection for Lich, there are a few considerations. Tranquil Boots are a solid choice, as they eliminate the need for a separate HP regeneration item. Following this, choosing a mana item becomes crucial. Mana items like Null Talisman are particularly useful for Lich, allowing him to sustain his ability usage without running into mana shortages during crucial moments in the game.

Maximizing Efficiency with Tranquils and Mana Items

Taking Tranquil Boots not only covers Lich’s HP regeneration but also allows him to focus on mana sustainability. Items like Null Talisman help address Lich’s consistent need for mana due to his heavy spell usage. This combination ensures that Lich can remain active on the map, clearing camps, assisting teammates, and maintaining pressure during fights without frequently running out of mana.

Maximizing Lich’s Mana Pool

One of the best ways to enhance Lich’s mana efficiency is by focusing on percentage-based mana regeneration. The more mana you have, the more effective your innate ability becomes, as it regenerates a percentage of your maximum mana. Items like Lance of Pursuit, which gives 200 max mana, or Faded Brooch, which significantly increases your mana pool, are excellent choices. However, Ironwood Tree stands out as a personal favorite due to its combination of stats and an expanded mana pool, making Lich’s innate ability even more potent.

Addressing Lich’s Weaknesses

Lich’s biggest flaw is his inability to use Clarities and his lack of natural mana regeneration. This is why carrying two Mangoes during the mid-game is crucial. While Lich can drain large creeps for mana, which restores more than it costs, it’s not always practical during fast-paced fights. Without sufficient mana regeneration, Lich may struggle to cast all his spells even with a fully charged Magic Wand. Having a couple of Mangoes on hand helps solve this issue, ensuring you can always participate effectively in team fights.

Farming Neutrals for Mana

An interesting strategy for Lich is farming neutral creeps to regain mana. By draining large creeps, Lich can recover more mana than it costs, making this a useful tactic during downtime in lane. While it may seem unconventional, draining and auto-attacking these large creeps can keep Lich’s mana sustained, helping him prepare for the next fight. This approach helps offset Lich’s mana problems, but it’s still essential to carry additional items like Mangoes for reliability.

Building Glimmer Cape for Support

In addition to managing his mana, Lich benefits from items like Glimmer Cape, which adds utility and survivability. Glimmer Cape not only helps Lich protect himself and his allies with invisibility but also complements his role as a support. While focusing on items that provide mana and regen is important, adding items like Glimmer Cape ensures Lich can offer more to his team in crucial moments, whether through saving teammates or avoiding enemy focus.

Understanding Lich’s Mana Issues

Lich struggles with significant mana problems, and it’s crucial to address these limitations when playing the hero. In fights, you typically want to lead with your Q ability (Frost Blast), but avoid wasting your E (Sinister Gaze) unless absolutely necessary. If an enemy is already out of position, pulling them with E might be redundant. Instead, focus on maximizing your Q and save E for more strategic use. Lich’s mana issues can hinder his ability to be effective, so managing your spells wisely is key.

Positioning in Fights

When moving forward in a fight, Lich can frontline if you have a fully charged Wand and a stat-neutral item like Fluffy Hat. The Fluffy Hat provides a small but valuable health boost, making Lich more tanky. On the other hand, avoid buying Raindrops since they don’t provide much value due to Lich’s inherent mana regeneration challenges. With his W (Frost Shield) active, Lich can bait enemies, absorbing damage and creating opportunities for your team to engage.

Using Lich’s Ultimate

Lich’s ultimate (Chain Frost) is one of his strongest abilities and a major selling point for picking him. In high-level games, it’s harder to land due to better positioning from opponents, but in average pub games, this ability can be game-changing. Chain Frost punishes enemy teams that clump up, which is common in lower ranks. Similar to Warlock, Lich excels in situations where enemies group up, as his abilities are devastating when multiple targets are hit by Chain Frost.

Why Lich Excels in Lower Ranks

Lich’s power comes from his ability to punish poor positioning, making him one of the best heroes in lower-ranked games. Heroes like Warlock and Lich thrive in environments where enemies are more likely to clump together, allowing them to land powerful, game-turning spells. In these situations, Lich can easily carry team fights with his ultimate, making him an excellent choice for players looking to climb in lower-ranked games.

The Power of Lich’s Ultimate

Even though Lich’s Chain Frost only bounces three times initially, it deals significant damage, amounting to around 750 damage. With each subsequent bounce, the damage increases by 15, so it scales well, especially in longer fights. Chain Frost’s total bounces can reach up to 10, making it a devastating ability when enemies are grouped up, as the damage can really start to add up, punishing bad positioning.

