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Good evening. A parallel project and circumstances have influenced the development plans for the Modification. Simply put, the timeline has shifted. I think it would be honest to say: Summer. That's when you can expect something for certain.
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If you're specifically interested in creature replacements (not all changes), I can briefly explain.
1) Order — no replacements for now (Griffins are still in the ranks, but it's still planned to replace them with Ballistas or something else useful).
2) Inferno — T5 replacement (Instead of Horses, now Keraists — essentially the same Horde Centaurs but adapted for Inferno; interestingly, the alternate upgrade of Sorceresses with magic arrows. A nightmare for physical attackers.)
*Additionally, "Destroyers" can be considered replacements — the alternate upgrade of Succubi, which replaced the unpopular Temptresses. Destroyers in ranged combat attack all enemy units and war machines on the battlefield, but for this they pay with low damage and initiative. Their usefulness is directly proportional to the number of targets they can attack and is further increased by the Skill and Artifact that boost Damage. They also fully utilize the "Infernal Flame" PD, as they can roll it on all enemies every turn (though the Demon hero's mana will also deplete very quickly). They also know the "Earthquake" spell, but cannot use it without meeting conditions (their initial mana is insufficient for it), so the Hero should collect part of Sarah's set or level up the "Secrets of Light" skill; a Magic Week or Imps transferring mana to allies can also help. Note that due to extremely low damage, both towers and AI shooters ignore them, and they are most often the last target. This can be an argument in their favor, especially for Jezzebet. But statistically, most still take Demonesses due to normal targeted damage.)
3) Necropolis — T7 replaced (No more trash dragons requiring you to almost fully build the Castle). T7 is now occupied by Wraiths. The base version isn't particularly interesting, but the upgrades initially required emergency nerfs, and until people got used to them, they terrorized everything. Heralds have a terrifying combo of Incorporeal + Vampirism, plus full Magic Immunity (like Black Dragons). Banshees got an upgraded Banshee's Cry in damage and Magic Resistance (they heal from magic damage instead of taking it). The idea behind the new Wraiths was a sort of signature unit that is hard to obtain (unless you're the AI) — they are very expensive (currently the most expensive T7) and combine all the strengths of Necropolis. However, this power is simply unavailable to Necromancers, so raising T7 via Necromancy is impossible, and if you choose Heralds, you can't even resurrect them yourself, so any losses will be a heavy blow. Heralds best embody Necropolis, as they are weak in small numbers and easy to lose in local skirmishes; moreover, Warlocks will show them no mercy. However, after gathering a critical mass over time, you can get a nearly unstoppable Vampire-unit, especially with various Battle Dances and such... GG.
Since Wraiths moved to T7, they were replaced at T6 by "Gromadni" built on the base of Horde Assassins. This is a large creature; the regular version is largely similar to Assassins, just with higher stats. The upgrades: one is Dimension Door, another is a Tank, and the last is particularly popular as it competes well with Ancient Ents and is generally the best that a current Necromancer can raise. Armor, High Ground, and Provocation, endless Repel... a very nasty set of abilities for a T6 Tank. And while it's quite slow, it makes a significant impact, especially when it finds itself in the thick of battle alongside Heralds and repeatedly draws crucial melee attacks. In short, everyone likes Gromadni, but Heralds took some getting used to, especially the fact that the AI gets them quite early.
*Reminder: difficulties in the mod are shifted, and the minimum Recruit is now a Hero.
4) Elves — T7 replaced by Cyclops (Again, we say no to Dragons!). Cyclops are adapted for Sylvan and are conceptually positioned as an HP-mob. That is, they are now the unit with the most HP, plus Regeneration. The new T7 continues the development of the Elves' rational defense-focused tactic and complements Ents. Unlocking and fielding this unit is now fully justified, as even the base version, thanks to Regeneration, can hold up well against shooter attacks and various creatures, allowing the Elf to transition to more decisive map clearing and finally boldly attack aggressive shooters. All types of buffs and Regeneration (spell) can further enhance Cyclops, making them a good buff target. Elves are pleased with the new T7, though they often don't get a proper chance to try it and gather sufficient numbers.
5) Dungeon, here there are several shifts. Minotaurs are now T5 and are good Bruisers with "Ram" (Paw Strike in the original). Witches have dropped to T3 and become more "Supports" (additionally, the Sacrificial Altar for Growth now looks more logical, boosting the growth of Manticores and Witches). Hydras have moved up to T7, retaining and improving their characteristic features (very slow AoE Tank with Regeneration). Regeneration was slightly enhanced, as it's now a T7 ability (Hydras and Cyclops). T6 is currently in development (a Warlock is planned for it — a high-quality, expensive caster unit). The Dungeon had the most difficulties, as the main complaint was and still is that besides T1, no one builds anything else. As we've long said — the Dungeon has no difference between its Main Hero and Scouts; they are the same! Therefore, much was done with the expectation that now the Warlock will have a reason to build his Castle and unlock late units, and in the end he can get the most important thing — a Tank! Just a body that will simply *live*, no matter how or under what! In the late game, nothing more is required from the Warlock's creatures — just live, somehow!
