Heroes of Might and Magic IV General
Heroes of Might and Magic IV
by HarukabaHeroes of Might & Magic IV was released on March 28, 2002 and had many major changes from Heroes of Might & Magic III. Heroes of Might & Magic IV is organized around the six types of towns; nature, chaos, death, might, life, and order. Each town is connected to two others and has a unique magic school aside from the might town. Each town has a might and magic hero but unlike Heroes of Might & Magic III, they don't have a specialty which makes each of them unique but instead every hero starts out with the same starting skill. When a hero gets two or more skills they will become an advanced class that provide a bonus. The logic behind this was to have the heroes start out the same but become vastly different as they gain in skills unlike the heroes in Heroes of Might & Magic III which start out different but end up with similar skills.
There is a total of nine skill classes the heroes can learn which has four skills; combat (archery, resistance, melee), nobility (diplomacy, estates, mining), scouting (pathfinding, seamanship, stealth), tactics (defense, offense, leadership), chaos magic (conjuration, sorcery, pyromancy), death magic (demonology, occultism, necromancy), life magic (healing, spirtuality, resurrection), nature magic (herbalism, meditation, summoning), and order magic (wizardry, enchantment, charm). Each hero can learn five skills each of which has five levels (Basic, Advanced, Expert, Master, Grandmaster).
The six campaigns introduce each of the towns and have nothing to do with each other and so there is no bonus level.
- The True Blade consists of five maps and is the Life campaign as Lord Lysander proves that Sir Worton isn't the last remaining Gryphonheart.
- The Price of Peace consists of eight maps and is the Order campaign as Emilia Nighthaven creates the kingdom of Great Arcan and defends it from being taken over by the Immortal King.
- Elwin and Shaera consists of five maps and is the Nature campaign as Elwin wins Shaera's heart and prevents the Elven kingdom from collapsing.
- Half-Dead consists of five maps and is the Death campaign as Gauldoth creates a new kind of Necromancer kingdom.
- A Pirate's Daughter consists of five maps and is the Chaos campaign as Tawni Balfour becomes Pirate Queen of the Gold Sea.
- Glory of Days Past consists of four maps and is the Might campaign as Waerjak unites the warring Barbarian tribes into one united kingdom.
- by Psychobabble
FAQ by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Any comments or other questions are appreciated.
IntroductionHeroes of Might and Magic IV was initially released without full multiplayer support, although hot-seat multiplayer could be played on a single computer. Multiplayer support was promised to be coming "soon" in a patch. Approximately 5 months after the initial game release, this promise was made good and version 2.0 was made available.
Getting Started
What patch do I need to play multiplayer?
You need to have the same version of the game as your opponent. Most players use the latest (3.0) patch which can be found here. Note that this is automatically installed if you have the Winds of War expansion.
Most players also use the Equilibis mod so it's a good idea to install that too.
How do I find other players online?
Gamespy Arcade is the supported multiplayer matching service. The auto-game detect feature of Gamespy should detect Heroes IV on your computer and you can enter the game room by clicking on the bubble icon on the left of the screen (see picture). If GameSpy Arcade does not locate Heroes IV on your computer right away, try closing the application and opening it again.
Do I have to register to use Gamespy Arcade?
No, Gamespy can be used as a free service. Registration conferrs a number of benefits such as ad-free usage, custom player portraits and unlimited players in your "buddy" list. Registration costs US$9.95 per annum.
How do I join a game?
The four pictures on the right show all the possible icons appearing next to game rooms. The top one is an open room which you can join, assuming there are free spaces in the room. The pictures of people (shown on the right) represent how many people can enter the room, and an unshaded person represents a free space. A computer with a red cross through it represents a game which is currently in progress and you are unable to join it. A game with a key icon in the bottom right is one protected by a password.
How do I host a game?
To host a game simply click the Create Game icon at the top of the page. Note that you will not be able to host a game if you are using internet connection sharing due to the fact that your local IP adress will be different to the one you are using to connect to the internet. Many firewalls will also prevent hosting games. See technical questions for more information.
Gameplay Questions
How do I chat to other players in the game?
Press the F2 key to bring up the chat window. If the chat window is not opened and someone sends you a chat message a sound will be made to inform you of this.
What map should I play?
The multiplayer patch comes with a number of maps which are designed for multiplayer use. These appear with flags next to them in the map selection screen (see picture). Some original CD maps are suitable for multiplayer use, they are generally the ones which allow 2 or more human players, though some of these may not be evenly balanced. There are also many custom maps which are designed for multiplay. The TOH map page also has a lot of good MP maps.
How do I load custom maps?
Custom maps should be put in the "Heroes of Might and Magic IVmaps" folder (by default c:program files3DOHeroes of Might and Magic IVmaps). Simply unzip the map file (.h4c) into this folder and it will appear in the map list along with all the normal maps. It is possible to create seperate map folders for custom maps and this is a good idea to keep track of your favourite maps.
How does the turn time limit work?
The turn time limit, which is set by the host, sets the time which each player is permitted to spend on the strategic game map. A counter will appear in the top left of the screen to indicate how much time there is left in the turn. This counter is paused when players are in the tactical battle screen.
What is a reasonable time limit?
Many beginner or casual players play with 2 minute turns. 1 minute turns mean the turn is very rushed, and anything over 2 minutes allows for a fairly relaxed game. The turn limits don't affect overall game speed too much as a large portion of turn time is spent in battles or sending information between players. Players that seriously care about winning, or are high on the TOH rankings, often play at 4mins.
How long do games take?
A short game on a medium sized map will go for about 2-3 hours. Obviously games can go on for much longer, but will rarely be shorter unless one player is much better than the other.
What does the message "waiting for remote players" mean?
It simply means your opponent has been attacked by wandering monsters. It will dissapear after they finish that combat.
What does passworded saved games mean?
This is an option designed to prevent unscrupulous players dropping out of the game, opening up the saved game and examining their opponents positions. Use this option if you are host playing an important match against someone you don't trust, but it shouldn't be generally necessary.
Is there any particular etiquitte I should know about?
Generally you should try to play your turns as quickly as possible (eg. let fleeing stacks of monsters run instead of battling them, don't waste time in battles). Also using private messages to gang-up on players in a non-allied map is considered rude. If you know you will need to leave the game after an hour or less before you start the game it is polite to notify your opponent. They may not wish to resume the game at a later time.
