A Supporter's Guide to Lich

Intro

Lich is the first hero that I ever played and did okay with, so I decided to let him be the first hero I made a guide for :) I'm no pro, nor do I think that I am the best Lich I've seen. He's just a bundle of icy fun and I thought I'd make a guide for him. So here we go.

==============================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.

Skill Specs

When playing Lich as a support hero, it seems odd not to max out Armor first, right? BUT, you're forgetting that, although you play support, you're main purpose is to deny your creeps into the stone age. Even if you don't need the mana, eat a creep before the enemy hero does. Be smart, though; don't use Sacrifice before you throw up a blast. Then you're out 125+ mana, and that's a huge deal early game (which should be when you blast the most, to harrass the carry in your lane).
We max out armor a bit late because that is when it will come in handy the most. Your team will need the armor bonus in team fights, and it is primarily useful once the recharge hits 5 seconds. Now, if you and your team are being hit hard by several melee heroes, you may want to spec into armor before you upgrade blast. And in that regard,....
Blast is a great skill, don't get me wrong. It's a pretty powerful nuke that you can recover mana from fairly quickly. But, if you're running a support build, you don't need it. It also needs to be the last skill you max. And even then, you will mostly only use it to slow down chasers instead of get kills. Lich's job is not to get kills...well, not THIS Lich.
Your ult, however, is amazing. One of the best ults in the game. It has the potential to take out an entire team, if you can max it and get Agha quick enough. Obviously this build is not set in stone. If you see the potential to get several kills, screw Armor, max blast, rush your Agha, and go beast mode. If you wanna play it safe, max Sac, then Armor, and take your time getting Agha.

Items Explained

If you are the ONLY support on your team, good luck. Godspeed, Spider Man. ;P Your job now is to not die, deny as much as possible, and let your carries feed. If you are the secondary support, or are running a dual support team, you can do this. Argue over who buys the Cour (I suggest you do, because you aren't heavily gold dependent). Whoever doesn't get the Cour, however, needs to pick up some Wards (especially if you are going against a hardcore ganker, like Riki or Pudge). The Branches are to give you a tiny bit of added bulk, and to start building your Mek early on. Once you hit about 12 minutes, you need to have your Boots and a Headdress/Bracer. By about 20 you should have your Arcan Boots, your Mek, and a piece or two of your Agha (unless your team is getting owned, then go Bloodstone.) I highly recommend getting agha after your mek and boots, because it will give your team much more survivability, particularly if you are feeding them both mana and health. Agha will allow you to completely turn team fights in their tracks. Many times I have ended a gank prematurely because Spirit Breaker and Luna can't take the power of a blast followed by a Chain Frost.
Once you hit about forty minutes, you should have the following: Boots (Arcane or Treads), Mekansm, Aghanim's Scepter, and EITHER a Bloodstone, a Scythe, an Orchid, or a Drum and an Urn. Rod of Atos is an option because, paired with all of your slow power, the cripple will completely shut done any escape the other team has. Trust me, Anti-Mage will fear you if you can manage to get a rod. But no rush. ^^
Also, Orchid and Scythe are great because Orchid allows you to deal out more damage than should be legal, and Scythe allows you to stop a threat in it's tracks (such as Sven or Spirit Breaker. Should you indeed choose to go nuke, I would recommend getting Power Treads, Agha, a Drum (to allow your team some push power), a Dagon (Burst Damage + Blast + Chain Frost = 5 dead = Ultra kill), eventually selling your Drum (maybe) and building a Scythe and/or an Orchid.
Again, this is all simply one opinion. You can play with it, come up with your own stuff. These is a suggestion on how to play Lich, there are other (probably better) ways.

The Actual Game

At this point you are ready to learn what your job is throughout the game. Well, first off, you need to know when to pick Lich.
[/color]

Yes! Pick Him!

If there is a soft support and three carries already locked in.
If you have anyone on the team that has a mass silence or stun.
If there is anyone on the team that has more AoE damage.
If there is a Lina on your team.
If the other team relies on melee for damage.

ABSOLUTELY NOT

If the other team has huge range (Sniper, Drow)
If the other team has Invis (Sniper, Drow, Riki, Bounty)
If the other team has crazy stun power (Sven, Earthshaker, Windrunner)
If your team has 2+ supports locked in with no carry.

Now, you need to know just who is your friend and just who isn't.

Are you with anyone with stun? Good!
Are you against anyone with silence? BAAAD.
Are you with anyone that can hardcore/counter gank? Good!
Are you against anyone that can out damage you in team fights? BAAAD.

I think you get the idea here. Basically, stay away from people who can come out of nowhere and shut you down. Lich doesn't like to be close to people, and being stunned and ganked is his least favorite kind of interaction. Meeting someone he just killed in the nether world is good!



And now, the EARLY GAME.

If you are the only non-carry, buy your courier. Lane with either a carry or a soft support. Don't go mid. I recommend going with a carry or semi carry and keeping pressure on the opposing heroes (particularly if one is a carry). Stay back and deny as much as possible, try not to steal last hits, and watch out for any surprise attacks. That be scary.

Get your boots when you can, and decide on being a nuker or a support, if you haven't yet. Should you choose nuker, get a bracer ASAP so that you can stay in lane longer, and that you can take a bit more damage. The earlier you get this, the more of a threat you will be. If you go support, get your headdress first, for obvious reasons (mana good). Your lane partner will also love you for it. Get your Mekansm before you even think about building better boots. Supporting your lane partner > being a speedy POS. If you got the courier, buy the flying one before 15 minutes (you will need it). After your mek (hopefully you have it by 15), get arcane boots (this is iffy. You shouldn't necessarily NEED Arcane Boots, but it will help your team. If you feel that they aren't necessary, however, just get Treads and spec em into intelligence.). If you are nuking, build Treads after your bracer, put em on strength, and play that drum. Now you are your partner should be pushing the creep out of that lane and taking a tower or two.

By 20 minutes, as a Support, you should have....
Fly Courier
Mekansm
Arcane Boots (or Treads)

As a Nuker, you should have....
Treads
Drum
Point Booster
Maybe a Null Talisman

MID GAME
This is your time to shine. As a support, your armor works best here, especially if your team has level advantage. Armor will make your team much more of a threat, and much much bulkier. As a nuker, you should be dealing out decent damage with blast (again, especially if you have level advantage), and be able to pop a chain here and there for a few kills. Around the 25 mark, as a support, you should be building your Agha (or finishing your Boots/Mek copmbo) and prepping for team fights. As a nuker, You should be readying to buy your Agha, if you haven't yet started. Either way, once you get said Scepter, you will be much more potent, and also focused much more. It comes with the territory. Be ready.


LATE GAME
After the first few team fights (by about 35/40 minutes) you need to have Boots/Treads,Agha, Mek for support or Dagon and drum for nuker, and one of the situational items (I suggest a rod and/or a shroud first for the nuker, bloodstone for the support).

In the truse late game (past 45 ish), just start doing some damage. Have charges on your drum/urn, and nuke team fights to oblivion. You know how it goes. It's a game of back and forth until one side goes under.

End

Well, thanks for reading my guide guys! It's a work in progress, I'm still getting used to all the mechanics. I plan to make the items and skill break down a bit more clear/in depth, but that will come with time. Please give me some feed back for my next guide! GL, HF, Thanks and have a wonderful day!