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Author: Bandobras Took
Original: Inferno Guide from Celestial Heavens
Translator:deviant
taken from here: http://heroes.ag.ru/heroes5/advices/inferno/
From a gameplay perspective, Inferno is one of the most "Sword"-oriented Factions. With the exception of one "flyer," one shooter, and one caster, we find ourselves controlling a heap of melee combatants. Upon leveling up, a Demon primarily receives +1 to Attack; of the two magical stats, Knowledge increases far more often than Spellpower. Thus, you can forget about magic based on Spellpower (Chaos, Summoning); only Curses and Blessings—Darkness and Light Magic—remain for the Demon. Of these two schools, same-school spells from Light Magic are rare guests in the Inferno Mages' Guild. Yet a Demon Lord, by casting Mass Divine Strength, could compensate for the primary weakness of Inferno troops—the large damage "spread."
The main skill of Inferno is Gate Opening: a unit of creatures can summon another unit of similar creatures. Leveling the skill increases both the number of summoned creatures and the level of the summoning creatures (Basic Opening only allows Imps and Devils to be summoned, Advanced—Cerberi and Succubi). Gate Opening is an excellent skill for blocking shooters, obstructing the path of Large creatures, overcoming castle walls and, most importantly, the summoned creatures take the enemy's counterattack. Usually, the process of Gate Opening takes a unit a full turn, and another turn passes before the troops arrive, but there are several Skills, buildings, and abilities that speed up this process.
Secondary Inferno abilities related to Gate Opening—Soul Eater—replenishes the hero's mana using corpses on the battlefield. Besides the beautiful animation, the ability has another undeniable advantage—it prevents the opponent from reviving a fallen unit with the "Raise Dead" spell. In combination with Sorcery, it gives the hero the "Exploding Corpses" ability, which damages all units located near the consumed corpses. A combination with Logistics provides Sudden Attack—one of the best abilities in the game. But more on that later.
Hellfire: units have a chance to deal additional fire damage upon attacking (the amount of damage depends on the hero's Spellpower and the unit size, but in practice, unit size does not play a role). A fire attack is similar to a physical one, so unlike Magic, it may not reach an incorporeal target (Ghosts, etc.). When this ability triggers, it consumes the Demon Lord's mana—a good reason for the hero to spend their free time consuming corpses. In combination with Light Magic, it gives the hero Fire Protection (but you shouldn't take Light Magic just for this). Together with Chaos Magic, it increases damage dealt by 50%, and together with Defense, it gives the hero Fiery Retribution—Hellfire deals damage during a counterattack.
(SEVER's note:Hellfire. Unit size is important... I played as humans, but specifically bought an Inferno hero... leveled up Hellfire and Searing Flame... As a result, crowds of Militia and cans (Swordsmen) on the battlefield staged an outright slaughter using this very fire...)
Mark of the Damned: are opponents with high initiative and morale overcoming you? Mark of the Damned is a more effective version of the same-school Oversight used by Haven heroes. Oversight only works if a specific unit of the hero takes damage, while the Mark triggers when an enemy unit undertakes anything other than simple movement across the field or waiting. In combination with Dark Magic (the only worthwhile school for Inferno), the "Weakness" spell is cast on the attacking unit; the Attack skill provides an ability that doubles the damage from the Mark. A unit worth mentioning here is the Fury: the only thing preventing them from dying in the first skirmish is their "unanswered strike." Mark of the Damned completely nullifies this Fury ability.
(SEVER's note:"Mark of the Damned is a more effective version of Oversight used by Haven heroes." I wouldn't be so categorical... if you have 1-2 strong stacks left in your army and the enemy has a heap of same-level trash, Oversight is much more effective...)
By the way, how does this skill work with the Griffins' "combat dive"? Something to test…
Mark of the Damned also triggers during an enemy counterattack—so it can be used against units with "infinite counterattack"—especially if this "counterattack" is drawn away by summoned creatures. In combination with War Machines, the Mark provides a free "Earthquake" spell, but if Sulfur Rain is already leveled up, there's no particular point in destroying castle walls with a spell.
