Dota 2: Patch 7.24 Meta Hero Spotlight – Lich

Lich is a hotly contested meta pick in Dota 2 despite the recent nerfs.

Despite the fact that Dota 2’s newest patch has been out for just a few weeks, we already have a good idea about which heroes are going to be the most contested ones.

So far, the only important pro games we’ve seen were the Los Angles Major Qualifiers. However, they were more than enough to get a taste of the current meta and see which heroes are the hottest right now.

After we’ve covered Slardar and Snapfire, so it is now time focus on another meta support – Lich.

Changes in the new patch

Lich is one of the few hot heroes right now that received three nerfs in the new patch. Regardless of that, he still continues to be the go-to pick for most teams, which is a clear sign that he is still very powerful.

Patch 7.24 was not kind at all because it did three things to Lich:

• Reduced his base damage by 2
• Increased the mana cost of Frost Blast by 10 on all levels
• Reduced the duration of Sinister Gaze by 0.2 seconds

Usually, these changes are more than enough to declare a hero as “dead”, especially in the pro scene. However, it seems like the amazing utility and lane presence from this hero is just too good to pass on.

How does Lich work?

Prior to the big changes to Lich, he used to be the best support when you just want to win a lane. Thanks to his skill that basically denied a creep for mana, he was able to dominate the laning stage. However, the problem back then was that once the laning stage was over, Lich didn’t really do much.

Now, after the hero was reworked, he seems a lot stronger at all stages of the game. Apart from being useful early on, he is also capable of doing a decent chunk of damage later as well.

Even though all his spells are awesome, it’s safe to say that Sinister Gaze is the one that stands out. Often underestimated by enemies, this ability has the power to win games, especially when it’s used on the right target. Paired up with items that provide cast range, Sinister Gaze can be a very dangerous weapon.

Having such a disable means that Lich works very well with heroes that deal tons of damage. For example, heroes like Ursa, Templar Assassin, and Slark can be great to play with.

Buying the proper items

Since Lich is a support hero, pretty much all support items will work just fine. Things like Forcestaff and Glimmer Cape are a must, especially later on. While it’s true that this hero can be useful due to his disables and shields, he is also very squishy, which means that there has to be some sort of an escape mechanism, should he wish to survive the insane burst damage during the later stages of the game.

On the other hand, if things are going well, you can even opt for items such as an Aghanim’s Scepter. However, this item is usually considered as a luxury, meaning you can’t buy it that often.

Heroes that you need to be aware of

Even though you don’t really think about being countered as a support, there are a couple of heroes that can make the life of every Lich player a living hell. Apart from the obvious counter such as Anti-Mage, Broodmother is another hero that you definitely don’t want to face.

Generally speaking, any snowball hero is a nightmare to play against, especially when you’re supporting. That’s why it’s important to mention it once again – you need to buy at least one defensive item. The last thing you want is to go on a feeding frenzy.