Dota 2 - Lich Build Guide

BIO

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.

INTRODUCTION
Lich is a hard support hero that can support his team very well. Denying is his specialty. He have a skill that eats his own creeps for mana. This will make enemy to loss 1 creep per wave. 1 creeps is about 40 gold and  about 60 exp. He will lost about 1000 gold potential in first 10 minute of the game, and will also loss 600 exp potential, 600 exp = about 1 level. He is also a decent nuker, he have  a decent slowing nuke and a deathlt ultimate: a bouncing ice ball.
He also have an ability to increase armor of a hero. +Armor will make a hero more tanky. Lich, one of the best support in DotA.

ROLE

Ranged - Support - Lane Support - Nuker

STATS

LEVEL	1	15	25
HIT POINTS	492	904	1,579	SIGHT RANGE	1800 / 800
MANA	234	826	1,508	ATTACK RANGE	xxx
DAMAGE	42-51	88-97	140-149	MISSILE SPEED	N/A
ARMOR	1	5	9

ABILITIES
1. 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.

MANA COST: 125/150/170/190	COOLDOWN: 8
ABILITY: UNIT TARGET	AFFECTS: ENEMY UNITS
DAMAGE: MAGICAL	DAMAGE: 50 / 100 / 150 / 200
AREA DAMAGE: 75 / 100 / 125 / 150	RADIUS: 200 / 200 / 200 / 200
MOVEMENT SLOW: 30% / 30% / 30% / 30%	ATTACK SLOW: 20% / 20% / 20% / 20%

Frost-mage Ethreain has not forgotten even the simplest of ice manipulation.
This is your main skill for early game, you need this to get firstblood, to harass, or to helps you last hitting.
You should maxed this skill first. Use this skill in ganking and makes your team can attack enemy easily while they are being slowed.

2. Ice Armor

Creates a shield around the target friendly unit, which adds armor and slows attacking melee units. Lasts 40 seconds.

MANA COST: 50/50/50/50	COOLDOWN: 5
ABILITY: AUTO-CAST, UNIT TARGET	AFFECTS: ALLIED UNITS
ARMOR BONUS: 3 / 5 / 7 / 9	SLOW DURATION: 2 / 2 / 2 / 2
MOVEMENT SLOW: 30% / 30% / 30% / 30%	ATTACK SLOW: 20% / 20% / 20% / 20%

Originally crafted during his ambush for self-defense, the Lich is capable of enchanting others with a formidable defense of frost magic.
Increase the armor of a single target and makes the enemy whose attacking the target to be slowed. This makes a hero affected by ice armor to become more tanky, and can receive more damage. Also useful for early Roshan, usually, Syllabear's bear is the one that using this for early Roshan.
Useful for your carry's defense, increase their defense and helps them to survive and keep damaging enemies.

3. Sacrifice

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

MANA COST: 25/25/25/25	COOLDOWN: 35/30/25/20
ABILITY: UNIT TARGET	AFFECTS: ALLIES
HEALTH CONVERSION: 15% / 30% / 45% / 60%

It was not unheard of Ethreain to make examples out of those who contested his rule during his human life.
Eats your own creep for mana. This is useful for denying your creeps on early game. You need this to cut off enemy' sgold and experiences. This will also makes you can spam your nukes.

4. Chain Frost

Releases an orb of frost that bounces up to 7 times, slowing and damaging enemy units. The first target is mini-stunned. Upgradable by Aghanim's Scepter.