It is also important (especially in TOH games) that the host of the game allow the other player/s to choose which colour they go on to prevent any suspicion of cheating.
I see many game names which mention TOH, what is it?
TOH stands for Tournament of Honour which is a fan-created multiplayer ranking and competition system. It is very popular and free to join. See the site for more information.
Why do all the games have passwords?
Sometimes players will protect their games because they are waiting for other players. If the game name does not seem to indicate that (ie. it doesn't have a player's name in the title) then the host is probably waiting for players to private message him/her so they can assess your skill before allowing you to play. To private message the player right-click on their name in the gamespy players list and select "open private message tab".
I can't host or join games!!
One possible solution to this problem is goto the control panel, click on network settings and there is a button about midway down that says "file and printer sharing". Click on this and checkmark the option "allow others to use my files".
I still can't host games!
If your computer does not have a direct connection to the internet, or you are using a firewall or proxy server then you will receive the message shown below when you first start Gamespy (with your IP addresses in the blank bits). This message is not lying and unless you disable your firewall, use a computer with a direct connection to the internet or disable connection sharing you will not be able to host a game. Note that Windows XP service pack 2 automatically installs a firewall on your computer, so you might have an active firewall even if you haven't installed one yourself.
How do I disable internet connection sharing? (From the windows help file):
To install Internet Connection Sharing:
- 1. Open Add/Remove Programs properties in Control Panel.
- 2. Click the Windows Setup tab, click Communications, and then click Details.
- 3. Select the Internet Connection Sharing check box, and then click OK.
To remove Internet Connection Sharing, clear the Internet Connection Sharing check box, and then click OK. If you uninstall ICS, computers running Windows 95 will also lose connectivity to the home network unless manually configured with IP and gateway address information.
Can I host games on a network computer or one going through a proxy?
This is now possible, though slightly complicated. Here are the steps:
How do I host a game from a computer connected to the internet via a Router?
I have been informed that setting the internal IP address of your computer so it is the same as the external IP of your router will allow you to do this. Check your router manual to see how to find the router's IP address and you can change your computer's IP address through network properties (right click on the network connection/properties/click tcp-ip/properties and change the top address there. Leave the sub-net mask as the default value placed there when you press "ok").
When loading the game from GameSpy I got the error message "Failed to open a secure connection".
This is a relatively frequent occurrence. Hopefully the other player/s in the map
will realise what has happened and meet you back in the game room. Try launching the
game again, it will often work on subsequent attempts. If it does not (and if you are
not the host) then try letting the introduction movie play and when the game loads you
will automatically go into it.
Do I have to use Gamespy to play over the internet?
No, it is possible to play over a direct tcp/ip or IPX connection. The host simply creates
a game from the in-game menu (below) and the other player/s enter the host's IP adress in
the appropriate area. The host's IP adress is displayed after they have created
the map.
Can I play multiplayer with a 56.6kb modem?
It is possible to play with a modem, though some players are reporting that turns
are transmitted very slowly.
The network connection has been dropped, what do I do?
Meet the player/s back at the Gamespy room (if you are using Gamespy) and simply
re-launch the game. The host will have the option to load a saved game file to play
from. If you are playing over direct IP the procedure is the same, except other players will not know when/if the host has re-launched the game. If you are the host,
or are able to host the game if it drops, it is a good idea to specifically save
the game after a long or important turn in case the game drops out after that turn.
The game can be continued from this saved game so the turn doesn't have to be
re-played.
What Autosave should I load if the game has dropped?
If the game dropped during any other player than the host's turn and then the host
began a new turn the AI will have finished off the other player's turn. To be fair
in such a situation "autosave last turn" should be loaded. Otherwise "autosave this
turn" should be used.
Are there any known multiplayer bugs?
The 2.2 patch has fixed most of the major MP bugs.
It is taking a very long time for "host to transmit map data" when first loading the game,
has the game crashed?
No, this is normal, a large amount of data is transferred at this time. The two maps
with "pseudo-random technology" (Unkown Lands and Chameleon) may take especially
long to transmit as there are a number of random variables which are calculated at
this time on those maps.
The map is in another languange to my game version!
All players play the map on the host's version of the map, so if they are using
another language to what you are text which is associated with the map will be
displayed in their language. This includes all quest huts and pre-placed artifacts.
Random artifacts and other right-click display text will be in your language.
When I host a map I get the option to change the game port, what should I do?
The default port is 4377 and this should be used unless you have a firewall active
which blocks access to specific ports.
Are the Mac and PC versions of the game network compatible?
Unfortunately they are not. This is because the Windows version of the game uses
Microsoft's DirectPlay for multiplayer which is only Windows compatible, instead
of using standard TCP/IP sockets which are compatible with everything.
Comments (1) | Add comment |
- by Celestial Heavens
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Bandit |
20 |
6 |
Berserker |
20 |
8 |
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Orc |
34 |
10 |
Centaur |
40 |
18 |
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Pirate |
22 |
7 |
Harpy |
110 |
39 |
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Troglodyte |
28 |
8 |
Mermaid |
110 |
39 |
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Evil Eye |
220 |
51 |
Nomad |
150 |
52 |
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Medusa |
220 |
52 |
Cyclops |
750 |
203 |
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Minotaur |
230 |
53 |
Ogre Mage |
350 |
101 |
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Troll |
230 |
54 |
Behemoth |
3000 |
630 |
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Efreet |
850 |
161 |
Frenzied Gnasher |
4250 |
800 |
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Goblin Knight |
1000 |
157 |
Sea Monster |
2750 |
624 |
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Heroes of Might and Magic IVHeroes of Might & Magic IV was released on March 28, 2002 and had many major changes from Heroes of Might & Magic III. Heroes of Might & Magic IV is organized around the six types of towns; nature, chaos, death, might, life, and order. Each town is connected to two others and has a unique magic school aside from the might town. Each town has a might and magic hero but unlike Heroes of Might & Magic III, they don't have a specialty which makes each of them unique but instead every hero starts out with the same starting skill. When a hero gets two or more skills they will become an advanced class that provide a bonus. The logic behind this was to have the heroes start out the same but become vastly different as they gain in skills unlike the heroes in Heroes of Might & Magic III which start out different but end up with similar skills. There is a total of nine skill classes the heroes can learn which has four skills; combat (archery, resistance, melee), nobility (diplomacy, estates, mining), scouting (pathfinding, seamanship, stealth), tactics (defense, offense, leadership), chaos magic (conjuration, sorcery, pyromancy), death magic (demonology, occultism, necromancy), life magic (healing, spirtuality, resurrection), nature magic (herbalism, meditation, summoning), and order magic (wizardry, enchantment, charm). Each hero can learn five skills each of which has five levels (Basic, Advanced, Expert, Master, Grandmaster). The six campaigns introduce each of the towns and have nothing to do with each other and so there is no bonus level.
