MMH5.5 - Heroes of Might and Magic 5.5

In version 3.0, "fire arrows" ignore 100% of the target's defense (imbalance).

Since fire arrows are already a very strong skill (a key skill) for combat machines, and they also ignore 100% of the target's defense instead of 50%, i.e., they are additionally enhanced, I insist that this is an ultimate perk! And, as I understand it, the developers tried to avoid ultimate perks. Therefore, it is better to remove it from the skill tree altogether (to compensate, increase the base damage of the ballista).
Or, in some way, prevent simultaneously upgrading the ballista with 2-3 shots and fire arrows (which further increase the damage by 2-3 times, although less effective against neutrals).

If we roughly assume that fire arrows increase the ballista's damage by 2 times, then the following picture emerges:
- ballista skill: increases the ballista's damage from 100% to 200% (2 shots), total +100% for the skill
- rapid-fire ballista skill: increases the ballista's damage from 200% to 300% (3 shots), total +100% for the skill
- fire arrows skill (with the previous 2 taken): increases the ballista's damage by 2 times, i.e., from 300% to 600%, total +300% for the skill!

In version 5.5, there is also intermediate engineering (+3 initiative), but it does not particularly affect the situation (+130% for rapid-fire ballista and +390% for fire arrows).

The situation around fire arrows in attack can be described as follows:
- if fire arrows are taken later, then: the skill "doubles" the ballista's damage and "doubles" the effectiveness of the already taken ballista skills (a skill that doubles many other skills - imbalance!)
- if fire arrows are taken earlier, then: the ballista skills increase the effectiveness of the already taken "fire arrows" by 4 times (3 shots with 130% initiative): a skill, the normal operation of which is increased by 4 times by other perks - imbalance!

As a possible solution to the problem, it may be possible to include fire arrows in combat machines instead of engineering; then the growth will look like this:
- ballista +100% = 200% (plus manual control and durability)
- fire arrows x2 = 400% (+200%)
- rapid-fire ballista x1.5 = 600% (+200%)

And engineering can be included as the base branch of the catapult, from which comes the catapult (a double shot is enough for it, sulfur rain can be removed). Or from the catapult - engineering, but then the bonus should be much higher, like +5.

Regarding which perk to give after shooting, you can try to incorporate Faidan's original special ability (pre-shot) here, if this is technically possible and will work. Or a simple skill like +2 to attack, if a filler is really needed. Or give an artifact - a quiver (+4 attack for archers and infinite ammunition).
Although all these options are not very good, in my opinion - it is better to leave shooting as a dead end. Dead-end level 1 perks are key to upgrading, as they significantly improve the chances of upgrading other branches from this skill. For example, we want to get retribution, but we are not given battle frenzy, but offered shooting and tactics (we have closed other skills with abilities). We take shooting - the next time, with a developed attack, we will be given battle frenzy or tactics, we take battle frenzy. Then we easily get retribution.
The 2-3-2 scheme (for all skills, except suppressions) looks beautiful, but not always what is more beautiful works better.

Nargot, skills in runes, leadership, and artifacts now depend on knowledge.

Apparently, this is not enough - since a person writes that knowledge is so weak that he still needs additional bonuses, such as levelup. Although levelup itself is already self-sufficient as a skill, without bonuses, if taken late.