As for other skills, they include (in descending order of usefulness):
1. Logistics.
Without doubt, the most useful skill for a Demon Lord. Increased movement range on its own is a good thing, but by leveling Pathfinding, the hero gains Quick Gate Opening. It reduces the downtime of summoning units from a full turn to half—equivalent to a normal "Wait." Urgash's Call—Inferno's super-ability—affects summoned troops. Both these abilities significantly expand the Demon Lord's tactical repertoire, as time is vital for the high-speed Inferno army. I sometimes make Succubi summon reinforcements first and then shoot, since this does not result in the loss of a full turn.
Quick Gate Opening and Corpse Consumption unlock the best ability in the world—Sudden Attack. Its value lies not so much in the fact of teleporting a unit, but in increasing the initiative of the teleported unit. The point of the ability is that the Demon Lord sacrifices his own turn in favor of the slowest unit. Two candidates for teleportation come to mind—Fire Demons in the early game (they have enough HP to successfully withstand any opponent on the other side of the battlefield, but they are usually too slow to be used effectively) and Pit Lords in the late game (the enemy expects Fireballs from them and positions their troops not as a "turtle," but at a significant distance from each other—you can teleport Pit Lords into the enemy camp and plunge it into hell with a large 6th-level unit equipped with a "reaping sword").
(SEVER's note: "Two candidates for teleportation come to mind—Fire Demons in the early game (they have enough HP to successfully withstand any opponent on the other side of the battlefield, but they are usually too slow to be used effectively) and Pit Lords "
I agree about the Demons... but sacrificing Pit Lords by sending them into the enemy camp???!!! No thanks... the only casters in the game can be used more rationally... (of course, here I am considering a battle with a computer army or a real player... you could throw Pit Lords at a bunch of neutrals)
But if you throw mutant dogs into a pile of enemies—a very decent meat grinder will result... they don't strike back, and when they do, it's again against everyone...)
On the next turn after the hero, Crossbowmen shoot directly at Cerberi—bad idea… But with Teleport, the problem is easily solved. Teleported Pit Lords block the Crossbowmen and at the same time can attack Archangels—they have moved sharply on the tactical panel and move immediately after the hero.
Due to the comprehensive use of Sudden Attack and the effectiveness of Quick Gate Opening—not to mention the utility of the skill itself—Logistics becomes number one on the upgrade list for a Demon Lord.
2. Luck.
Complements Logistics bonuses: with so many melee combatants, any increase in damage dealt is extremely important. And two secondary abilities that enhance luck bonuses:
- First and foremost, Soldier's Luck. Nightmares and Hell Horses have a wonderful ability for an "unanswered" strike, but it only triggers occasionally. With Soldier's Luck, this will happen much more often. Furthermore, according to unconfirmed data, it also affects Hellfire.
Another equally important ability—Wide Gates of Hell (unlocked by Soldier's Luck)—increases the number of summoned creatures. Unfortunately, it depends on the hero's luck, so Soldier's Luck does not affect it, but Wide Gates trigger often enough anyway.
If you aren't striving for Urgash's Call, then Magic Resistance or Luck on the Road are worth choosing—they are still more useful than Fatal Misfortune.
3, 4, 5 – choice of or from the following list:
Attack: Battle Frenzy increases base damage, which is certainly useful for Inferno's numerous low-level units. Devil's Strike is a good addition to Mark of the Damned. Haste is a simplified alternative to Sudden Attack: it increases the initiative of a selected unit instead of moving it to the other end of the field. Succubi are strong enough without Shooting. Tactics is a useful skill; it can be taken instead of Haste if you have Sudden Attack and aren't leveling up for Urgash's Call.
Defense: reducing damage received is good in itself. Evasion allows survival under ranged attacks, Fiery Retribution (unlocked by Evasion) allows a unit to sometimes deal more damage in a counterattack than they received. Tight Defense is not the best helper: if troops are defending instead of attacking—something is wrong here. Fortitude is a good choice for Cerberi with low defense and frequently attacked Devils.