Hero Classes
1. Basic Hero Classes:Knight (Life, Might Hero) – Basic Tactics; Basic DefensePriest (Life, Magic Hero) – Basic Life; Basic Healing Archer (Nature, Might Hero) – Basic Combat; Basic Archery Druid (Nature, Magic Hero) – Basic Nature; Basic Herbalism Thief (Chaos, Might Hero) – Basic Scouting; Basic Stealth Sorceror (Chaos, Magic Hero) – Basic Chaos; Basic Conjuration Death Knight (Death, Might Hero) – Basic Tactics; Basic Offense Necromancer (Death, Magic Hero) – Basic Death; Basic Occultism Lord (Order, Might Hero) – Basic Nobility; Basic Estates Mage (Order, Magic Hero) – Basic Order; Basic Enchantment Barbarian (Might, Might Hero) – Basic Combat; Basic Melee; Basic Resistance 2. Advanced hero classes – based on the main primary skill:
3. Advanced hero classes and bonuses – listing by Might & MagicMight heroes: Tactics/Combat: GENERAL - All units gain +1 Morale Tactics/Nobility: LORD COMMANDER - Combat/Nobility: WARLORD - Nobility/Scouting: GUILDMASTER - Magic heroes: Any 3 magic schools: ARCHMAGE - Order/Life: MONK - Order/Nature: ENCHANTER - Order/Chaos: WIZARD - Order/Death: SHADOW MAGE -Life/Nature: SUMMONER - Nature/Chaos: WARLOCK - Chaos/Death: LICH - Life/Tactics: CRUSADER - Nature/Tactics: WARDEN - Chaos/Tactics: PYROMANCER - Death/Tactics: REAVER - 4. Town starting classes:
Skills Skill
Mastery
Primary
Skills
Secondary
Skills
Nobility
NobilityPrimary skill, makes the hero Governor of certain town, and improves the weekly creature generation. Basic: Basic Nobility increases all creature growth by 10% in the town that recognizes the hero as its governor. It also allows the hero to learn Advanced Estates, Advanced Mining, and Advanced Diplomacy.
Advanced: Advanced Nobility increases all creature growth by 20% in the town that recognizes the hero as its governor. It also allows the hero to learn Master Estates, Master Mining, and Master Diplomacy. Expert: Expert Nobility increases all creature growth by 30% in the town that recognizes the hero as its governor. It is required to learn Grandmaster Estates, Grandmaster Mining, and Grandmaster Diplomacy. Master: Master Nobility increases all creature growth by 40% in the town that recognizes the hero as its governor. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Nobility increases all creature growth by 50% in the town that recognizes the hero as its governor.
Estates
Estates Secondary skill produces gold for the Kingdom. Basic: Basic Estates gives the hero the ability to produce an extra 100 gold per day for their kingdom, plus 10% per level of the hero. It is required to learn Expert Nobility. Advanced: Advanced Estates gives the hero the ability to produce an extra 200 gold per day for their kingdom, plus 10% per level of the hero. It is required to learn Master Nobility. Expert: Expert Estates gives the hero the ability to produce an extra 300 gold per day for their kingdom, plus 10% per level of the hero. It is required to learn Grandmaster Nobility. Master: Master Estates gives the hero the ability to produce an extra 400 gold per day for their kingdom, plus 10% per level of the hero. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Estates gives the hero the ability to produce an extra 500 gold per day for their kingdom, plus 10% per level of the hero.
Mining
Mining Secondary skill produces resources for the Kingdom. Basic: Basic Mining allows the hero to produce 2 each of wood and ore, plus 10% per level of the hero, over a 5 day period. It is required to learn Expert Nobility. Advanced: Advanced Mining allows the hero to produce 2 each of wood and ore, and 2 other resources, plus 10% per level of the hero, over a 5 day period. The 2 other resources cycle 1 each through gems, mercury, sulfur, and crystals - in that order. It is required to learn Master Nobility. Expert: Expert Mining allows the hero to produce 2 each of wood and ore, and 4 other resources, plus 10% per level of the hero, over a 5 day period. The 4 other resources cycle 1 each through gems, mercury, sulfur, and crystals - in that order. It is required to learn Grandmaster Nobility. Master: Master Mining allows the hero to produce 3 each of wood and ore, and 5 other resources, plus 10% per level of the hero, over a 5 day period. The 5 other resources cycle 1 each through gems, mercury, sulfur, and crystals - in that order. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Mining allows the hero to produce 4 each of wood and ore, and 6 other resources, plus 10% per level of the hero, over a 5 day period. The 6 other resources cycle 1 each through gems, mercury, sulfur, and crystals - in that order.
Diplomacy
Basic: Basic Diplomacy gives the hero the ability to convince 30% of greatly outnumbered hostile creatures to desert for a price. The hero can sway no more than 120 experience points of creatures, plus 10% per level of the hero. Also, the cost of surrendering is 80% of normal. Advanced: Advanced Diplomacy gives the hero the ability to convince 40% of greatly outnumbered hostile creatures to desert for a price. The hero can convince no more than 240 experience points of creatures, plus 10% per level of the hero. Also, the cost of surrendering is 70% of normal. Expert: Expert Diplomacy gives the hero the ability to convince 50% of greatly outnumbered hostile creatures to desert for a price. The hero can convince no more than 360 experience points of creatures, plus 10% per level of the hero. Also, the cost of surrenduring is 60% of normal. Master: Master Diplomacy gives the hero the ability to convince 60% of greatly outnumbered hostile creatures to desert for a price. The hero can sway no more than 480 experience points of creatures, plus 10% per level of the hero. Also, the cost of surrendering is 55% of normal. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Diplomacy gives the hero the ability to convince 70% of greatly outnumbered hostile creatures to desert for a price. The hero can sway no more than 600 experience points of creatures, plus 10% per level of the hero. Also, the cost of surrendering is 50% of normal.
