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

Idea for introducing new war machines for HoMM5.
New war machines will be available as both separate machines and upgrades to existing ones. Furthermore, they can only be obtained in a specific castle. By capturing different castles, it will be possible to acquire all possible machines. The building responsible for constructing these machines (or upgrading them) will cost a significant amount of money. New war machines will have 2 tiers - basic and upgraded. To use basic machines, one must have the ADVANCED WAR MACHINE MANAGEMENT skill; for upgraded ones - EXPERT WAR MACHINE MANAGEMENT. (This restriction prevents unspecialized heroes from utilizing the massive advantages of machines.) One upgrade or one purchase of a new machine can be made per week.
Below are the machines themselves:

Academy:
Basic machine - Miner. Places 8 mines per turn. Each mine can be placed in any free cell on the field. Health - 880. Defense - 18. Initiative - 11. Charges: 50 units. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.) Explosion power is calculated by the formula 50+(U/2)*10, where U is the level of the hero possessing this machine. (After placing n mines and selecting defense or wait - the miner is pushed back on the action scale by 0.5 + 1/(8-n).)

Upgraded machine - High-Speed Miner. Places 16 mines per turn. Each mine can be placed in any free cell on the field. Health - 1200. Defense - 21. Initiative - 13. Charges: 100 units. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.) Explosion power is calculated by the formula 50+U*10, where U is the hero's level (after placing n mines and selecting defense or wait - the miner is pushed back on the action scale by 0.5 + 1/(16-n).) Morale and luck affect the High-Speed Miner (with luck, placed mines deal double damage). It reveals mines placed by the opponent.

Inferno:
Basic machine - Stunning Catapult (upgrade to the regular catapult). +1 shot per turn. Upon destruction of a wall fragment or tower, all stacks located behind walls are pushed back on the action scale by 0.2; upon hit but not destruction - by 0.1. +25% accuracy for the desired target. Health +750. Defense +10. Initiative +2. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.) Can be used during city defense - when firing, it deals damage equal to the catapult damage from the WAR MACHINE MANAGEMENT skill.

Upgraded machine - Explosive Catapult. +2 shots per turn. Upon destruction of a wall fragment or tower, all stacks located behind walls are pushed back on the action scale by 0.2; upon hit but not destruction - by 0.1, and also stacks standing on cells adjacent to the wall/tower cell (sharing a side or point) that the catapult hits receive damage equal to the damage dealt to the wall/tower. Upon destruction of part of a wall or tower, the catapult begins firing at a symmetrical target relative to the gate line and central tower; if the gates are destroyed, it targets the central tower and vice versa. +50% accuracy for the desired target. Health +1000. Defense +20. Initiative +4. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.) Can be used during city defense and during combat outside the city - when firing, it deals damage equal to the catapult damage from the WAR MACHINE MANAGEMENT skill over an area of 9 cells. Luck and morale affect the catapult. The catapult becomes a full unit - meaning initiative bonuses apply as both a machine and a shooter/large creature. Hero's defense applies. However, to defeat a hero possessing this catapult, it is not required to destroy it. If it is destroyed in battle, the hero still retains a regular catapult.

Sylvan:
Basic machine - Entangling Ballista (upgrade to the regular ballista). +1 shot per turn. Entangles with roots for 3 turns per shot (only one enemy stack can be entangled; if another stack is hit, the roots unravel). Morale applies (luck affects the regular ballista). If the hero has the Enchanted Ballista ability, then when casting the spell, 50% less of the hero's mana is spent than usual. Health +300. Defense +5. Initiative +3. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.) Damage is 2 times higher than a regular ballista.