War Machines: without access to Resurrection, a First Aid Tent provides invaluable help in preserving the army if the corresponding ability is leveled up. The other two are certainly Catapult and Sulfur Rain (three catapult shots, significant damage)—with so many non-flying creatures, it's worth breaking the castle gates as soon as possible. Additionally, the Catapult ability restores the Supply Wagon if it is destroyed in battle—and Succubi will find the wagon useful. For more attack-oriented players, a Ballista should be leveled up instead of the Tent—a little ranged support won't hurt. And under no circumstances should you take Earthquake—Sulfur Rain will do all the work anyway; don't waste the hero's turn.
6, 7, 8, 9 - other skills – not bad, but less effective compared to those listed above:
Dark Magic: spells of this school are found in the Inferno Mages' Guild; it complements Mark of the Damned with a Debilitating Strike—can be used to reduce the attack of fast enemy units. Various types of "Mastery" are a good choice, but Dark Magic does not affect undead and creatures immune to mind-altering spells. All this diminishes the value of choosing Dark Magic. But it will be needed when leveling Urgash's Call, although it is not as useful as the skills mentioned above.
Education: bonuses to stats are great, as is the increase in experience received, but the skill is not critical. It realizes its advantage closer to the end of the game: by leveling Scholar—Keeper of Secrets—Dark Revelation, the hero gains another level, and at the end of the game, gathering enough experience is not so easy.
Sorcery: the main effect is that the hero begins to move more often. On the other hand, this can interfere with the effective application of Mark of the Damned. This skill will be useful if the hero follows a path of magic, leveling the Dark school. Plus Exploding Corpses—another way to deal additional damage to the opponent.
Leadership: the main effect is good, but secondary skills are more suitable for a second hero rather than the primary one. On the other hand, Gate Master is a good ability, but to level it, you need to take Troop Gathering—not the most suitable ability for the main hero. With Sudden Attack / Haste, increased Battle Spirit does not play a major role.
10, 11, 12 – absolutely useless skills
Chaos Magic: it has its positive sides, but a Lord will never surpass a Warlock (just as one cannot surpass a Necromancer in Dark Magic). If you do take this school, it's worth developing Fire Mastery—Searing Flame—to increase the damage dealt by Hellfire.
Light Magic: an absolutely useless skill—there are no spells of this school in the Inferno Mages' Guild. If you manage to obtain a couple, it's worth leveling Blessing Mastery for Mass Divine Strength to increase the minimum damage dealt by units.
Summoning Magic: spell power depends on Spellpower. Summoning Elementals/Phoenixes is not bad, but the Inferno army can already summon units.
(SEVER's note:Summoning magic is clearly underrated... Phantoms for Inferno are a ruling thing... Main candidates for "phantomizing": Cerberi, shooters and Pit Lords...)
Imps / Devils
The "meat" of the Inferno castle. Imps and Devils have the ability to steal mana; the amount of stolen mana depends on the size of the unit—the larger the unit, the more they steal. Therefore, enemy wizard-heroes strive to deal with Imps first—if left on the battlefield, the consequences for the mage will be catastrophic. Battle Frenzy gives them a maximum bonus, and in general, these are not the worst representatives of level 1 monsters. Gate Opening allows Imps to effectively fight enemy shooters.
(SEVER's note: "devils are the meat of the Inferno castle". TOTAL NONSENSE!!!!! RUBBISH!!! These are some of the most valuable units! (especially when playing against real people). They shouldn't be put in battles with neutrals at all... but carefully and tenderly accumulated for the decisive clash... With one move (if enough have been accumulated), they are capable of stripping the opponent of all mana (adding it to yours), which is already 50% of victory, and against a mage, as much as 90...
The meat for Inferno is demons...)