Scouting
Scouting Primary skill acts like the Scouting secondary skill from Heroes III, plus it acts as Counter of the Stealth Secondary skill. Basic: Basic Scouting gives the hero a +1 scouting radius and the ability to learn the traits of any adventure object. The hero can also see enemies with Basic Stealth on the Adventure Map. It is required to learn Advanced Pathfinding, Advanced Seamanship, and Basic Stealth. Advanced: Advanced Scouting gives the hero a +2 scouting radius and the ability to learn the exact number of creatures in a hostile army. The hero can also see enemies with Advanced Stealth on the Adventure Map. It is required to learn Master Pathfinding, Master Seamanship, and Advanced Stealth. Expert: Expert Scouting gives the hero a +3 scouting radius and the ability to estimate the outcome of a battle with an enemy army. The hero can see enemies with Expert Stealth on the Adventure Map. It is required to learn Grandmaster Pathfinding, Grandmaster Seamanship, and Expert Stealth. Master: Master Scouting gives the hero a +4 scouting radius and the ability to learn the skills of enemy heroes. The hero can see enemies with Master Stealth on the Adventure Map. Required to learn Master Stealth. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Scouting gives the hero a +5 scouting radius and the ability to view enemy Town and Army Screens. The hero can see enemies with Grandmaster Stealth on the Adventure Map. Required to learn Grandmaster Stealth.
Pathfinding
Basic: Basic Pathfinding reduces the hero's penalty for traveling over hostile terrain by 25%. It is required to learn Expert Scouting. Advanced: Advanced Pathfinding reduces the hero's penalty for traveling over hostile terrain by 50%. It is required to learn Master Scouting. Expert: Expert Pathfinding gives the hero no penalty when traveling over hostile terrain. It is required to learn Grandmaster Scouting. Master: Master Pathfinding gives the hero +25% movement and no penalty when traveling over hostile terrain. It is required to learn Grandmaster Scouting. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Pathfinding gives the hero +50% movement and no penalty when traveling over hostile terrain.
Seamanship
Basic: Basic Seamanship gives the hero +25% movement at sea. It acts like Basic Tactics, Basic Offense, and Basic Defense in sea battles. Advanced: Advanced Seamanship gives the hero +50% movement at sea. It acts as Advanced Tactics, Advanced Offense, and Advanced Defense in sea battles. Expert: Expert Seamanship gives the hero +100% movement at sea. It acts as Expert Tactics, Expert Offense, and Expert Defense in sea battles. Master: Master Seamanship gives the hero +150% movement at sea. It acts as Master Tactics, Master Offense, and Master Defense in sea battles. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Seamanship gives the hero +200% movement at sea. It acts as Grandmaster Tactics, Grandmaster Offense, and Grandmaster Defense in sea battles.
Stealth
Basic: Basic Stealth makes the hero invisible to 1st level creatures and heroes with no Scouting skill on the Adventure Map. Enemies can see the hero if they are adjacent. The hero can only hide himself, not other creatures or heroes. Advanced: Advanced Stealth makes the hero invisible to 2nd level creatures and heroes on the Adventure Map, even if the hero has Basic Scouting. The hero can be seen by 2nd level creatures and heroes with Basic Scouting if they are adjacent. The hero can only hide himself, not other creatures or heroes. Expert: Expert Stealth makes the hero invisible to 3rd level creatures and heroes on the Advanture Map, even if they have Advanced Scouting. The hero can be seen by 3rd level creatures and heroes with Advanced Scouting if he is adjacent. The hero can only hide himself, not other creatures or heroes. Master: Master Stealth makes the hero invisible to all creatures and heroes on the Adventure Map, even if they have Expert Scouting. The hero can be seen by 4th level creatures and heroes with Expert Scouting if he is adjacent. The hero can only hide himself, not other creatures or heroes. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Stealth makes the hero invisible to all creatures and heroes on the Adventure Map, even if they have Master Scouting. The hero can be seen by heroes with Master Scouting if he is adjacent. The hero can only hide himself, not other creatures or heroes.
Tactics
Tactics Primary skill is that what in Heroes III Attack and Defense were. Bonuses of this skill, are applied only and only on the army. Heroes does not benefit from this bonuses. Basic: Basic Tactics gives all friendly creatures +1 speed and +2 movement. It also allows you to learn Advanced Offense, Advanced Leadership and Advanced Defense. Advanced: Advanced Tactics gives all friendly creatures +2 speed and +3 movement. It also allows you to learn Master Offense, Master Leadership and Master Defense. Expert: Expert Tactics gives all friendly creatures +3 speed and +4 movement. It also allows you to learn Grandmaster Offense, Grandmaster Leadership and Grandmaster Defense. Master: Master Tactics gives all friendly creatures +4 speed and +5 movement. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Tactics gives all friendly creatures +5 speed and +6 movement.
Offense
Basic:
Basic Offense gives all friendly creatures +10% to their Melee and Ranged Attack. It is required to learn Expert Tactics. Advanced: Advanced Offense gives all friendly creatures +20% to their Melee and Ranged Attack. It is required to learn Master Tactics. Expert: Expert Offense gives all friendly creatures +30% to their Melee and Ranged Attack. It is required to learn Grandmaster Tactics. Master: Master Offense gives all friendly creatures +40% to their Melee and Ranged Attack. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Offense gives all friendly creatures +50% to their Melee and Ranged Attack.
Defense
Basic: Basic Defense increases the Melee and Ranged Defense of all friendly creatures by 10%. Required to learn Expert Tactics. Advanced: Advanced Defense increases the Melee and Ranged Defense of all friendly creatures by 20%. Required to learn Master Tactics. Expert: Expert Defense increases the Melee and Ranged Defense of all friendly creatures by 30%. Required to learn Grandmaster Tactics. Master: Master Defense increases the Melee and Ranged Defense of all friendly creatures by 40%. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Defense increases the Melee and Ranged Defense of all friendly creatures by 50%.
