Let’s come up with new “war machines.”

Generally, I don't think we should make the units too expensive; it's better to simplify their stats so as not to overwhelm the player with choices. A well-balanced army or this unit (like those slaves from some old parable: "It's better to kill us than to force us to choose") would be preferable. Moreover, this would alleviate the unpleasant mechanic in Heroes where there's usually only one major battle with the main hero and their main army, and if you lose it, you've likely lost the entire scenario because you won't have enough money or time to build a new army.
- As for the Minelayer, if we reduce its damage, it'll be fine. But it would be better to give the Academy a Greater Golem that, with the right skill, can resurrect after battle. And the upgraded version could, for example, fly (with the help of mechanical wings). Also, instead of the Minelayer, the Golem could have the ability to mine the area within a one-cell radius (obviously, safely for allies). And it could also be imbued with magic.
- The catapult is okay, but overall, it would be better to have a Cauldron of Demons that can summon monsters (and which ones depend on the skill level) or have a choice between summoning or creating an explosion in a 9-cell area or teleporting a unit to a desired location (since teleportation is usually a demon's privilege).
- Three turns of entanglement is too much. One turn would be enough, or maybe two turns for the upgraded version, and that way, it could hold back two monsters. And instead of a ballista, it could be, for example, an Ent throwing a clump of living roots.
- The thorn line is interesting, but it would be better to give it to the Shadow League, as the Dragon Clan is already too powerful (although this is related to the issue of high cost).
- And for the Necromancers, for example, "Captive Death," which can kill a certain number of monsters (e.g., 3 for the basic version and 5 for the upgraded version) and also have the option of resurrecting their own monsters.
- Mixing such a tent with regular units wouldn't be fair; it would be better to have a separate machine, for example, a dove sitting on a perch, protected by a sphere (or something else). It could also cast a simple shield on everyone or a divine shield on one unit.
- And for the Dwarves, for example, a statue of an idol on wheels, which can either speed up a unit (even better than the Haste spell), freeze a monster, or create an earthquake.
Or something else, somewhere else – these are just my ideas.