Lich vs Pangolier

How this matchup plays

Laning against a Lich can be miserable for Pangolier. The constant slows from Frost Blast make it difficult to trade hits or use Swashbuckle effectively for escapes or securing creeps. Frost Shield adds another layer of slow that also reduces Pangolier's attack speed, hampering his damage output significantly. This constant pressure can set up ganks, especially with a Sinister Gaze to hold him in place. However, the matchup isn’t one-sided, because Pangolier's Rolling Thunder provides spell immunity, allowing him to completely negate Lich’s entire control toolkit when it’s active.

The game often becomes a contest of cooldowns. Lich aims to dominate the early lane, slowing down Pangolier's farm and item progression. In mid-game fights, Lich looks for an opening to catch Pangolier with his ultimate on cooldown. Pangolier has to play around this threat, using his mobility to farm away from danger and saving Rolling Thunder to initiate fights on his own terms or as an escape. If Pango gets his ultimate off first, he can be a major problem; if Lich catches him without it, he's an easy kill.