Leadership
Basic: Basic
Leadership gives all friendly creatures +1 morale and +1 luck. Advanced: Advanced Leadership gives all friendly creatures +2 morale and +2 luck. Expert: Expert Leadership gives all friendly creatures +3 morale and +3 luck. Master: Master Leadership gives all friendly creatures +4 morale and +4 luck. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Leadership gives all friendly creatures +5 morale and +5 luck.
Combat
Combat Primary skill and it's bonuses reflect on hero and hero only. This skill improve the fighting abilities of your heroes. And have no effect on the army. Basic: Basic Combat increases the hero's Melee and Ranged Defense to 15. It is required to learn Advanced Melee, Advanced Archery, and Advanced Magic Resistance. Advanced: Advanced Combat increases the hero's Melee and Ranged Defense to 20. It is required to learn Master Melee, Master Archery, and Master Magic Resistance. Expert: Expert Combat increases the hero's Melee and Ranged Defense to 30. It is required to learn Grandmaster Melee, Grandmaster Archery, and Grandmaster Magic Resistance. Master: Master Combat increases the hero's Melee and Ranged Defense to 40. It is required to learn Grandmaster Melee and Grandmaster Archery. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Combat increases the hero's Melee and Ranged Defense to 60.
Melee
Advanced: Advanced Melee increases the hero's Melee Attack to 20, and divides the natural defense of enemy creatures by 2. Expert: Expert Melee increases the hero's Melee Attack to 30, and divides the natural defense of enemy creatures by 3. The hero also gains the ability to attack enemies before they can retaliate. Master: Master Melee increases the hero's Melee Attack to 40, and divides the natural defense of enemy creatures by 4. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Melee increases the hero's Melee Attack to 40, and divides the natural defense of enemy creatures by 4. The hero also gains the ability to attack enemies before they can retaliate and strikes a second time after an enemy retaliates.
Archery
Advanced: Advanced Archery increases the hero's Ranged Attack to 20, and divides the natural defense of enemy creatures by 2. Heroes with Advanced Archery do full damage with ranged attacks against defenders behind castle walls and other obstacles. Expert: Expert Archery increases the hero's Ranged Attack to 30, and divides the natural defense of enemy creatures by 3. Heroes with Expert Archery do full damage at any range and full damage to enemies behind castle walls and other obstacles. Master: Master Archery increases the hero's Ranged Attack to 40, and divides the natural defense of enemy creatures by 4. Heroes with Master Archery shoot before an enemy ranged troop can retaliate, does full damage at any range, and does full damage to enemies behind castle walls and other obstacles. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Archery increases the hero's Ranged Attack to 40, and divides the natural defense of enemy creatures by 4. Heroes with Grandmaster Archery can shoot before any ranged troop can retaliate, and shoots a second time after they retaliate. They also do full damage at any range and full damage to enemies behind castle walls and other obstacles.
Magic Resistance
Advanced:
Advanced Magic Resistance gives the hero the ability to resist hostile spells 50% of the time. Expert: Expert Magic Resistance gives the hero the ability to resist hostile spells 70% of the time. Master: Master Magic Resistance gives the hero the ability to resist hostile spells 80% of the time. Grandmaster: Grandmaster magic Resistance gives the hero the ability to resist hostile spells 100% of the time.
Life Magic
Each Primary magic skill acts like the Wisdom secondary skill from Heroes III. This one particular, acts like wisdom for Life spells. Basic: Basic Life Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level One Life Magic spells. It is also required to learn Basic Healing and is one of the requirements for Advanced Resurrection. Advanced: Advanced Life Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Two Life Magic spells. It is also required to learn Basic Spirituality and is one of the requirements for Master Resurrection. Expert: Expert Life Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Three Life Magic Spells. It is also required to learn Grandmaster Resurrection. Master: Master Life Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Four Life Magic Spells. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Life Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Five Life Magic Spells.
Healing
Basic: Basic Healing gives the hero 10 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 2 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Advanced Life Magic. Advanced: Advanced Healing gives the hero 20 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 4 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Expert Life Magic. Expert: Expert Healing gives the hero 30 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 6 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Master Life Magic. Master: Master Healing gives the hero 40 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 8 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Life Magic. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Healing gives the hero 50 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 10 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Life Magic.
Spirituality
Basic: Basic Spirituality increases the effectiveness of Life Magic spells by 20%. It is one of the requirements for Expert Life Magic. Advanced: Advanced Spirituality increases the effectiveness of Life Magic spells by 40%. It is one of the requirements for Master Life Magic. Expert: Expert Spirituality increases the effectiveness of Life Magic spells by 60%. It is one of the requirements for Master Life Magic. Master: Master Spirituality increases the effectiveness of Life Magic spells by 80%. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Life Magic. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Spirituality increases the effectiveness of Life Magic spells by 100%. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Life Magic.
Resurrection
Basic: Basic Resurrection allows the hero to resurrect 10% of the friendly creatures who die in combat. Advanced: Advanced Resurrection allows the hero to resurrect 20% of the friendly creatures who die in combat. Expert: Expert Resurrection allows the hero to resurrect 30% of the friendly creatures who die in combat. Master: Master Resurrection allows the hero to resurrect 40% of the friendly creatures who die in combat. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Resurrection allows the hero to resurrect 50% of the friendly creatures who die in combat.
Nature Magic
Each Primary magic skill acts like the Wisdom secondary skill from Heroes III. This one particular, acts like Wisdom for Nature spells. Basic: Basic Nature Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level One Nature Magic spells. It is required to learn Basic Herbalism and is one of the requirements for Advanced Summoning. Advanced: Advanced Nature Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Two Nature Magic Spells. It is required to learn Master Summoning. Expert: Expert Nature Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Three Nature Magic Spells. It is required to learn Grandmaster Summoning. Master: Master Nature Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Four Nature Magic Spells. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Nature Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Five Nature Magic Spells.
Herbalism
Basic: Basic Herbalism gives the hero 10 spell points.It also allows the hero to regenerate 2 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Advanced Nature Magic. Advanced: Advanced Herbalism gives the hero 20 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 4 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Expert Nature Magic. Expert: Expert Herbalism gives the hero 30 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 6 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Master Nature Magic. Master: Master Herbalism gives the hero 40 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 8 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Nature Magic. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Herbalism gives the hero 50 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 10 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Nature Magic.