Skill Build Optimization

For the skill build, I prefer maxing out Q (Frost Blast) first to ensure strong early-game fighting potential. After that, maxing out E (Sinister Gaze) allows Lich to farm neutral creeps efficiently since it deals around 1,000 damage to large creeps with an 18-second cooldown. Frost Shield is also incredibly useful at level one because it provides a 45% damage reduction, which is much more impactful than its previous 30%.

Adjusting Frost Shield for Physical Damage

If the enemy team has overwhelming physical damage, like heroes such as Slardar, Riki, or Phantom Assassin, it may be wise to prioritize maxing out Frost Shield (W). At max level, the cooldown drops to 15 seconds, and the shield’s duration extends to eight seconds, making it a strong defensive tool. While maxing Frost Shield isn’t always necessary, in these situations, it scales exceptionally well, providing a high level of protection.

Optimal Itemization for Lich

In terms of items, while Glimmer Cape can be useful, it doesn’t provide max mana, which is crucial for Lich. Instead, Pavise is my preferred item on this hero, as it offers better utility. Pavise not only provides damage block but also helps Lich stay in the fight longer. It’s a great item to complement his abilities, ensuring that Lich can support his team effectively while staying alive in intense engagements.

Importance of Mana Pool and Item Choices

Items like Drums of Endurance are particularly beneficial for Lich because they increase his mana pool. A larger mana pool is crucial for Lich as his innate ability regenerates more mana the bigger his pool is. Having sufficient mana allows Lich to stay active in fights, casting his spells more frequently and sustaining his presence during extended engagements.

Spell Execution and Usage

When Lich’s ultimate is on cooldown, proper execution of his other abilities becomes vital. For example, placing Frost Shield on an ally, like Phantom Assassin (PA), is reasonable. However, it’s important to note that Frost Shield only blocks auto-attack damage and not physical damage from abilities like Bristleback’s quills. It also doesn’t block unit damage from sources such as Beastmaster’s boars, Treant’s summons, or tower attacks. Many players mistakenly believe it offers more comprehensive damage mitigation, but it only protects against direct hero auto-attacks.

Correct Use of Sinister Gaze (E)

Sinister Gaze (E) can be a powerful tool when used strategically, but it should be applied with caution. In certain situations, using it on Bristleback to pull him away from PA may not prevent damage if he is already using abilities that don’t rely on auto-attacks. Understanding when and where to use this ability ensures that Lich’s spells have the maximum impact during a fight, contributing to better overall performance.

Limitations of Frost Shield

One of the key limitations of Frost Shield is its inability to block damage from non-hero sources, such as Eidolons from Enigma or boars from Beastmaster. This can make it less effective in certain situations where you’re facing unit-based damage. Learning to recognize when Frost Shield will be most effective helps Lich players better protect their teammates and control the flow of the fight.

Effectiveness of Lich Against Bristleback

Lich proves to be a strong counter to Bristleback due to his ability to force Bristleback to face his team. Sinister Gaze (E) can be used to pull Bristleback in a way that forces him to turn around, exposing his weaker front to Lich’s team. This tactical use of E can be crucial in team fights, making Lich particularly effective against Bristleback’s tanky back defense.

Maximizing Frost Blast and Talent Choice

At level 10, Lich’s talent choice to increase the radius and damage of Frost Blast is a no-brainer. This talent transforms Frost Blast into a massive area-of-effect nuke, dealing approximately 485 damage on a 7-second cooldown. This makes Lich highly effective at dealing consistent, heavy burst damage in fights and further strengthens his early and mid-game impact.

Clearing Waves with Frost Blast and Frost Shield

One of Lich’s great strengths is his ability to quickly clear waves. Using Q (Frost Blast) and W (Frost Shield) together can efficiently clear creep waves on a low cooldown. This not only helps with pushing lanes but also provides Lich more flexibility in map control. Maxing W is essential for this strategy, allowing Lich to maintain lane equilibrium and apply pressure during the mid-game.

Talent-Enhanced Cast Range of Frost Blast

An interesting and somewhat overlooked benefit of Lich’s level 10 talent is the increase in Frost Blast’s cast range. While it’s not explicitly stated, this hidden benefit allows Lich to cast Frost Blast from a much safer distance, adding more utility to his spellcasting. This extended range makes Lich more versatile, enabling him to cast from afar while staying out of danger in team fights.

Unexpected Talent Effect: Cast Range Increase

The level 10 talent for Lich is often misunderstood. While it states an increase in the “radius” of Frost Blast, it also unexpectedly increases the cast range. This is an essential point to note in the mid-game. With this talent, Frost Blast can be cast from farther away, making it more versatile in team fights. Understanding this hidden benefit can help you position better and increase your overall effectiveness in battle.

