Lich counters, Lich is one of the most iconic support heroes in Dota 2, known for his ability to disrupt, control, and decimate opponents with his powerful spells. From the devastating bounces of Chain Frost to the slowing effects of Frost Blast and the defensive utility of Frost Shield, Lich can dictate the pace of both lanes and team fights with alarming precision. However, no hero in Dota 2 is without counters, and despite Lich’s strengths, there are many ways to exploit his weaknesses and neutralize his impact on the game. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the best strategies, heroes, items, and tips to effectively counter Lich in Dota 2.s
Understanding Lich – Strengths and Weaknesses
Before diving into specific counters, it’s crucial to break down what makes Lich a strong choice and where his vulnerabilities lie. By understanding his toolkit and limitations, you can formulate a strategy to counteract his presence on the battlefield.
Strengths of Lich
- Lane Dominance: Lich excels in harassing enemy heroes during the laning phase with his spells, ensuring his carry can farm safely.
- Area Denial: His Chain Frost spell can wreak havoc in clustered engagements, forcing enemy teams to spread out.
- Defensive Capabilities: Frost Shield offers additional armor and slows enemy attackers, making it harder to take down Lich’s allies.
Weaknesses of Lich
- Low Health: Lich has a relatively low health pool, making him susceptible to burst damage.
- Reliance on Mana: His powerful abilities are limited by their high mana costs and cooldowns.
- Immobility: Lich lacks mobility, making it easier for agile and evasive heroes to avoid his spells or chase him down.
Heroes That Counter Lich
Some heroes naturally excel at negating Lich’s strengths and exploiting his weaknesses. Here are the best heroes to counter Lich based on categories like burst damage, mobility, and disables.
High Burst Damage Heroes
Burst damage is oneof the most effective ways to deal with Lich due to his low health pool. Heroes with nukes can eliminate him before he becomes a problem in fights.
- Lina: Lina’s Laguna Blade can delete Lich in an instant, and her other spells provide strong lane harassment.
- Zeus: With high magical damage and global reach, Zeus can punish Lich for his low survivability.
- Lion: Lion combines burst damage from Finger of Death with a disabling stun, making him a significant threat to Lich.
Mobility and Evasion Heroes
Agile heroes that can dodge or evade Lich’s abilities have a distinct advantage. These heroes can minimize the impact of Chain Frost and chase him down with ease.
- Slardar: Using Sprint, Slardar can quickly escape Lich’s ultimate while applying armor reduction through Corrosive Haze.
- Lycan: Lycan’s shapeshifted form offers exceptional speed, making it easy to avoid Lich’s slows and chain bounces.
- Outworld Devourer: Outworld Devourer can use Astral Imprisonment to protect himself from Lich’s spells and scales effectively with items that deal with Lich.
Silencers and Disablers
Heroes that can reliably silence or disable Lich stop him from casting his spells, turning him into a non-factor in fights.
- Pugna: Decrepify can prevent Lich from attacking, while Nether Ward punishes his mana-reliant abilities.
- Shadow Demon: With Disruption and the damage amplification of Soul Catcher, Shadow Demon renders Lich ineffective in fights.
- Bane: Bane’s long-duration disables like Fiend’s Grip allow teams to neutralize Lich for extended periods.
Other Effective Counters
Some heroes counter Lich indirectly by disrupting his gameplan or mitigating his spells’ effects.
- Chen: Chen’s ability to control and heal creeps addresses Lich’s attempts to harass or deny farm.
- Pangolier: Pangolier’s mobility from Swashbuckle and immunity during Rolling Thunder make him difficult for Lich to deal with.
General Strategies to Counter Lich
Dominating the Lane Phase
Lich’s laning phase revolves around using his spells to harass and zone out opponents. To counter him:
- Position yourself outside the range of Frost Blast and Frost Shield.
- Play ranged heroes like Drow Ranger to harass him from a safe distance.
- Focus on pulling creeps to disrupt his ability to deny farm with his spells.
Team Fight Tips
In team fights, dealing with Lich requires coordination and a focus on minimizing the impact of Chain Frost.
- Spread Out: Avoid clustering to reduce the number of bounces from Chain Frost.
- Target Priority: Burst Lich down first to prevent him from using his abilities effectively.
- Silences: Use silence-heavy heroes or items like Orchid Malevolence to stop Lich from casting spells.
Effective Itemization Against Lich
Items play a crucial role in countering Lich. Here are the most impactful choices:
- Black King Bar (BKB): Provides immunity against magical damage and disables, including Chain Frost.
- Ghost Scepter: Turn ethereal to evade physical damage and avoid secondary effects of Lich’s spells.
- Lotus Orb: Reflects targeted spells like Frost Blast back at Lich.
How to Counter Lich – A Step-by-Step Guide
- Draft Smartly: Pick burst or silencing heroes that can capitalize on Lich’s vulnerabilities.
- Control the Lane: Outmaneuver Lich by positioning your ranged heroes effectively and taking control of the creep equilibrium.
- Coordinate in Fights: Prioritize positioning to avoid grouping up and communicate to focus Lich early in fights.
- Itemize Wisely: Equip your team with items like BKBs, Force Staffs, or Glimmer Capes to counter Lich’s abilities.
- Exploit Cooldowns: Attack aggressively while Lich’s abilities are on cooldown, as he has limited defensive options.
FAQ – Lich Counters
What are Lich’s biggest weaknesses?
Lich is vulnerable to burst damage, silences, and heroes with high mobility due to his low health and limited escape mechanisms.
Does mobility help in countering Lich?
Yes, mobility allows heroes to evade spells like Chain Frost and Frost Blast, reducing Lich’s overall effectiveness.
What are the best items against Lich?
Black King Bar, Ghost Scepter, and Lotus Orb are highly effective against Lich’s abilities and damage output.
Which supports counter Lich in the laning phase?
Heroes like Oracle and Shadow Demon can mitigate Lich’s harass and offset his mana control using their defensive abilities.
What core heroes counter Lich?
Cores like Lycan, Slardar, and Pangolier can outmaneuver Lich and dominate him in fights.
How do you counter Lich’s Frost Shield?
Frost Shield can be countered by heroes with Pure damage or spell immunity, as the slow effects don’t apply to immune heroes.
Does Lich struggle against split-push strategies?
Yes, Lich lacks mobility and thus struggles against split-pushing heroes like Nature’s Prophet or Broodmother.
How does teamwork negate Lich’s Chain Frost?
By spreading out and focusing on Lich first, teams can minimize Chain Frost’s impact in fights.
Is Lich viable in the current meta?
Lich is a strong situational pick, but he can be countered effectively with the right heroes and strategies.
Can position 4 supports counter Lich?
Yes, aggressive position 4 supports like Tusk or Earth Spirit can punish Lich’s low mobility and survivability.
Source : Rizpol
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