Demons / Fire Demons
If the hero does not have the Sudden Attack ability, then Demons might not even be worth buying or can be sacrificed immediately in the Pit to gain experience. But if the hero has this ability, then Demons turn from ordinary level 2 monsters into a "treat." Their ability once per battle to set surroundings on fire within a distance of 1 cell around them and their relatively high HP make them ideal for breaking through the standard tactic of "shooter in the corner plus melee guard." Furthermore, Demons have an unusually high growth and are extremely cheap, even when upgraded to Fire Demons. You just need to use them correctly in battle.
Hell Hounds / Cerberi
Hell Hounds are fast, deal high damage, and have low defense. Thus, they take damage from both enemy attacks and counterattacks. The upgraded version – Cerberi – becomes more durable with a non-retaliating area attack and greater speed. The same-turn strike and the ability to attack several enemies around them compensate for their rather mediocre damage level. With own developed Tactics or an artifact that increases speed, Cerberi can reach the other edge of the field in one turn and begin to "crack open" the enemy's "turtle" formation. Therefore, it is worth upgrading Hounds as quickly as possible – Cerberi are perfect for hit-and-run tactics.
Succubi / Demonesses
The best unit and the foundation of the Inferno army – this is hard to dispute. Even Succubi have the ability to retaliate against ranged attacks, so the enemy will strive to block them with melee units (who, in turn, are attacked by the player's own melee units). The upgraded version – Demonesses – attack all units not belonging to the Inferno castle with an analogue of "chain lightning." Therefore, it is better to sacrifice non-Inferno neutrals who are adjacent in the Pit; Demonesses do not distinguish between the hero's troops and the enemy's – only demons and non-demons. And considering that they also counterattack with a chain volley, the enemy will regret not taking the Ballista ability. Since we are talking about War Machines, it is worth buying a Supply Wagon and developing the Skilled Machine Operation ability. Additionally, Hellfire affects not only melee units but also Demonesses.
Hell Steeds / Nightmares
Steeds have a chance to perform a non-retaliating attack that reduces the enemy's initiative and forces them to retreat to the edge of the battlefield. The upgraded version increases Speed and Initiative, and also gains a Demoralizing Aura that causes the enemy unit to panic and move less frequently. Nightmares can cross the entire field in one turn, so they are next on the same-turn upgrade list after Demonesses. Furthermore, it is worth building Halls of Terror in the city to increase their growth.
Cave Demons / Lords
The casters of the Inferno army, even the basic version of the unit – Demons – are quite durable and possess a number of useful spells. The only drawback is low initiative and speed, but this can be compensated for by Sudden Attack: they suddenly find themselves face-to-face with the enemy and easily triumph over almost any opponent unit. Upgrading Demons to Lords is worth it: "Meteor Shower" is added to their spellbook, and there is now enough mana for 2 Fireballs. A melee ability – Shearing Sword – is also added, which kills one creature in any unit. It differs from the Death Harbinger's Soul Drain ability, as it is followed by an enemy counterattack but deals full damage. Cave Lords + Sudden Attack are Inferno's answer to the Phoenix Call ability.
Demonesses, Nightmares, and Lords are the foundation of the Inferno army in the middlegame and early endgame.
Devils / Archdevils
Unfortunately, the level 7 unit of Inferno loses to other castles in terms of price/quality ratio. Devils can teleport, but there is no great need for this skill due to Gate Opening. Their speed is low, and while their maximum damage is higher than any other level 7 monster, the lower bound of damage is comparable to level 6. Until Perfect Gate Opening is developed, they cannot use Gates. The summoning of Cave Demons occurs in 2 cases:
1. When there is a fallen unit – which should be avoided at all costs.
2. You spent a lot of money upgrading Devils – which could have been spent on something more worthwhile.
So it's better to save resources and upgrade some other unit, buy a second hero, etc. Devils are too expensive compared to the benefit they provide. Even the joke about having three sixes in their cost worked out better for Nightmares.
Chaos Gates – increases the number of creatures summoned from Hell by 5% - and adds a couple of succubus statues to the city's appearance – although they cannot always be seen behind the Fort and Tavern. Any increase in summoned creatures is welcome, and the building itself is inexpensive – it is recommended to build it as early as possible.