Upgraded machine - Jagged (Thorny) Ballista. +2 shots per turn. Entangles with roots for 3 turns per shot. Morale applies (luck affects the regular ballista). If the hero has the Enchanted Ballista ability, then when casting the spell, no mana or action points of the hero are spent. Health +600. Defense +10. Initiative +6. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.) Damage is 4 times higher than a regular ballista. The ballista becomes a full unit - meaning initiative bonuses apply as both a machine and a shooter/large creature. Hero's defense and attack apply. However, to defeat a hero possessing this ballista, it is not required to destroy it. If it is destroyed in battle, the hero does not even retain a regular ballista (unless they have the BALLISTA skill). Always retaliates. Returns 20% of melee attack damage to the enemy. If a targeted spell is cast on an enchanted arrow, it is used upon retaliation if the hero possesses the ENCHANTED BALLISTA ability.

Dungeon:
Basic machine - Sister of Dragons. Health - 750. Defense - 15. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.) Grants the hero the Armageddon spell. Armageddon does not affect the hero's Black Dragons. Spells on other dragons do not work at levels 2 higher than usual. Magic Fist does not affect Black Dragons. (I generally don't understand why it works on them in the game, IT IS WRITTEN THAT MAGIC DOES NOT AFFECT BLACK DRAGONS. So what if it's physical damage?! Why is it even in magic then?!)

Upgraded machine - Mother of Dragons. Health - 1100. Defense - 18. Initiative - 11. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.) Immune to all magic. Increases dragon initiative by 10%. Grants the hero the Armageddon spell. Armageddon does not affect the hero's dragons. Hostile spells on other dragons do not work at levels 3 higher than usual. Beneficial spells still work. Magic Fist does not affect Black Dragons. Probability and simple creature abilities that allow killing a certain number of creatures regardless of damage (Death Blow, Shearing Sword, Baneful Grip) do not affect dragons. Dragon Breath and Acid Breath do not deal damage to friendly stacks. Has Fire Shield. Hero's defense applies. Casts an Expert-level Anti-Magic spell for U turns.

Necropolis:
Basic machine - Sharp Earth. Strikes with spikes across 16 cells horizontally on the battlefield (any line parallel to the stack deployment lines before battle) or in a 4*4 square (activated as an ability). Health - 970. Defense - 17. Initiative - 10. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.) Damage is calculated by the formula 48+(U/2)*8, where U is the level of the hero possessing this machine.

Upgraded machine - Earth Tremor. Strikes with spikes across 16 cells horizontally on the battlefield (any line parallel to the stack deployment lines before battle) or in a 4*4 square (activated as an ability). If friendly stacks belonging to the Necropolis faction are within range, their health is increased by the damage value (but cannot exceed initial values at the start of battle). Health - 1300. Defense - 20. Initiative - 12. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.) Damage is calculated by the formula 48+U*8, where U is the level of the hero possessing this machine. Morale and luck affect Earth Tremor (with luck, spike damage is doubled and twice as much health is restored to friendly Necropolis faction stacks).

Haven:
Basic machine - Fortifying Tent (upgrade to the regular tent). +6 healing charges. Adds +50 HP to regular healing. With each heal, it casts a Heavenly Shield that absorbs 75% of damage, with a value of 600+(U/2)*60, where U is the level of the hero possessing this machine. Continues casting Heavenly Shield when healing charges run out. Health +400. Defense +7. Initiative +2. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.)

Upgraded machine - Protective Tent. +12 healing charges. Adds +100 HP to regular healing. With each heal, it casts a Heavenly Shield that absorbs 75% of damage, with a value of 600+U*60, where U is the level of the hero possessing this machine, as well as Expert-level Evasion and Stone Skin for U turns. Continues casting spells when healing charges run out. Health +600. Defense +10. Initiative +4. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.)

Dwarves:
Basic machine - Transporter. Teleports friendly stacks and casts Expert-level Haste for U turns. Health - 700. Defense - 18. Initiative - 11. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.)

Upgraded machine - Fast Transporter. Teleports friendly stacks, adding 0.5 to the teleported stack's action scale (if the position of this stack is already greater than 0.5, the unit immediately gains the ability to move) and casts Expert-level Punishing Strike, Haste, and Divine Strength for U turns. Health - 930. Defense - 21. Initiative - 13. (Numerical parameters will be balanced if machines are actually introduced into the game.)