Heroes 5.5 WarGame Edition - Tactical Edition.

Darkness is strong against neutrals, which doesn't matter—no special skill is required to beat them anywhere, in any mod, or even in practically any game (because it's AI; if you put an AI on one side and a dog on the other, I'd bet on the dog :D).
In PvP, I wouldn't say Darkness is strong. Iranna is traditionally a difficult hero to use with skilled Darkness in duels, and it's hard to win against Chaos or Light; against the resist aura, it was almost impossible to win, so the aura had to be weakened from 50% to 30%. Also, Darkness needs to be buffed for the game to play well—the beam, for instance, must be strengthened to keep good options against Light/Chaos.
Light/Darkness generally work weaker at the start of the game and stronger in a prolonged one; Chaos/Summoning are the opposite. There is no universality here (but from a practical standpoint, the most dangerous school is Light, in the form of multi-buffs, x2 initiative, damage, survivability, etc.).
Regarding control spells: Blindness has been increased in duration (compared to the original, where it wasn't considered a particularly good spell), Berserk has been weakened (50% damage instead of an increase), and Subjugation is very expensive (one cast drains all mana from 6 knowledge = 30), is removed by Exorcism for some 4 mana, and the victim's initiative is fixed at 50%—it cannot be increased further.

Nevertheless, temporary transformation into undead occurs, but on the other hand, this is not raising from the dead as undead, but a temporary transformation; i.e., if approached from this angle, it doesn't have to be linked with necromancy (then it should be called something else, for example, "Face of Death")

Face of Death is a meaningless name; abilities/spells of that type were apparently called that in the 6th or 7th part, I don't remember. But vampirism is specific and clear to everyone, without unnecessary pathos or extra questions.
That is, from a practical point of view, Vampirism is a convenient concept that fits into the lore. Face of Death might be more "lore-friendly," but it's not convenient at all.

1) Life magic:
- allows removing debuffs from oneself (strong point)
- does not allow removing buffs from the opponent (weak point)
2) Death magic:
- allows removing buffs from the opponent (strong point)
- does not allow removing debuffs from oneself (weak point)
3) Order magic
- allows removing debuffs from oneself and buffs from the opponent (strong point)
- does not allow removing only buffs from the opponent or only debuffs from oneself, as it removes everything at once—both positive and negative effects (weak point)

Currently:
- Exorcism = allows removing debuffs from oneself, does not allow removing buffs from the opponent, allows removing area debuffs
- Antimagic = allows removing debuffs and buffs from a target simultaneously while granting immunity, allows preventing magical damage
- Blindness = allows "removing" buffs from a target since the target is taken out of the game for a long time, thereby neutralizing buffs which may expire by the time they wake up
- Berserk, Subjugation = similar to Blindness, but far more dangerous (allow using the enemy's own buffs against them) and shorter
- Vampirism = allows removing some debuffs from a target while granting immunity, and also allows recovering losses

I started reviewing the distribution of spells among caster units.
I came up with 2 ideas.
1. Give units strengthened versions of chaos spells along with regular ones to increase variety and strengthen the relevance of magic in more prolonged games. To maintain choice, strengthened spells will deal about +25% damage (for double the cost), due to a lower skill level than basic ones. Effectively, all chaos casters get a "//force" mode: draining mana twice as fast but dealing magical damage faster.
Mandatory: to avoid overlap, strengthened spells must only come in pairs with regular ones (i.e., you cannot give Fireball to priests and strengthened Fireball to ifrits).

2. Give units strengthened charms (light/dark) in pairs with regular ones. Unfortunately, the idea doesn't work in its pure form, having a number of problems:
- a pair (regular spell + mass version) provides less variety than 2 different spells
- it is not possible to balance relative strength in all cases (often regular versions will be irrelevant)
But this could be introduced for a couple of units.

Casters

Monk(10) = Blessing(2) + Might(5)
Cleric(10) = G. blessing(4) + S. skin(6)
Adept(10) = G. might(10) + Blindness(10)
Cherubim(25) = Resurrection(25)
Seraphim(20) = Vengeance(12) + Word(20)
Total: 7/9 spells per race (Light, Darkness).

