Bane vs Lich

How this matchup plays

Trying to secure a kill on a hero protected by Lich can be a real test. Bane's primary plan is often to lock down an enemy with Fiend's Grip, but Lich has excellent tools to disrupt this. Frost Shield can be cast directly on the gripped target, cutting the incoming damage and giving them a chance to survive the duration. More importantly, Lich can use Sinister Gaze on Bane himself to interrupt the channel from a safe distance. This forces Bane to be very careful about when and where he commits his ultimate, as a well-positioned Lich can completely nullify it.

The matchup often comes down to a game of cat and mouse. Bane has to play smart, either catching Lich out of position or using Nightmare on him first to create a window for a clean Fiend's Grip. In the laning phase, both heroes are effective at harassing and sustaining their lane partner, so it rarely feels one-sided. As the game goes on, success depends on which support is better positioned to react to the other's initiation. It's a close contest of timing and awareness where neither hero has a clear upper hand.