Lich Counters & Build

Anti-Mage 2,648 matches

−2.2%

WhyAnti-Mage establishes an advantage early in the lane, relying on Counterspell's passive magic resistance to shrug off Lich's magical nukes while actively reflecting targeted spells like Frost Blast and Sinister Gaze. With Blink, Anti-Mage easily closes the distance to burn through Lich's mana with Mana Break, setting up Lich and surrounding allies for devastating damage from Mana Void.

Clinkz 1,177 matches

−1.7%

WhyClinkz secures an early advantage in lane and mitigates Lich's magic burst by boosting his survivability with Death Pact. Skeleton Archers summoned via Skeleton Walk and Burning Army naturally soak and scatter Lich's Chain Frost bounces. Furthermore, Clinkz can ambush Lich from Skeleton Walk, quickly overwhelming him with Strafe, Searing Arrows, and armor-piercing damage from Infernal Shred.

Timbersaw 1,233 matches

−1.7%

WhyTimbersaw loses the laning phase to Lich because heavy magical poke from Frost Blast bypasses the physical armor granted by Reactive Armor. However, Timbersaw likely takes over later in the match since his entirely spell-based burst damage completely ignores the attack damage reduction of Frost Shield. Timber Chain also provides the mobility needed to quickly jump the fragile Lich or reposition away from dangerous Chain Frost bounces.

Pudge 8,438 matches

−1.7%

WhyWhile the lane is roughly even, Pudge gains an advantage outside of the laning stage because Meat Hook can interrupt Lich's channeled Sinister Gaze and pull him out of position into a lockdown from Dismember. Furthermore, Meat Shield absorbs Lich's burst damage from Frost Blast and Chain Frost, while Flesh Heap scales Pudge's durability to endure Lich's magical offense.

Slark 2,894 matches

−1.7%

WhySlark's Dark Pact provides a strong dispel that cleanses the movement slows and disables from Frost Blast and Sinister Gaze, negating Lich's primary ways to peel for himself. Slark can easily close the distance with Pounce to leash Lich and rapidly drain his attributes with Essence Shift, while Shadow Dance allows him to remain untargetable during skirmishes.

Terrorblade 726 matches

+1.8%

WhyLich gains an early advantage in lane by using Frost Blast to harass Terrorblade and slow his attack and movement speed. Throughout the game, Terrorblade's reliance on Conjure Image illusions makes him highly vulnerable to Chain Frost, which repeatedly bounces and amplifies damage between the clustered units. Additionally, Frost Shield mitigates incoming attack damage from Terrorblade's Metamorphosis, while Sinister Gaze disables him to interrupt combat flow and prevent reactive Sunder casts.

Tiny 1,374 matches

+1.6%

WhyLich establishes an early advantage in lane by continuously harassing and slowing the melee Tiny with Frost Blast. Later in the game, Frost Shield severely mitigates Tiny's physical burst from Tree Grab by reducing attack damage and applying a pulsing slow to keep him kited. Furthermore, Sinister Gaze locks Tiny down to disrupt his positioning, while Ice Spire ensures Chain Frost always has a nearby bounce target when Tiny engages.

Necrophos 4,071 matches

+1.6%

WhyWhile the laning stage is roughly even, Lich counters Necrophos in team fights because Ghost Shroud causes Necrophos to take amplified magic damage, leaving him heavily vulnerable to Frost Blast and Chain Frost. Additionally, Sinister Gaze can disable Necrophos and drain his mana pool, preventing him from sustaining himself with Death Pulse in close-quarters combat.

Chaos Knight 693 matches

+1.4%

WhyLich secures an early advantage in lane and heavily counters Chaos Knight's physical burst in teamfights. Frost Shield blunts incoming attacks and slows Chaos Knight when he closes the distance with Reality Rift, while Phantasm illusions provide clustered bounce targets that allow Chain Frost to ramp up its damage and shred his fragile copies.

Ogre Magi 3,904 matches

+1.4%

WhyLich's advantage begins early in the lane, where his ranged advantage combined with Frost Blast and Frost Shield cripples melee Ogre Magi's movement and attack damage output. Sinister Gaze heavily disrupts Ogre by draining a percentage of his mana pool and pulling him out of position, while Chain Frost punishes him whenever he attempts to frontline near his allies.