r/DotA2•12 yr. ago

Hero Discussion of this Day: Lich (20 November 2013)

Discussion

Ethreain, the Lich

Those who disturb my peace shall be left in pieces.

The mighty Lich is one of the best heroes at controlling a lane, thanks to his Frost Blast and Sacrifice spells. Frost Blast is a strong nuke that slows its target, which gives the Lich a good harassment tool. Repeatedly casting Frost Blast and harassing with physical attacks is a surefire way to quickly bring an enemy hero to his knees. However, Frost Blast becomes even more dangerous when coupled with Sacrifice. 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 Blast, and hinders his enemies by denying them any gold they would have gained from the destroyed creep. By using Frost Blast and Sacrifice 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 Ice 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.

Roles: Support, Lane Support, Nuker

Strength: 18 + 1.55

Agility: 15 + 2

Intelligence: 18 + 3.25

Damage: 42-51

Armour: 1.1

Movement Speed: 315

Attack Range: 550

Missile Speed: 900

Base Attack Time: 1.7

Sight Range: 1800 (Day) / 800 (Night)

Turn Rate: 0.5

Spells

Frost Blast

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%

Magical Damage
The target you cast Frost Blast 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.

Ice Armour

Creates a shield around the target friendly unit, which adds armour 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% (melee) or 15% (ranged) movespeed and 20% (melee) or 10% (ranged) attackspeed
2	50	5	800	N/A	40	Buffs a friendly target with 5 armour. Anyone attacking a buffed unit gets slows for 30% (melee) or 15% (ranged) movespeed and 20% (melee) or 10% (ranged) attackspeed
3	50	5	800	N/A	40	Buffs a friendly target with 7 armour. Anyone attacking a buffed unit gets slows for 30% (melee) or 15% (ranged) movespeed and 20% (melee) or 10% (ranged) attackspeed
4	50	5	800	N/A	40	Buffs a friendly target with 9 armour. Anyone attacking a buffed unit gets slows for 30% (melee) or 15% (ranged) movespeed and 20% (melee) or 10% (ranged) attackspeed

If autocast is activated, Lich will cast this spell on nearby allied heroes who are attacked
Allied units can be affected by the Ice Armour Debuff
Ice Armour has half slow against ranged heroes (15% MS/10% AS)
Ice Armour slow now stacks with the slow from Frost Nova

Originally crafted during his ambush for self-defence, the Lich is capable of enchanting others with a formidable defense of frost magic.

Sacrifice

Sacrifices a friendly creep and converts its current HP into mana for Lich.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	25	44	400	N/A	N/A	Kills an allied creep, converting 25% of the current HP of the creep to mana
2	25	36	400	N/A	N/A	Kills an allied creep, converting 40% of the current HP of the creep to mana
3	25	28	400	N/A	N/A	Kills an allied creep, converting 55% of the current HP of the creep to mana
4	25	20	400	N/A	N/A	Kills an allied creep, converting 70% of the current HP of the creep to mana

Does not deny enemy heroes experience.
Sacrificed creeps are turned to XP shared in AoE as normal creep XP bounty

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 10 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 10 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 10 times and deals 460 (550*) damage per bounce aswell as slowing targets that are bounced on by 30% movespeed and 20% attackspeed

Magical Damage
This ultimate can be upgraded by Sceptre, * shows the Sceptre upgraded effects
The orb will bounce to a unit if there is a unit in a 575 radius around the last target it hit
There is a 0.2 second delay between bounces
Chain Frost will ministun the first unit it is cast on
Chain Frost can be cast on magic immune units
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.

Recent Changes from 6.79

Frost Armor has half effect against ranged heroes.
Frost Armour slow now stacks with the slow from Frost Nova
Sacrifice cooldown increased from 35/30/25/20 to 44/36/28/20
Sacrifice mana gain increased from 15/30/45/60% to 25/40/55/70%
Sacrifice no longer denies enemy XP
Sacrifice now converts your own creep for XP (shared in AoE as normal creep xp bounty)

Recent Changes from 6.78/6.78b/6.78c

Chain Frost bounce count increased from 7 to 10

Tips:

Don't forget to cast Ice Armour on your allies when it's available.

The previous Lich discussion.

If you guys want a specific hero to be discussed next, please feel free to post or message me. Request list

Posts are every two days now, again.

Important Outworld Devourer tip of last thread by MrTheodore:

"DO use astral imprisonment liberally during the laning phase to deny the enemy exp and gold or to ensure your last hits"

Posted Nov 20, 2013, 4:53 PM UTC · edited

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