Sacrificial Pit (exchanging creatures for experience) – must be built to erect the Castle; on the other hand, there are more useful buildings in the castle that money can be spent on. Some use Demons as sacrifices – if the hero has not learned Sudden Attack or uses it in combination with Cave Demons/Lords, this will be a good use of these low-level creatures. This is similar to the "Zombies into Skeletons" principle from Heroes III. The Pit is the best place for joined neutrals, since Demonesses will hit them with chain attacks anyway.
Of the two buildings that increase creature growth, Halls of Terror are more useful. More Demons mean more experience, but sulfur is better saved for something more worthwhile. Demon growth is high enough on its own.
(in order of preference – plus a brief comment)
Grok - Swiftfoot
Starting skills – Logistics and Pathfinding.
Grok is choice number 1. A Logistics specialist will easily run circles around the opponent. He starts the game with the "Teleport" spell, which allows using Demons to block shooters right at the beginning of the game. He is a couple of levels away from Fast Gate Opening and Sudden Attack – if desired, he can be easily developed up to Urgash's Call.
Deleb – Made of Steel
Starting skills – Advanced Machine Operation.
Many players prefer this heroine; her special ability adds a Fireball effect to the ballista. A good choice for quickly clearing neutrals at the start of the game – later she becomes the terror of castles, and with a Supply Wagon, she strengthens Demonesses. When leveling up, it is better to choose Ballista instead of First Aid Tent.
Nimus - Gatekeeper
Starting skills – Luck and Magic Resistance.
Luck is a decent secondary skill for the start; Wide Hell Gates combine perfectly with the special ability that increases the number of summoned creatures as the hero's level grows. With Nimus, reaching 100% summoning is realistic.
Jezebet - Temptress
Starting skills – Basics of Sorcery and Wisdom.
What makes this heroine attractive for roleplay are not so much the starting skills as the strengthening of Succubi/Demonesses under her command. With starting Sorcery, Dark Magic should be developed as soon as possible.
Marbas – Spellbreaker
Starting skills – Defense and Reflection.
If you are overwhelmed by enemy units casting spells, then Marbas is the best choice. Starting Reflection is enhanced by a special ability that increases magic defense. Obvious development of Fire Retribution strengthens Marbas's army, which, along with reflecting targeted spells, makes her almost invincible.
Nebiros – Chosen of Chaos
+ 1 to Luck, the opponent cannot use reconnaissance (the battle preparation phase)
Starting skills – Attack and Tactics.
Nebiros is a "universal tool." The opponent cannot optimally place units on the battlefield, while Nebiros himself fully utilizes the increased troop placement radius. The starting bonus to Luck is welcome, but as the hero's level grows, no abilities are strengthened, so he is somewhat static in development. On the other hand, Attack is a decent enough starting skill.
Gravel – Master of Hounds
Starting skills: Advanced Chaos Magic
Strengthening Cerberi is not bad, but still not as good as strengthening Succubi. But what does Chaos Magic have to do with it?
Alastor – Mind Stealer
The "Absent-mindedness" spell gains an additional effect, reducing the victim's mana pool by one unit for each hero level.
Starting skills: Basic Education and Magic Attraction.
Alastor would not be such a useless character if, for example, it weren't for Marbas's Magic Reflection or if he started the game with developed Dark Magic or obtained it at one of the early levels. With Dark Magic, he can drain mana not only from one spellcasting enemy unit – after a few levels, a mass version of the spell can be developed. Of course, this ability is undoubtedly useful in the late stages of the game, but until then, you can forget about effectively fighting the opponent.
Actually, there's only one trick – using phantoms to summon additional troops. On the other hand, this spell still needs to be obtained…
So, these are essentially all the considerations regarding the Inferno castle – some of them may seem incorrect – any criticism is welcome. Congratulations to everyone who found the strength to read this unillustrated opus. As soon as new maps appear and the AI is improved, a review on tactics for other castles to counter Inferno can be written.
original:http://www.celestialheavens.com/viewpage.php?id=555
addition
Regarding the castle build-up (conditions: castle is NOT fully built)... 2 options...
