Jakiro vs Lich

How this matchup plays

Setting up for a big Ice Path and Macropyre combo feels impossible against Lich. Jakiro needs enemies to be grouped and relatively stationary, but Lich's whole kit breaks that plan apart. A single cast of Sinister Gaze can pull Jakiro out of position, often cancelling his own spells before they have an impact. Even if Jakiro gets his spells off, Frost Shield allows an enemy core to ignore the slows and damage to close the distance. Chain Frost also gets tremendous value, bouncing between heroes who are forced to clump up to fight inside Jakiro's damage zones.

Throughout the game, Jakiro is forced to play from extreme range and deep in the fog, hoping to find a good setup. The problem is that Lich often sits back as well, ready to counter-initiate with his defensive spells or turn a fight around. This means Jakiro struggles to find his moments to control a teamfight, as Lich is always prepared to turn Jakiro's own positioning into a disadvantage for his team. The game often ends with Jakiro feeling like he can't safely contribute, while Lich consistently enables his cores to punish any attempt.