Meditation
Basic: Basic Meditation increases the effectiveness of Nature Magic spells by 20%. It is one of the requirements for Expert Nature Magic. Advanced: Advanced Meditation increases the effectiveness of Nature Magic spells by 40%. It is one of the requirements for Expert Nature Magic. Expert: Expert Meditation increases the effectiveness of Nature Magic spells by 60%. It is one of the requirements for Master Nature Magic. Master: Master Meditation increases the effectiveness of Nature Magic spells by 80%. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Nature Magic. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Meditation increases the effectiveness of Nature Magic spells by 100%. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Nature Magic.
Summoning
Basic: Basic Summoning allows the hero summon leprechauns, sprites, or wolves into the hero's army every day at a rate of 20 experience points of creatures per day, plus 10% per level of the hero. Advanced: Advanced Summoning allows the hero to summon leprechauns, sprites, or wolves into the hero's army every day at a rate of 40 experience points of creatures per day, plus 10% per level of the hero. Expert: Expert Summoning allows the hero the ability to summon elves, satyrs, or tigers into the hero's army every day at a rate of 60 experience points of creatures per day, plus 10% per level of the hero. Master: Master Summoning allows the hero the ability to summon elves, satyrs, or tigers into the hero's army every day at a rate of 80 experience points of creatures per day, plus 10% per level of the hero. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Summoning allows the hero the ability to summon earth, air, fire and water elementals into the hero's army every day at a rate of 100 experience points of creatures per day, plus 10% per level of the hero.
Chaos Magic
Each Primary magic skill acts like the Wisdom secondary skill from Heroes III. This one particular, acts like Wisdom for Chaos spells. Basic: Basic Chaos Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level One Chaos Magic spells. It is required to learn Basic Conjuration and is one of the requirements for Advanced Sorcery. Advanced: Advanced Chaos Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Two Chaos Magic spells. It is required to learn Master Sorcery. Expert: Expert Chaos Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Three Chaos Magic Spells. It is required to learn Grandmaster Sorcery. Master: Master Chaos Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Four Chaos Magic Spells. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Chaos Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Five Chaos Magic Spells.
Conjuration
Basic: Basic Conjuration gives the hero 10 spell points.It also allows the hero to regenerate 2 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Advanced Chaos Magic. Advanced: Advanced Conjuration gives the hero 20 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 4 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Expert Chaos Magic. Expert: Expert Conjuration gives the hero 30 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 6 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Master Chaos Magic. Master: Master Conjuration gives the hero 40 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 8 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Chaos Magic. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Conjuration gives the hero 50 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 10 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Chaos Magic.
Pyromancy
Basic: Basic Pyromancy increases the effectiveness of Chaos Magic spells by 20%. It is one of the requirements for Expert Chaos Magic. Advanced: Advanced Pyromancy increases the effectiveness of Chaos Magic spells by 40%. It is one of the requirements for Master Chaos Magic. Expert: Expert Pyromancy increases the effectiveness of Chaos Magic spells by 60%. It is one of the requirements for Master Chaos Magic. Master: Master Pyromancy increases the effectiveness of Chaos Magic spells by 80%. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Chaos Magic. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Pyromancy increases the effectiveness of Chaos Magic spells by 100%. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Chaos Magic.
Sorcery
Basic: Basic Sorcery increases the hero's spell damage (with all magic types) by 20%. Advanced: Advanced Sorcery increases the hero's spell damage (with all magic types) by 40%. Expert: Expert Sorcery increases the hero's spell damage (with all magic types) by 60%. Master: Master Sorcery increases the hero's spell damage (with all magic types) by 80%. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Sorcery increases the hero's spell damage (with all magic types) by 100%.
Death Magic
Each Primary magic skill acts like the Wisdom secondary skill from Heroes III. This one particular, acts like Wisdom for Death spells. Basic: Basic Death Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level One Death Magic spells. It is required to learn Basic Occultism and is one of the requirements for Advanced Necromancy. Advanced: Advanced Death Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Two Death Magic spells. It is required to learn Master Necromancy. Expert: Expert Death Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Three Death Magic spells. It is required to learn Grandmaster Necromancy. Master: Master Death Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Four Death Magic spells. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Death Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Five Death Magic spells.
Occultism
Basic: Basic Occultism gives the hero 10 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 2 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Advanced Death Magic. Advanced: Advanced Occultism gives the hero 20 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 4 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Expert Death Magic. Expert: Expert Occultism gives the hero 30 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 6 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Master Death Magic. Master: Master Occultism gives the hero 40 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 8 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Death Magic. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Occultism gives the hero 50 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 10 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Death Magic.
Demonology
Basic: Basic Demonology increases the effectiveness of Death Magic spells by 20%. It is one of the requirements for Expert Death Magic. Advanced: Advanced Demonology increases the effectiveness of Death Magic spells by 40%. It is one of the requirements for Master Death Magic. Expert: Expert Demonology increases the effectivenes of Death Magic spells by 60%. It is one of the requirements for Master Death Magic. Master: Master Demonology increases the effectiveness of Death Magic spells by 80%. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Death Magic. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Demonology increases the effectiveness of Death Magic spells by 100%. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Death Magic.
Necromancy
Basic: Basic Necromancy gives the hero the ability to raise a number of skeletons equal to 10% of the strength of a defeated army, as long as that number doesn't exceed 40 experience points of undead, plus 10% per level of the hero. Also, the hero can create only 1 undead creature per slain enemy. Advanced: Advanced Necromancy gives the hero the ability to raise a number of skeletons equal to 15% of the strength of a defeated army, as long as that number doesn't exceed 80 experience points of undead, plus 10% per level of the hero. Also, the hero can create only 1 undead creature per slain enemy. Expert: Expert Necromancy gives the hero the ability to raise a number os skeletons or ghosts equal to 20% of the strength of a defeated army, as long as that number doesn't exceed 120 experience points of undead, plus 10% per level of the hero. Also, the hero can create only 1 undead creature per slain enemy. Master: Master Necromancy gives the hero the ability to raise a number of skeletons or ghosts equal to 25% of the strength of a defeated army, as long as that number doesn't exceed 160 experience points of undead, plus 10% per level of the hero. Also, the hero can create only 1 undead creature per slain enemy. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Necromancy gives the hero the ability to raise a number of skeletons, ghosts, or vampires equal to 30% of the strength of a defeated army, as long as that number doesn't exceed 200 experience points of undead, plus 10% per level of the hero. The hero can create only 1 undead creature per slain enemy.
