Highlighted Hero Discussion of this Week: Lich (30 December 2014)
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.
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Roles: Support, Lane Support, 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
Missile Speed: 900
Base Attack Time: 1.7
Sight Range: 1800 (Day) / 800 (Night)
Turn Rate: 0.5
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Spells
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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 area damage around the target. Slows move speed of enemies effected by 30% and attack speed by 20% |
| 2 | 150 | 8 | 600 | 200 | 4 (slow) | Deals 100 target damage, 100 area damage around the target. Slows move speed of targets effected by 30% and attack speed by 20% |
| 3 | 170 | 8 | 600 | 200 | 4 (slow) | Deals 150 target damage, 125 area damage around the target. Slows move speed of targets effected by 30% and attack speed by 20% |
| 4 | 190 | 8 | 600 | 200 | 4 (slow) | Deals 200 target damage, 150 area damage around the target. Slows move speed of targets effected by 30% and attack speed by 20% |
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Magical Damage
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The area damage is dealt before the primary damage
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The primary target takes the primary damage and the area damage, resulting in 125/200/275/350 damage (before reductions)
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 or building, which adds armor and slows attacking 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 or building has their move speed slowed by 30% and attack speed by 20% |
| 2 | 50 | 5 | 800 | N/A | 40 | Buffs a friendly target with 5 armour. Anyone attacking a buffed unit or building has their move speed slowed by 30% and attack speed by 20% |
| 3 | 50 | 5 | 800 | N/A | 40 | Buffs a friendly target with 7 armour. Anyone attacking a buffed unit or building has their move speed slowed by 30% and attack speed by 20% |
| 4 | 50 | 5 | 800 | N/A | 40 | Buffs a friendly target with 9 armour. Anyone attacking a buffed unit or building has their move speed slowed by 30% and attack speed by 20% |
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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 Armour Debuff
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Can be cast on any allied unit, except for invulnerable allies and allied wards
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 hit points into mana for Lich. Grants XP to both enemies and allies.
| 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 |
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Does not deny enemy heroes experience
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Despite the visual effects, Lich instantly gains the mana from this spell
It was not unheard of Ethreain to make examples out of those who contested his rule during his human life.
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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 | 120 | 750 (850*) | N/A | 4 (slow) | Sends out an orb of frost which bounces 10 (infinite* ) times and deals 280 (370*) damage per bounce as well as slowing targets that are bounced on by 30% movespeed and 20% attackspeed |
| 2 | 325 | 90 | 750 (850*) | N/A | 4 (slow) | Sends out an orb of frost which bounces 10 (infinite* ) times and deals 370 (460*) damage per bounce as well 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 (infinite* ) times and deals 460 (550*) damage per bounce as well 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 via Scetpre, (*) denotes the upgraded effects
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Chain Frost travels at a speed of 675 and cannot be disjointed
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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 for 0.1 seconds
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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
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The slow lasts for 4 seconds
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 6.83
- Chain Frost cooldown from 145/115/60 to 120/90/60
Recent Changes from 6.82/6.82b/6.82c
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Ice Armor now slows ranged heroes for the full amount (instead of half)
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Ice Armor can now be cast on spell immune allies
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Tips:
Don't forget to cast your Frost Armour whenever you can, it's useful at any point in the game.
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Previous Lich discussion
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Good Beastmaster tip from last thread by Roxas146:
"After you roar at someone, summon your boar and throw the axes. There are two choices when it comes to a boar target: the roar target or the squishy supports. I think that slowing the squishy supports and doing some decent damage to them is a bit more valuable, since it prevents them from committing to intervene against your team killing their carry."
"When it comes to the laning stage, use your boar to stack a hard camp or ancients to farm later, and also use your hawk to scout for runes and get rune control."
Posted Dec 30, 2014, 7:13 PM UTC