Fairy(5) = Exorcism(5)
Druid(30) = Hive(20) + Shield(25)
Guardian(15) = Wasps(3) + Haste(6) + Antimagic(8)
Archon(20) = Regeneration(7) + M. haste (12)
Total: 7/8 spells per race (Light, Summoning).

Mage(5) = Fist(1) + S. fist(2) + Crystal(2)
Wizard(30) = Swords(8) + Elementals(15) + Phoenix(30)
Sorcerer(25) = Lightning(7) + S. lightning(14) + Chain(12) + S. chain(24)
Marid(15) = Phantom(6)
Ifrit(30) = Armageddon(30) + S. armageddon(60)
Djinn = 3 random buffs/debuffs level 1-3
*initially the Ifrit has no mana for strengthened armageddon (but secrets of light, imps can help)
Total: 9/13 spells per race (Summoning, Chaos, not counting random ones).

Rune Priest(5) = G. evasion(2) + Skin(3)
Flame Priest(15) = Fireball(5) + S. fireball(10) + Fire Wall(6)
Polar Priest(20) = Frostbite(10) + S. frostbite(20)
Total: 5/7 spells per race (Chaos, Light).

Temptress(30) = Subjugation(30)
Fiend of Darkness(10) = Thorns(2) + S. thorns(4) + Beam(4) + M. beam(8) + Berserk(15)
Balor(15) = Meteor(15) + S. meteor(30) + Disintegration(20) + S. disintegration(40)
*initially the Fiend of Darkness has no mana for berserk (but secrets of light, imps can help)
**initially Balor has no mana for disintegration and strengthened versions (but secrets of light, imps can help)
Total: 6/10 spells per race (Chaos, Darkness).

Twilight Witch(5) = Curse(1) + Weakness(3)
Elemental Witch(5) = Arrow(1) + S. arrow(2)
Shadow Witch(10) = Distraction(2) + Slow(6) + Vampirism(8)
Total: 6/7 spells per race (Darkness, Chaos).

Plague Lich(25) = M. weakness(6) + M. slow(12) + Wave(25)
Higher Lich(10) = G. curse(2) + G. distraction(4) + Reanimation(10)
Banshee = Banshee's Scream(0)
Total: 7/7 spells per race (Darkness, Summoning).

Shamaness(5) = Evasion(1) + M. exorcism(8) + Teleport(10)
*initially the Shamaness has no mana for mass exorcism and teleport (but secrets of light, imps, sacrifice can help)
Daughter of Heaven = Inspiration(0) + Prayer(0)
Total: 5/5 spells per race (Light).

Water Elemental(20) = Boulder(4) + S. boulder(8) + Ring(8) + S. ring(16)
Mummy(15) = Sorrow(5) + Plague(7) + M. plague(14)

Total:
5 casters with 1 spell (Cherubim, Fairy, Marid, Temptress, Banshee)
12 casters with 2 spells (Monk, Cleric, Adept, Seraphim, Druid, Archon, Ifrit, Rune Priest, Polar Priest, Twilight Witch, Elemental Witch, Daughter of Heaven)
9 casters with 3 spells (Guardian, Mage, Wizard, Flame Priest, Shadow Witch, Plague Lich, Higher Lich, Shamaness, Mummy)
3 casters with 4 spells (Sorcerer, Balor, Water Elemental)
1 caster with 5 spells (Fiend of Darkness)
All spells and spell versions are used except two: Earthquake (dangerous to give to units as it can break siege mode) and Mines (under AI control leads to game crash).