Order Magic
Each Primary magic skill acts like the Wisdom secondary skill from Heroes III. This one particular, acts like Wisdom for Order spells. Basic: Basic Order Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level One Order Magic spells. It also allows the hero to learn Basic Enchantment and is one of the requirements for Advanced Charm. Advanced: Advanced Order Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Two Order Magic spells. It also allows the hero to learn Master Charm. Expert: Expert Order Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Three Order Magic spells. It also allows the hero to learn Grandmaster Charm. Master: Master Order Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Four Order Magic Spells. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Order Magic gives the hero the ability to cast Level Five Order Magic Spells.
Enchantment
Basic: Basic Enchantment gives the hero 10 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 2 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Advanced Order Magic. Advanced: Advanced Enchantment gives the hero 20 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 4 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Expert Order Magic.
Expert: Expert Enchantment gives the hero 30 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 6 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Master Order Magic. Master: Master Enchantment gives the hero 40 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 8 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Order Magic. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Enchantment gives the hero 50 spell points. It also allows the hero to regenerate 10 spell points per day. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Order Magic.
Wizardry
Basic: Basic Wizardry increases the effectiveness of Order Magic spells by 20%. It is one of the requirements for Expert Order Magic. Advanced: Advanced Wizardry increases the effectiveness of Order Magic spells by 40%. It is one of the requirements for Master Order Magic. Expert: Expert Wizardry increases the effectiveness of Order Magic spells by 60%. It is one of the requirements for Master Order Magic. Master: Master Wizardry increases the effectiveness of Order Magic spells by 80%. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Order Magic. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Wizardry increases the effectiveness of Order Magic spells by 100%. It is one of the requirements for Grandmaster Order Magic.
Charm
Basic: A hero with Basic Charm can convert 15% of greatly outnumbered hostile creatures to his side. The hero can convert no more than 60 experience points of creatures, plus 10% per level of the hero. The cost of surrendering is 90% of normal. Advanced: Advanced Charm allows the hero to convert 20% of greatly outnumbered hostile creatures to his side. The hero can convert no more than 120 experience points of creatures, plus 10% per level of the hero. The cost of surrendering is 80% of normal. Expert: Expert Charm allows the hero to convert 25% of greatly outnumbered hostile creatures to his side. The hero can convert no more than 180 experience points of creatures, plus 10% per level of the hero. The cost of surrendering is 75% of normal. Master: Master Charm allows the hero to convert 30% of greatly outnumbered hostile creatures to his side. The hero can convert no more than 240 experience points of creatures, plus 10% per level of the hero. The cost of surrendering is 70% of normal. Grandmaster: Grandmaster Charm allows the hero to convert 35% of greatly outnumbered hostile creatures to his side. The hero can convert no more than 300 experience points of creatures, plus 10% per level of the hero. The cost of surrendering is 65% of normal. Tips for Siege Battles In multiplayer and single-player alike, siege battles are almost inevitable, for the simple fact that towns nearly always need to be taken over at one point or another. How you do it is entirely up to you, but following some of these suggestions might increase your effectiveness in such battles.
The Medusas need to go down first
Attacking Attacking a fully built-up town that contains high-level heroes and large stacks of long-range troops is never an easy task, even if you have the same. Despite their great expense, the Citadel and Castle vastly improve the defender’s effectiveness in siege combat. Unfortunately for you, the sieger, there isn’t much to help you other than what you bring with you. Here are some general tips:
Avoid attacking a strong stack on a castle tower
Defending When you’re defending, everything’s playing out in your favor. Just don’t do anything stupid! No, but seriously, if you act like, say, the AI, you’ll do considerably worse than you would otherwise. Here are some general tips for siege defense.
Town-Specific In Heroes IV, each town is unique in its theme, spells, and creatures. In this section I’ll highlight the troops and spells that perform the best in siege combat, and how to use them more effectively.
Haven
The Haven, the town of defensive and healing spells, is quite good for siege defense. With Ballistae, Crossbowmen, and Monks on the towers, the enemy troops will have a fun time trying to get you without dying. Of course, in most situations you won’t be choosing both Ballistae and Crossbowmen; in that case, you can replace the missing ranged troop with a Knight with the Archery skill (or an Archer, if you hired one of those). Also, remember the helpful mass Ward spells. Since your enemy’s army will usually be mainly of one alignment, having the right mass Ward spell will make it much harder for your enemy to kill you. Combine that with Celestial Armor when need be, and if you picked up some Order or Nature Magic, try casting Precision, Slow, Displacement, and Create Illusion (on a ranged troop, preferably).
Taking over a town with only Life troops is a different story. Due to their defensive nature, you’ll be hard-pressed to do that much damage to the enemy troops. Song of Peace is a helpful tool against enemy ranged-attackers and spellcasters; against the AI, they will often take the ranged troops off their Castle towers and bring them right next to the wall for some reason. While that’s the only “curse” spell in the Life spell book, Monk heroes will be happy to use some of their Order spells against the enemy, including Forgetfulness, Displacement, (Mass) Precision (always do full damage, plus a 25% bonus!), Blind, Berserk, Hypnotize... take your pick! Remember that Crusaders can do two blows to the drawbridge, and that Pikemen can sometimes attack through the walls without standing in the moat. Angels’ Resurrection ability should be used with great care, and when the enemy least expects it!
Preserve
This town just wasn’t built for siegin’. While Waspworts, Elves, and Fire/Water Elementals can be useful on the Towers, they’re often too slow to want to take with you elsewhere. Giant/Dragon Strength can be used to pump up your ranged troops or Archer Hero (hopefully with Grandmaster Archery), but everyone knows that Nature’s strong point is summoning. Until you get to the higher levels of Nature Magic, you won’t summon too much useful for defending sieges. If you do in fact get the chance, summoning Faerie Dragons, Fire/Water Elementals, or Waspworts and placing them on your towers can be a great boon to your defense. In fact, Faerie Dragons are one of the few saving graces the Preserve has in siege defense. Being able to cast Confusion several times, these guys will keep strong, reflecting harmful spells and taking little damage from ranged troops.