MANA COST: 200/325/500	COOLDOWN: 145/115/60
ABILITY: UNIT TARGET	AFFECTS: ENEMY UNITS
DAMAGE: MAGICAL	JUMPS: 7 / 7 / 7
SLOW DURATION: 4 / 4 / 4	MOVEMENT SLOW: 30% / 30% / 30%
ATTACK SLOW: 20% / 20% / 20%	JUMP RANGE: 575 / 575 / 575
DAMAGE: 280 / 370 / 460	SCEPTER DAMAGE: 370 / 460 / 550
SCEPTER CAST RANGE: 850 / 850 / 850

Almost universally considered the ultimate in frost magic, Ethreain's orb of frozen death strikes fear into those who dare stand against him.
Your main skill for the teamfights. With this you can deal lots of damage to enemies in teamfights. You will maybe kill or at least damaging enemies a lot. 2 opponent is what makes this skill reach it's maximum potential because it will bounce between these 2 units. Can jumps on Roshan too.

SKILLBUILD

Level 1: Sacrifice
Level 2: Frost Blast
Level 3: Sacrifice
Level 4: Frost Blast
Level 5: Frost Blast
Level 6: Chain Frost
Level 7: Frost Blast
Level 8: Sacrifice
Level 9 : Sacrifice
Level 10: Ice Armor
Level 11: Chain Frost
Level 12: Ice Armor
Level 13: Ice Armor
Level 14: Ice Armor
Level 15: Stats
Level 16: Chain Frost
Level 17-25: Stats

Take Sacrifice for level 1 for early denying. This will hamper your enemy's gold and exp by a bit.
Take Frost Blast for level 1 if you & your friends want to get firstblood before the game start.
Take Frost armor for level 1 if you want to Roshing before the game start. Use frost armor on Sylla's bear.

Why maxed Frost Blast first? This is your main nuke. Max this early for maximum damage on early game.

Why maxed Sacrifice before Ice Armor? Sacrifice is needed for early-mid game to replenish mana to spam your nukes. And ice armor is more important in late game where armor determine the course of the teamfight.

STRATEGY
Early Game
In early game you have 3 choices.
1. You increase your denying skill Sacrifice, and use this to reduce your opponents chance to get golds and exp.
2. You increase Frost Blast first, this is the mainstream way, you will be a powerful nuker that enemy is feared of.
3. Increased Ice Armor. This method is good for early Roshan where the tanker, usually Bear of Syllabear, will become more tanky because of the Ice Armor. Also, Roshan's attack will be slowed by 20%. Very good for early Roshing.
Denying is your priority on early game, you are a support type. Except if you're on mid and solo. In mid, you should do last hitting, you have a long range attack, should be easy for you in laning phase, you can harass the enemy,  harass them and steal the creeps. You are a decent solomid hero, you have a slower nuke, and a good denying skill.
Use Frost Blast on your enemy to harass them, if your mana is running low, immediately use Sacrifice and get more mana.

Mid Game
In mid game, your part is to use Chain Frost on every big teamfight. You should also keep spamming your main nuke, Frost Blast to kock down the enemies. remember that Frost Blast is also a decent slowing skill. With this skill you can chase enemy and make him cannot escape from you and your friends.
Denying become less important on mid-late game, the most important is to keep killing enemy heroes and destroy their towers after winning  a teamfight.

Late Game
In late game, keep using Chain Frost on each temfight. Chain Frost damage will damaging your foe's until they are agony or death. Chain Frost is a very powerful nuke. A bouncing ball that will knock down all the enemies.
Usually Lich will buy supportive items like Mekansm or Pipe. These items are good for your team and keep teams alive. You can also buy Force Staff or Sheepstick and use that to initiate and hex someone.

ITEMS BUILD
1. Power Threads
Total cost: 1400
Recipe: Gloves of Haste, Boots of Speed, Belt og Giant Strength/ Robe of Magi/ Band of Elvenskin

Active: Switch Attribute - Changes selected attribute between Strength, Agility and Intelligence. Flat movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack. + 55 Movement Speed + 8 Selected Attribute   + 30 Attack Speed

Why Power Threads? IPower threads is a flexible shoes, you can change it to STR, AGI, or INT for what you need. STR for Survivability. INT for mana and damage, and agility for armor and attack speed.

