Ice take you!(Updated 7.00)

Overall a really good guide +1

Also, I suggest you build first Arcane Boots if you are going to build an Aether Lens. This is because Arcane Boots are still good on a cm and for your team and you can than later dissassamble your Arcane Boots into the Energy Booster and the brown boots to use that Energy Booster into your Aether Lens when you have finished it.

Now back to the actual guide, I like it, it's also a bit different with maxing Frostbite first, which is perfectly fine. +1

Hey eranie, welcome to Dota Fire and thanks for your guide on CM! Looking good so far :)

As it's probably obvious, I'm also a huge Crystal fan, and it's my most played hero. So I'm gonna leave you here my opinion on some stuff!

First and foremost, my skill and item build is different from yours, but I think we can always say it's because of different play styles/level of games played. In lower levels players tend to max Frostbite first, while in higher levels you only do that in very few occasions (if there is a hero with a blink ability on the enemy team for instance). Your build is at least coherent, since you max Frostbite and accordingly you get a Aether Lens. So regarding this I will only advise: try other builds too! For instance, have you ever tried my favourite one - Urn of Shadows into Glimmer Cape/ Force Staff? If you do let me know what you think; or just in advance tell me why you don't think it suits you, or any questions (for instance if you don't know why higher level players max Crystal Nova first 90% of times).

The only thing I really dislike about your guide: you say some things in a very definite tone that are not absolutely correct, in the sense that they are not right for higher level players (and ideally you want to aspire for that). For instance: there are actually more situations where maxing your Arcane Aura first is preferable to maxing Frostbite first: it really depends on your team or the enemy team's composition. Say, for instance, that you have a Storm Spirit on your team: you should most definitively max it early, as it gives him more damage/survivibility. So it's good for you to look at your choices as framed by your experience, and realize their limitations.

Other examples of this: Vladmir's Offering is really not a CM item, I don't think I've ever seen one with it/thought it would be good. Some reasons behind this are: 1) the fact that you need to survive and be close to your team to help them with the aura in teamfights - and you don't do both naturally, because you die more than the cores since you're the support and because you don't want to be in the middle of the teamfight but on the back to be useful without insta dying; 2) the fact that the items that build the item up are completely useless on CM - Ring of Basilius, Morbid Mask, Headdress, CM doesn't need any of this/doesn't give her anything of any value for the role she plays; 3) Because there are other, better items that suit CM needs more.

I think a good way for any of us to think of an item build that suits a hero is to go through a series of steps, including what your team needs too, but not only: your team maybe needs a Vlads but if the item doesn't help your hero at all then it's still gonna be a bad choice, as you want to have things that benefit both you and your team, to do your job better.

My personal list of CM needs is as follow:
1) Utility for your team;
2) Survivibility/Self Protection;
3) Mobility;
4) Damage/Disable.

In my opinion, you should try to get on her the items that fullfill the most options out of this list, hence why I dislike Aether Lens completely for instance, since it doesn't give her the 2 and 3, while giving too little 1 and 4 to make it worth. Conversily, that's why I like items like Urn of Shadows, Glimmer Cape and Force Staff, because they give her many of this advantages at the same time.

Another example of not being complete in the info given would be what you say on Glimmer Cape: "buy this if your being focused too often. Glimmer yourself before freezing field. This gives magic restance too. You can glimmer your initiator too before initiating to minimize the magic damage hell get." Right now Glimmer is considered almost core on CM, because of the versatility/utility it brings to her and her teammates. It will help you not only if you're being focused often (which you're always supposed to be, you are the first priority target of the enemy team, because you're the most easy to kill), but it also increases your survivibility in all scenarios, allows you to channel your ultimate, and can be used on every single one of your teammates to help them escape/minimize the damage they take. Btw it also doesn't interrupt channeling, so you can actually use it also during Freezing Field.

I'm known for very lenghtly comments specially regarding my beloved princess of ice, so I will end up here! :D I hope I hinted at some stuff that can help you though, and I think your guide has space for improvement while keeping your original idea - just give a look at other guides around and see what higher level players do with Crystal Maiden on Dotabuff, for instance.

Cheers!
ChiChi