Good luck in attacking. With primarily ground troops, the Preserve sieging army will have to make do with the less-effective ranged attackers it has. Use the Faerie Dragons’ Confusion and Fireball as much as possible (remember that Fireball effects both troops on towers and surrounding them), and also the Druids’ Wasp Swarm. Summon Phoenixes or Griffins, if you get that much expertise in Nature Magic. Also, when attacking, get Griffins (preferably with Snake Strike cast on them) to go up on the Castle towers. They just won’t die! Also keep in mind that Wolves can attack the drawbridge twice (if you have enough to do 50 damage points each time...)
Asylum
With everyone’s favorite Black Dragon residing here, the Asylum has many tools for both attacking and defending. For defending, get your Orcs up on those towers to do up to eight times more damage than normal, surprising your human enemies quite a bit. If going for Medusas, get them up there too, to take out first their Heroes, then their high-level troops. Sorcerers/Sorceresses can cast (Cloud of) Confusion to disable their enemies, and hopefully cast Cat Reflexes on the Medusas. Minotaurs are not a good idea for siege defense, since Medusas are so darn effective. Bandits are practically useless, except as fodder. While both Efreeti and Nightmares are useful troops, due to Nightmares’ Terror ability and higher durability, they are the better choice for siege defense.
As for siege attacking, it’s back to the Medusas again. While it breaks my general rule concerning never attacking another ranged troop, you might want to with Medusas. Attack Heroes, Cyclopes, Monks, and Titans first, while Terror-izing and Confusing their troops at the same time. Black Dragons’ Breath Attack will sometimes allow you to get the drawbridge and another unit simultaneously; go for it! Don’t even think about using the Orcs’ ranged attack on anyone on the towers!
Necropolis
The “Infernopolis,” this town isn’t the best for siege defense. Most people overlook the Venom Spawn in lieu of Vampires, so that leaves most Death-aligned armies without a ranged attacker except a Death Knight with a bow or Archery skill. Death is also surprisingly without a disabling spell. However, Mass Weakness/Curse and Plague are some really nice harmful spells, and you might even want to go with an occasional Raise or Animate spell to add some lost troops. Don’t underestimate the use of Imps on an arrow tower; they’re easy fodder that give your Necromancers some extra spell power. Make sure you don’t do anything stupid to waste your Vampires.
On the contrary, the Necropolis is quite effective in starting the sieges. While Death itself is without disabling spells, a Shadow Mage might find Order’s many disabling spells (see Academy) quite useful. Devils (especially with Aura of Fear and/or Vampiric Touch) are awesomely effective, being able to Teleport over the walls on turn one to attack whatever enemies might be on the Castle towers; still, Bone Dragons are very nice units with built-in Fear. Vampires and Venom Spawn are nearly equally effective in this respect, with the Venom Spawn’s poisoning ability giving it much higher points than normal in the usually-lengthier siege battles. Imps’ Mana Leeching is especially helpful in these long sieges, potentially wiping out some mana-dependent creature abilities: Resurrection, Terror, Rebirth, and Summon Ice Demon, to name a few. This ability also gives your Necromancer some extra spellcasting time, or possibly gives your Devils another chance to Summon Ice Demons.
Victory, at last!
Academy
While only two normal ranged attackers, the two spellcasting units also give Order a slight edge in the field of siege combat. Unfortunately, Halflings, Magi, Genies, and Titans won’t fit onto three Castle towers, but chances are you won’t get all three of the aforementioned units. If you do, keep the Magi on the ground to Poison the enemy, or keep the Genies low to Create Illusion after illusion. Magi have a wide range of helpful spells for siege defense, including Mass Slow, Mass Dispel (sometimes), Berserk (always nice, regardless of the combat), and some borrowed spells from Life and/or Death. However, the Academy’s strength lies not in siege defense, but siege attacking.
Order is probably the best faction when it comes to pillaging a town. Genies’ Song of Peace and the wide range of disabling-type spells (Forgetfulness, Blind, Berserk, Hypnotize) plus the silent killer, the level 1 Displacement to kick ranged troops off of the towers, aid in attaining this high rank. Mass Blur is also good to assure that even if the ranged attackers can attack, they won’t do much. Precise Halflings and Titans will do a surprising amount of damage, in surprising numbers due to the Lords’ Nobility. You may choose to purchase Golems, for their durability, or Magi, for their Magic Fist, Blur, and especially Poison. It’s really based on the player’s style. But pretty much regardless, the Academy is an excellent sieger.
Stronghold
The mighty Stronghold can be a very nice defending town. By placing Cyclopes and Centaurs (x8 normal damage) on the Castle towers, you have one free spot you may choose to devote to an archer Hero, or to Harpies to slowly pick away at the enemy while still maintaining their spot guarding the enemy from stealing the tower. Whether you choose Behemoths or Thunderbirds, wait until the gate is knocked down or until there are enemies in the moat before you come out and attack, because of Thunderbirds’ fragility and Behemoths’ tendency to be targeted. It is also good to note that Berserkers won’t attack anyone until the gate is knocked down or there is a troop within the walls.
While not great in sieges, Might holds its own. Cyclopes can attack both a troop on the tower and on the ground without fear of retaliation. Harpies can either go for the drawbridge or if lucky, get some troops behind the wall. Berserkers, once they finally reach the drawbridge, can deliver two mighty blows to it. As for the Centaurs, they will do practically no damage to anyone on the towers, so don’t waste their 4 shots. Instead, bring them closer so once the drawbridge is down, they can do half or full damage to the enemy, rather than one-eighth.
These patches are now available for download directly from our site. You no longer need to go to FilePlanet for them. Our server is quite fast, so download is fairly quick for broadband users, but please note that the files are large. If you use a dial-up connection, things could take a while, and you'd better grab a magazine and crack open a big pack of snacks. Many people encounter a problem while patching, receiving an error message saying: "Old File not Found, but another file with the same name exists. No update was performed." If you encounter this error, the problem may be trying to patch with the incorrect language version. The list below shows the language version of your installed game in the Windows registry under the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/New World Computing/Heroes of Might and Magic IV/1.0/ Language Keys If you still encounter this problem and you have the correct patches, the error may be caused by modified .exe files (cracks=bad), or altered maps. In this case the best solution is to reinstall the game before patching. If you are comfortable with editing the registry, then uninstall your game, and delete the entire New World Computing key and all subkeys before reinstalling. Also delete any remaining Heroes IV game folders, making sure you back up your savegames and custom maps first. Page 3 of 5 |