Spells

Lightning
1 Arrow(1) = 2 x (Sorcery+10/12/14/16)
3 Lightning(7) = 5 x (Sorcery+7/8/9/10)
4 Chain(12) = 5 x (Sorcery+7/8/9/10)
Earth

1 Thorns(2) = 2/3/4/5 x (Sorcery+2)
4 Meteor(15) = 4/5/6/7 x (Sorcery+2)
5 Disintegration(20) = 9/12/15/18 x (Sorcery+2)
Ice
2 Boulder(4) = 6 x (Sorcery+2/3/4/5)
3 Ring(8) = 6 x (Sorcery+0/1/2/3)
* Frostbite(10) = 7/8/9/10 x Sorcery (+200% damage for 1 round)
Fire
2 Fireball(5) = 25 + 0/1/2/3 x Sorcery
* Fire Wall(6) = 25 + 0/1/2/3 x Sorcery, 2 rounds
5 Armageddon(30) = 40 + 0/2/4/6 x Sorcery

1 Fist(1) = 3 x (Sorcery+3/4/5/6)
1 Crystal(2) = 3/5/7/9 x Sorcery
2 Wasps(3) = 3 x Sorcery, 20/40/60/80%
* Earthquake(4) = 200-400
2 Phantom(6) = level does not exceed Sorcery
3 Swords(8) = 200/300/400/500 durability, 20% damage return, Sorcery/2 rounds
3 Reanimation(10) = 15 x (Sorcery+0/1/2/3)
4 Mines(12) = 5 x (Sorcery+3), 5/6/7/8 mines
* Elementals(15) = Sorcery+0/2/4/6
4 Hive(20) = 150/175/200/225 durability, defense 20, initiative 10
5 Shield(25) = 20 x (Sorcery + 1/2/3/4)
5 Phoenix(30) = ?

1 Evasion(1) = 75% arrow protection, 2/3/4/5 rounds
1 Blessing(2) = 100%, 2/3/4/5 rounds
2 Skin(3) = Sorcery+5, 1/1.5/2/2.5 rounds
2 Might(5) = Sorcery+5, 1/1.5/2/2.5 rounds
3 Exorcism(4) = 100%, only on own units
3 Haste(6) = x200%, 1/1.5/2/2.5 rounds
* Regeneration(7) = 10% x Sorcery, 1/2/3/4 rounds
4 Antimagic(8) = 2/3/4/5 levels, Sorcery/2 rounds, on any targets
4 Teleport(10)
* Vengeance(12) = 3F x (Sorcery+0/1/2/3)
5 Word(20) = 5 x (Sorcery+0/1/2/3)
5 Resurrection(25) = 20 x (Sorcery+0/1/2/3)

1 Curse(1) = 100%, 1/1.5/2/2.5 rounds
1 Distraction(2) = 100%, 1/1.5/2/2.5 rounds
2 Weakness(3) = Sorcery+5, 2/3/4/5 rounds
2 Beam(4) = Sorcery+0/1/2/3
* Sorrow(5) = 4/5/6/7, Sorcery rounds
3 Slow(6) = x40%, 2/3/4/5 rounds
3 Plague(7) = 6 x (Sorcery+1), 1/2/3/4 rounds
* Vampirism(8) = 100%, 2/3/4/5 rounds, only on own units
4 Blindness(10) = 0.3 x (Sorcery+0/2/4/6 rounds)
4 Berserk(15) = 1/1/1/2 turns, 50% damage, only on enemies
5 Wave(25) = 5 x (Sorcery+0/1/2/3)
5 Subjugation(30) = 0.2 x (Sorcery+0/2/4/6 rounds), 50% initiative

Level 1 Light/Darkness spells have shared strengthened versions.
Level 2-3 Light/Darkness spells have area strengthened versions (4x4).

P.S. If you have suggestions for changes to specific spells, or spells for casters, please write.

Hello everyone. I have a very pressing issue. I really miss the fog of war for heroes; it would add hardcore to the game.
Is it possible to implement fog of war? So that the map is visible, for example, from the hero or captured buildings, while the rest of the map is hidden behind the hero, but so that the terrain remains visible, though enemy heroes are not seen.
And another question: these Heroes /topic/11565/—are they a completely different 5.5?

If such a possibility existed, I would try it. But for now, it's unrealistic to do.
A completely different 5.5; there the focus is on infinite PvE and megatons of one-hit kills, here—on PvP and dynamics. There are mainly changes to the global game, here mainly changes to combat (maps will be supported in the future).