Lich vs Morphling

How this matchup plays

Trying to shotgun a Lich as Morphling often feels like a trap. All of Lich's spells are a problem. Frost Shield puts a massive damper on Morphling's physical burst, letting his target survive the initial Adaptive Strike combo. If Morphling gets close, a quick Sinister Gaze will completely stop him, drain his mana, and pull him out of position for an easy kill. The biggest issue is Chain Frost. The ultimate bounces devastatingly between Morphling and any illusion he creates, turning his own abilities against him and punishing him for being near any of his allies or creeps.

This pattern starts in lane, where Lich’s constant slows and nukes make farming miserable. Later on, Morphling is looking to jump on a backline hero, but Lich makes that incredibly risky. The Morphling player has to wait for all of Lich’s key spells to be used on someone else before committing, which rarely happens. His only real answer is an early Black King Bar, but even that doesn't stop the physical damage reduction from Frost Shield. Lich just needs to stay positioned correctly and hold his spells for the moment Morphling appears.