Hero Discussion of this Day: Lich (4 November 2012)
Ethreain, the Lich
The mighty Lich is one of the best heroes at controlling a lane, thanks to his Frost Nova and Dark Ritual spells. Frost Nova is a strong nuke that slows its target, which gives the Lich a good harassment tool. Repeatedly casting Frost Nova and harassing with physical attacks is a surefire way to quickly bring an enemy hero to his knees. However, Frost Nova becomes even more dangerous when coupled with Dark Ritual. This spell allows the Lich to destroy an allied creep and gain mana based on its life. Using this spell helps the Lich by giving him limitless mana for Frost Nova, and hinders his enemies by denying them any experience or gold they would have gained from the destroyed creep. By using Frost Nova and Dark Ritual liberally, the Lich can quickly force any opponent to retreat from his lane. Later in the game the Lich tends to focus on a support role, using his Frost Armour spell to buff the survivability of his allies, and his devastating Chain Frost to blast his foes in team battles.
Lore
In life, the frost-mage Ethreain (not yet a Lich) had used the threat of destructive ice to enslave entire kingdoms. His subjects, aided by a few desperate magicians, eventually grew bold enough to ambush him. Armed with enough charmed rope to bind him forever, they tied the frost mage to adamant weights and dropped him in a pool known chiefly for being bottomless. It wasn't. He only fell for a year or so before an outcrop snagged him. There he rested, dead but undecaying, until the geomancer Anhil thought to verify the legend of the supposedly bottomless Black Pool. Anhil's plumbline snarled with the ropes that bound the drowned magician, and up he hauled an unexpected prize. Thinking that by rendering the dead undead, he could question the Lich about the properties of the pool, he removed the bindings and commenced a simple rite of resurrection. Even the descendants of Ethreain's enemies were long forgotten by time, so there were none to warn Anhil against imprudence. But he learned the error of his judgment almost immediately, as Lich threw off the shackles and consumed him.
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Roles: Support, Lane Support/Babysitter, Nuker
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Strength: 18 + 1.55
Agility: 15 + 2
Intelligence: 18 +3.25
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Damage: 42-51
Armour: 1.1
Movement Speed: 315
Attack Range: 550
Base Attack Time: 1.7
Missile Speed: 900
Sight Range: 1800 (Day) / 800 (Night)
Turn Rate: 0.5
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Spells
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Frost Nova
Blasts the target enemy unit with damaging frost, dealing area damage and slowing movement and attack rates for 4 seconds. The primary target takes the most damage.
| Level | Manacost | Cooldown | Casting Range | Area | Duration | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 125 | 8 | 600 | 200 | 4 (slow) | Deals 50 target damage, 75 aoe damage around the target. Slows movespeed of enemies effected by 30% and attackspeed by 20% |
| 2 | 150 | 8 | 600 | 200 | 4 (slow) | Deals 100 target damage, 100 aoe damage around the target. Slows movespeed of targets effected by 30% and attackspeed by 20% |
| 3 | 170 | 8 | 600 | 200 | 4 (slow) | Deals 150 target damage, 125 aoe damage around the target. Slows movespeed of targets effected by 30% and attackspeed by 20% |
| 4 | 190 | 8 | 600 | 200 | 4 (slow) | Deals 200 target damage, 150 aoe damage around the target. Slows movespeed of targets effected by 30% and attackspeed by 20% |
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Magical Damage
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The target you cast Frost Nova on takes the "target damage" aswell as the "aoe damage". So at level 1, the initial target would be taking 125 damage, level 2, 200 damage (and so on)
Frost-mage Ethreain has not forgotten even the simplest of ice manipulation.
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Ice Armour
Creates a shield around the target friendly unit, which adds armor and slows attacking melee units. Lasts 40 seconds.
| Level | Manacost | Cooldown | Casting Range | Area | Duration | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 | 5 | 800 | N/A | 40 | Buffs a friendly target with 3 armour. Anyone attacking a buffed unit gets slows for 30% movespeed and 20% attackspeed |
| 2 | 50 | 5 | 800 | N/A | 40 | Buffs a friendly target with 5 armour. Anyone attacking a buffed unit gets slows for 30% movespeed and 20% attackspeed |
| 3 | 50 | 5 | 800 | N/A | 40 | Buffs a friendly target with 7 armour. Anyone attacking a buffed unit gets slows for 30% movespeed and 20% attackspeed |
| 4 | 50 | 5 | 800 | N/A | 40 | Buffs a friendly target with 9 armour. Anyone attacking a buffed unit gets slows for 30% movespeed and 20% attackspeed |
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If autocast is activated, Lich will cast this spell on nearby allied heroes who are attacked
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Allied units can be affected by the Ice Armor Debuff
Originally crafted during his ambush for self-defence, the Lich is capable of enchanting others with a formidable defense of frost magic.