Understanding Lich’s Cast Ranges

In the mid-game, it’s important to recognize the varying cast ranges of Lich’s abilities. W (Frost Shield) has the longest cast range at 1100, followed by his ultimate, Chain Frost. If you take the level 10 talent, Frost Blast then surpasses Sinister Gaze (E) in range, making it more useful for initiating fights. Typically, E has a longer range than Q, but with the talent, Frost Blast becomes more powerful in terms of reach.

Leading with Frost Shield in Team Fights

In most team fights, Lich should start by casting Frost Shield. This ability helps determine your positioning—if you’re only in range to cast W, it often means you’re at a safe distance. Once you’ve applied Frost Shield, following up with Frost Blast (Q) can help set up your ultimate or E, depending on the situation. Lich’s spells work together to ensure maximum impact, and managing cast ranges effectively is key to staying safe while contributing to the fight.

Positioning and Spell Combos

Good positioning is crucial for Lich. Leading with Frost Shield on a front-liner, like Phantom Assassin (PA), can set up the rest of your abilities. Following with Frost Blast helps reduce the enemy’s mobility, making it easier for Chain Frost and Sinister Gaze to land effectively. Always consider the cast range of each ability and maintain a safe distance while ensuring your spells are contributing to the team fight.

Recommended Item Build for Lich

When considering Lich’s item build, it’s important to balance utility and mana sustainability. My favorite item progression includes Drums of Endurance, Solar Crest, or Glimmer Cape. The Glimmer Cape is particularly useful after securing a mana item, as it allows you to sneak up on enemies and set up kills. Glimmer Cape works well when combined with Lich’s Shard, giving you additional offensive capabilities.

Ice Spire and Its Impact

Lich’s Shard grants Ice Spire, which has a 15-second duration and a 25-second cooldown, meaning it can be used almost constantly. Ice Spire not only slows enemies but also gives Lich’s ultimate (Chain Frost) another target to bounce off, preventing it from expiring early. This allows Lich to solo kill heroes by ensuring Chain Frost continues to deal damage. In a fight, Ice Spire can greatly enhance your ability to finish off enemies who might otherwise escape.

Sinister Gaze Talent and Late Game Impact

In the late game, choosing the Sinister Gaze duration talent is often more valuable than the Frost Blast cooldown. While Frost Blast is strong, the extra 2.3-second stun from Sinister Gaze can make a significant difference in locking down enemies. The longer duration allows for more control in fights, especially against key enemy heroes. In situations like the one described, using Sinister Gaze to pull in a high-priority target like Luna can be game-changing.

Importance of Cast Range and Psychic Headband

Cast range is a notable limitation for Lich, making items like the Psychic Headband highly valuable if you can get them. The extra cast range allows for safer initiations and more flexibility during team fights. Pairing this with Aether Lens, as suggested in the clip, further enhances Lich’s ability to engage from a distance, making it easier to land key abilities like Sinister Gaze and Chain Frost. Proper positioning and extended range can maximize Lich’s impact in fights.

Executing the Ice Spire Combo

The Ice Spire combo with Sinister Gaze is devastating when executed properly. After casting Sinister Gaze, it’s essential to immediately follow up with Ice Spire, Chain Frost, and Frost Blast (Q). In the example with Luna, who had BKB and other survivability items, this combo still secured a kill. The key is to act quickly and mash your abilities after casting Sinister Gaze, ensuring that all your damage is applied while the enemy is locked down.

Scaling and Chain Frost in Late Game

Lich scales exceptionally well into the late game, particularly with the talents enhancing Chain Frost. Each bounce of Chain Frost deals 550 damage, with 20 more damage per bounce. At level 20, the talent that casts Chain Frost upon death can turn the tide of a fight even when Lich is taken out early. Alternatively, the Frost Shield duration talent can be extremely powerful if the enemy lacks a Nullifier, providing a sustained defense for your team. Both options make Lich a formidable late-game hero, able to provide significant utility and damage.

The Strength of Frost Shield in the Late Game

In the late game, Frost Shield becomes incredibly powerful, providing a 12-second duration with 60% damage block. Many players overlook this talent, opting for the more aggressive talents that deal damage. However, the defensive power of Frost Shield should not be underestimated, especially when combined with the level 25 HP regeneration talent, giving 50 HP regen per second. This provides a real timing window for surviving heavy damage, and it’s a game-changer in long fights.

Chain Frost on Death: Fun and Powerful

The alternative to Frost Shield talents is the level 20 Chain Frost on death talent, which offers a much more aggressive approach. It allows unlimited bounces if the enemy team stays grouped. In the late game, this talent creates the potential for some incredibly fun plays. For example, with Blink Dagger, you can jump into the enemy team, cast Chain Frost, die, and spawn another Chain Frost. This combo can lead to massive damage and even game-ending Rampages in the right scenarios.

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