Lich vs Mars

How this matchup plays

Locking people in the Arena of Blood is a huge mistake against Lich. The walls Mars creates to trap enemies become the perfect backboards for Chain Frost to bounce off, often wiping Mars and anyone he caught with him. Mars relies on his physical damage and facing enemies to get value from Bulwark, but nearly all of Lich’s damage is magical and completely ignores it. Adding Frost Shield to a target Mars tries to burst also guts his initiation, leaving him stranded and vulnerable after using his best spells to achieve nothing.

This dynamic makes mid-game teamfights incredibly difficult for Mars. His entire game plan revolves around landing a big Arena, but doing so against a farmed Lich is often a game-losing move. Lich can simply position safely in the backline and wait for Mars to commit. Once the Arena is down, Lich has a free-fire zone. Mars is forced to either avoid using his ultimate or try to hunt Lich down first, which is hard to do when Lich is a backline support. It makes Mars’s biggest teamfight contribution feel like a liability.