- A reference guide and manual in Russian for Heroes 3.

Please clarify:
1) Does the "Shooting" skill affect the ballista?

Yes, the Shooting skill adds 10/25/50% to the total damage, based on the base damage (depending on the level of the secondary skill). If this skill is present, shooting artifacts are "activated," which, in total, can add up to 30% of the base damage. In total, a shooting expert with a full set of artifacts can deal an additional 80% of the base damage to the enemy.

2) Can a ballista be destroyed by an explosion? Someone on the forum described how they destroyed a ballista with an explosion... were they lying?

By explosion, they most likely meant not the "Explosion (Earth)" spell, but a fire explosion (Fire)...

Also, ballistas are usually destroyed by Meteor Shower. If we are talking about a ballista, of course... Please don't confuse it with a catapult. :) It is a rare case when there is a need to destroy a ballista; more often, it is a catapult (yours or the enemy's) that interferes.