Lich vs Clockwerk

How this matchup plays

Catching a hero with Hookshot and Cogs is Clockwerk's whole plan, but Lich makes this difficult. A quick Frost Shield on the trapped target heavily reduces the incoming physical damage and slows Clockwerk's follow-up. This protection often gives the caught hero enough time to survive the initial burst and either fight back or escape. Furthermore, if Clockwerk gets stuck in his own Cogs with his target, Lich's Chain Frost can bounce between them for massive damage, turning Clockwerk’s perfect initiation into a liability.

Throughout the game, this forces the Clockwerk player to be more selective. They need to find pickoffs when Lich is elsewhere on the map or has his spells on cooldown. A smart Clockwerk will often try to initiate on Lich himself to prevent him from casting anything. Lich's job is simply to play defensively behind his team, staying ready to counter-initiate when Clockwerk jumps in. The fight often comes down to whether the kill happens before Frost Shield can be applied.