6) Wizards — Wizards have changes only in their skills and abilities; the creatures themselves were not changed, only reworked.
7) Dwarves — similarly. They were already good, especially with their Tower, which reduced worry about AI raids or early rushes. They were tweaked the least. Only T4 was adjusted, and T3 is being fixed (so these units have a more meaningful role within the faction).
8) Horde — it no longer exists. It simply did not survive the increased difficulty. All the flaws that were merely present in the original game became fatal with higher difficulty! Without magic, it has nothing to do in this game, having nothing but Centaurs to try to carry its start, and lacking powerful heroes capable of compensating for weak creatures with strong specializations. The typical Barbarian's game often ended with the first Dungeon "Scout" arriving or an AI rush. Even if he fought them off, there was nothing left for him in this game...
As already mentioned, the Horde is being replaced by a new Faction. For the new creatures, some creatures from the old developments of comrade "Zobra" were borrowed. The faction lineup is ready, some are just being tweaked for abilities and stats. There's also the question of recoloring some. Perhaps more relevant is figuring out where to get suitable portraits for the heroes. Obviously, at the time of the first presentation, part of the modification will still be "raw" (the Horde town also needs to be changed, and how to do that is not yet entirely clear, nor where to get all the needed models).
The current lineup of "Mech" creatures is as follows:
T1) Skirmishers — "Living" ranged unit, can create shields but gains no advantages from them. Additionally, since the shield prevents ranged fire, they have to weaken it when shooting.
T2) Creators — Support (the faction ended up completely non-magical!). They can create shields but, aside from the "Mechanical" alternate upgrade, gain no advantages from them. They primarily help with abilities, and at the last Energy level, they can perform charged attacks (Unexpected Storm).
T3) Stone Guardians — Large early tank, with good stats but low growth. Mechanical. Can create shields and gains advantages from them. Base infantry stack.
T4) Sentinels (Large Golems) — Large creature. Mechanical. Can create shields and gains advantages from them. Primarily aimed at countering Wizards.
T5) Immortals — Regular living unit, can create shields but gains no advantages from them. Upgraded versions are Mechanical and gain advantages from shields. They are effectively the backbone of the entire faction. Along with T3, they have their own Specialists, allowing for more stats on these units.
T6) Flamethrowers/Magic Shooters — Use powerful ranged weapons; upgrades diverge in specialization. According to the description, their equipment does not allow the use of shields, so they are the only ones in the faction without them. Additionally, they are all living creatures. They are the faction's main "Impacter" and, by extension, the primary target of enemy shooters and spells; without shields, ensuring their survival is very difficult. They should be used wisely, as their losses will be a painful blow to your combat power. They will have a special ability increasing their HP with level.
T7) Golem Dragon — The final creation using all previous developments. A powerful flying creature. Mechanical. Can create shields and gains advantages from them. Currently the most intriguing unit from a gameplay perspective, as some of its skills are still not "canonized" (i.e., there are several builds, but one final one needs to be chosen).
*Shields and Energy. As I may have written before, the faction uses a reimagined and reworked version of the Horde's "Blood". Only now it's "Energy" and Shields. When creatures use "Defense," they gain energy to create a Shield. This Shield absorbs 100% of incoming damage (thus the creature takes no damage until the Shield is destroyed). Accumulating Energy levels allows Mechanicals to gain new advantages. But here the approach is also different — instead of pure stats, our new creatures gain abilities that enhance or complement their functionality, and they lose them if the Energy level and Shield durability drop below the required threshold. The Hero also has some abilities (remaining and reworked Battle Cries) that allow replenishing the Energy of their Faction Creatures.
*The faction is positioned as completely non-magical. It plays defensively. For Mechanicals, the logic "more attack and defense, but less HP pool" is applied. This should first underline their vulnerability to destruction and armor-ignoring effects, and second, since the "Blood" Shield directly depends on the creature's max HP, this allows further balancing of these new Mech Shields. In general, many more practical combat tests are needed, so the shield mechanic can be supplemented and rebalanced in various ways. For example, adding extra damage to shield durability when hit by an attacking spell. Or getting a melee attack, but not a ranged one. Fortunately, "Blood" has many settings, many of which apparently weren't even used in the Original game.
Azmadon
Here, their number was no longer important - the main thing was that they flew away at the beginning of the battle and preferably did not fly back!
And starting from this point, everything else falls into place. As for the Shackles, he got them from the AI; truly, all the stars aligned.