2. Mekansm
Total cost: 2306
Recipe: Headress + Buckler + Recipe

Active: Restore - Heals 250 HP and gives +2 armor in an area. Passive: Mekansm Aura - Bonus HP Regen in an area. Multiple instances of Mekansm Aura do not stack + 5 All Attributes + 5 Armor BONUS HP REGEN: 4 Mana:150   Cooldown:45

Why Mekansm? Heal for all allies in AoE, is a must for teamfights.

3. Pipe of Insight
Total cost: 3628
Recipe: Hood of Defiance + Headress + Recipe

Active: Barrier - Gives nearby friendly units a shield that blocks 400 spell damage. Multiple instances of spell resistance from items do not stack. + 11 HP Regeneration + 30% Spell Resistance Manacost: 100   Cooldown: 60

Why Pipe of Insight? Gives barrier for all allies in AoE that Block 400 spell damage, very useful.

4. Aghanim Scepter

Passive: Ultimate Upgrade - Upgrades the ultimates of certain heroes. + 10 All Attributes   + 200 Health   + 150 Mana

Why Aghanim's Scepter? Make an initiator more stronger because your ultimate skill damage will increase.  Increase the chance of winning a teamfight.

5.  Schyte of Vyse
Total cost: 5675
Recipe: Mystic Staff + Ultimate Orb + Void Stone

Active: Hex - Turns a target unit into a harmless critter for 3.5 seconds. Destroys illusions. + 10 Strength   + 10 Agility  + 35 Intelligence + 150% Mana Regeneration Manacost: 100   Cooldown: 35

Why Schyte of Vyse? Very good item to initiate a teamfight. or to defend against somebody.

6. Shivs's Guard
Total cost: 4700
Recipe: Plate Mail + Mystic Staff + Recipe

Active: Arctic Blast - Emits a freezing wave that does 200 damage to enemies and slows their movement by -40% for 4.0 seconds. Passive: Freezing Aura - Reduces attack speed on enemies. Multiple instances of Freezing Aura do not stack. + 30 Intelligence   + 15 Armor AURA SLOW: 25% Manacost: 100   Cooldown:   30

Why Shiva's? Gives you an Arctic Blast (More Slow and 200 damage) and gives you a slowing aura, and also gives you +15 armor which makes you tankier.

GOOD ALLIES

1. Put Togather Enemies to a Spot

Makes your ultimate to bounce more and become a deathly nuke.

Example: Enigma, Dark Seer, Axe.

Enigma: His blackhole will sucks the enemies and make it to gather in one place. And that's the right time to cast Chain Frost and make it bouncing.
DarkSeer: Vacuum will sucks the enemies and make it to gather in one place. And that's the right time to cast Chain Frost and make it bouncing. Also have Ion Shell that deals DPS
Axe: His Berserker's Call will sucks the enemies and make it to gather in one place. And that's the right time to cast Chain Frost and make it bouncing.

2. Carries
(Example: Magine, Void, Luna)

Carries should come after you initiate a teamfight, and they should the right click and use all their skills to the enemies.

BAD ENEMIES
1. Magina

Can burn your mana and kill you with his nuke and make you die quickly.

2. Pipe of Insight
Total cost: 3628
Recipe: Hood of Defiance + Headress + Recipe

Active: Barrier - Gives nearby friendly units a shield that blocks 400 spell damage. Multiple instances of spell resistance from items do not stack. + 11 HP Regeneration + 30% Spell Resistance Manacost: 100   Cooldown: 60

Why Pipe of Insight? Gives barrier for all enemies in AoE that Block 400 spell damage, very bad because it will reduce your skill's damage.

VIDEO SECTION
1. Dota 2 With Alan: Lich

Alan isa good Dota 2 player and he makes this nice video on YouTube, good reference to watch.

2. Lich Guide

This guide shows you how to play Dota using Lich. Good to watch.

FANART Here I will collect some cool picture of Lich, enjoy the pics. Right click, open link in New Tab to enlarge