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Sacrifice
Sacrifices a friendly creep and converts its current HP into mana for Lich.
| Level | Manacost | Cooldown | Casting Range | Area | Duration | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | 35 | 400 | N/A | N/A | Kills an allied creep, converting 15% of the current HP of the creep to mana |
| 2 | 25 | 30 | 400 | N/A | N/A | Kills an allied creep, converting 30% of the current HP of the creep to mana |
| 3 | 25 | 25 | 400 | N/A | N/A | Kills an allied creep, converting 45% of the current HP of the creep to mana |
| 4 | 25 | 20 | 400 | N/A | N/A | Kills an allied creep, converting 60% of the current HP of the creep to mana |
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Enemy heroes get no experience from creeps killed with Sacrifice
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The creeps that are killed do not count as denies (so therefore won't add a count to your denies and won't dispel Axe's Battle Hunger)
It was not unheard of Ethreain to make examples out of those who contested his rule during his human life.
==
Chain Frost
Ultimate
Releases an orb of frost that bounces up to 7 times, slowing and damaging enemy units. The first target is mini-stunned.
| Level | Mana Cost | Cooldown | Casting Range | Area | Duration | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 | 145 | 750 (850*) | N/A | 4 (slow) | Sends out an orb of frost which bounces 7 times and deals 280 (370*) damage per bounce aswell as slowing targets that are bounced on by 30% movespeed and 20% attackspeed |
| 2 | 325 | 115 | 750 (850*) | N/A | 4 (slow) | Sends out an orb of frost which bounces 7 times and deals 370 (460*) damage per bounce aswell as slowing targets that are bounced on by 30% movespeed and 20% attackspeed |
| 3 | 500 | 60 | 750 (850*) | N/A | 4 (slow) | Sends out an orb of frost which bounces 7 times and deals 460 (550*) damage per bounce aswell as slowing targets that are bounced on by 30% movespeed and 20% attackspeed |
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Magical Damage
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This ultimate can be upgraded by Sceptre, * shows the Sceptre upgraded effects
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The orb will bounce to a unit if there is a unit in a 575 radius around the last target it hit
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There is a 0.2 second delay between bounces
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Chain Frost will ministun the first unit it is cast on
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Chain Frost can be cast on magic immune units
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Chain Frost's ministun on the first target will go through magic immunity and it can still bounce on and from magic immune units, but they will not be damaged
Almost universally considered the ultimate in frost magic, Ethreain's orb of frozen death strikes fear into those who dare stand against him.
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Recent Changes from 6.76/6.76b/6.76c
- None
Recent Changes from 6.75/6.75b
- Frost Nova cooldown decreased from 9.25/9.25/9.25/8 to 8
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Findings (not-factual information as above):
I find Lich to be an excellent all rounder support. You really can't go wrong with a Lich pick on your team. You'll probably end up having to support a carry in-lane and if you do, don't steal their farm and push the lane (by either attacking the creeps to get gold frost Frost Nova'ing the lane creeps), but if you don't end up supporting someone in the lane then you still generally shouldn't Nova the lane creeps otherwise it'll push the lane and leave you open to ganks (but you can feel free to last hit when you're not supporting). Frost Nova should be cast on enemy heroes whenever you can and you have the mana, it's even better if they're bunched together for the AOE effect. Coupled with Sacrifice, you can spam Frost Nova. When in-lane, if you want the lane not pushed so much towards your tower and maintain equilibrium, sacrifice a melee creep, if you want the lane to be pushed back towards your tower then sacrifice a ranged creep. Frost armour people when you can and use Chain Frost in every teamfight (if they have a devastating channelling ultimate like Black Hole or Death Ward, it would be wise to save Chain Frost until they start channelling so you can interrupt them).
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AlonsoQ and ItsOppositeDayHere have two interesting posts about Lich's potential + ability at being a good beginner hero pick and his "incredible lane control".
ItsOppositeDay again has an extremely good tip about why you usually shouldn't autocast Frost Armour.
"Lich doesn't lose lanes" - Nickoladze. This is in reference as to why Mouz used to keep on banning him and is generally true.
HiVoltage and Shred_Kid both have some REALLY good advice about Lich in general.
A thread by Whaleye here asked a question about which creeps to EAT, melee or ranged. Wiggle987 answers the general question but the whole discussion still a good read.
Pyrion Flax has a 'guide' to lich, the first part is a joke (if you don't end up watching the whole vid), and don't actually kill steal using Frost Nova unless there is literally no other way to get the kill.
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Important Bane tip of last thread by Crazyphapha "In teamights: enfeeble right-clicker carry, nightmare the guy with the big ult, Fiend Grip the guy you want to focus"
Posted Nov 4, 2012, 5:41 PM UTC · edited