Lich

Lich excels when paired with heroes who can capitalize on his area control and disable capabilities. Crystal Maiden provides additional mana regen that doesn't conflict with Lich's Death Charge, while also offering follow-up control with Freezing Field. Warlock benefits from Lich's ability to group enemies, making his Fatal Bonds and Upheaval more effective. Enigma can follow up Lich's Sinister Gaze with Black Hole for devastating combos. Magnus creates powerful initiation opportunities with Reverse Polarity, setting up perfect Chain Frost bounces. Jakiro provides additional area damage that synergizes well with Lich's Frost Blast slow. The key is heroes who can either benefit from grouped enemies or provide additional control that complements Lich's freezing magic.

Lich struggles against heroes who can neutralize his core strengths or exploit his weaknesses. Oracle and Abaddon provide strong dispels that can remove Lich's slows and save allies from Sinister Gaze. Storm Spirit and Queen of Pain have high mobility that makes it difficult to land skillshots and Chain Frost bounces. Juggernaut and Lifestealer with magic immunity can ignore Lich's damage output entirely. Lina and Lion provide burst damage that can eliminate Lich before he can contribute in teamfights. Anti-Mage burns Lich's limited mana pool, preventing him from casting crucial spells. Silencer can steal Lich's intelligence and provide global silence that completely shuts down his spellcasting. The pattern is clear: heroes with strong dispels, high mobility, magic immunity, burst damage, or mana burn all pose serious threats to Lich's effectiveness.

Lich dominates heroes who rely on positioning, lack mobility, or group up frequently. Sniper and Drow Ranger are squishy ranged heroes who can't easily escape Sinister Gaze or Chain Frost. Crystal Maiden and other supports with low mobility are easy targets for Lich's disable and damage. Illusion heroes like Phantom Lancer suffer from Chain Frost's bouncing mechanics and area damage. Channeling heroes such as Witch Doctor (Death Ward) and Enigma (Black Hole) are vulnerable to Sinister Gaze interruption. Heroes that group up in teamfights like Earthshaker, Tidehunter, and other initiators create perfect Chain Frost targets. Melee heroes who need to get close to be effective are slowed by Frost Blast and can be pulled out of position by Sinister Gaze. Lich's ability to control space, provide area damage, and disable key targets makes him a nightmare for these hero types who rely on positioning or lack escape mechanisms.