1. Normal difficulty (Warrior):
Tavern-Imp Cauldron-Town Hall-Devil's Tower-Mages Guild-Hell Kennel-Cerberi Kennel-Fort-Magistrate-Halls of Temptation-Citadel-Blazing Rift-Fire Stables-Sacrificial Pit-Capitol-Castle... and so on according to the scheme
2. When playing on Hero difficulty:
Tavern-Imp Cauldron-Town Hall-Devil's Tower-Market-Resource Warehouse-Hell Kennel-Mages Guild-Magistrate... then as $ and resources accumulate, we implement the first scheme...
Depending on the map, it is sometimes useful to make adjustments to these schemes
write your ideas in this thread. I think refinements of such a guide will be useful for Heroes 5 beginners!
Those playing as Inferno, write your castle build-up. The guide needs to be supplemented...
An offline version of the manual has become available. Thanks to Admin for the idea.
Original: Inferno Guide from Celestial Heavens
Translator:deviant
taken from here: http://heroes.ag.ru/heroes5/advices/inferno/
What is Inferno?
From a gameplay perspective, Inferno is one of the most "Sword"-oriented Factions. With the exception of one "flyer," one shooter, and one caster, we find ourselves controlling a heap of melee combatants. Upon leveling up, a Demon primarily receives +1 to Attack; of the two magical stats, Knowledge increases far more often than Spellpower. Thus, you can forget about magic based on Spellpower (Chaos, Summoning); only Curses and Blessings—Darkness and Light Magic—remain for the Demon. Of these two schools, same-school spells from Light Magic are rare guests in the Inferno Mages' Guild. Yet a Demon Lord, by casting Mass Divine Strength, could compensate for the primary weakness of Inferno troops—the large damage "spread."
Skills
The main skill of Inferno is Gate Opening: a unit of creatures can summon another unit of similar creatures. Leveling the skill increases both the number of summoned creatures and the level of the summoning creatures (Basic Opening only allows Imps and Devils to be summoned, Advanced—Cerberi and Succubi). Gate Opening is an excellent skill for blocking shooters, obstructing the path of Large creatures, overcoming castle walls and, most importantly, the summoned creatures take the enemy's counterattack. Usually, the process of Gate Opening takes a unit a full turn, and another turn passes before the troops arrive, but there are several Skills, buildings, and abilities that speed up this process.
Secondary Inferno abilities related to Gate Opening—Soul Eater—replenishes the hero's mana using corpses on the battlefield. Besides the beautiful animation, the ability has another undeniable advantage—it prevents the opponent from reviving a fallen unit with the "Raise Dead" spell. In combination with Sorcery, it gives the hero the "Exploding Corpses" ability, which damages all units located near the consumed corpses. A combination with Logistics provides Sudden Attack—one of the best abilities in the game. But more on that later.
Hellfire: units have a chance to deal additional fire damage upon attacking (the amount of damage depends on the hero's Spellpower and the unit size, but in practice, unit size does not play a role). A fire attack is similar to a physical one, so unlike Magic, it may not reach an incorporeal target (Ghosts, etc.). When this ability triggers, it consumes the Demon Lord's mana—a good reason for the hero to spend their free time consuming corpses. In combination with Light Magic, it gives the hero Fire Protection (but you shouldn't take Light Magic just for this). Together with Chaos Magic, it increases damage dealt by 50%, and together with Defense, it gives the hero Fiery Retribution—Hellfire deals damage during a counterattack.
(SEVER's note:Hellfire. Unit size is important... I played as humans, but specifically bought an Inferno hero... leveled up Hellfire and Searing Flame... As a result, crowds of Militia and cans (Swordsmen) on the battlefield staged an outright slaughter using this very fire...)
Mark of the Damned: are opponents with high initiative and morale overcoming you? Mark of the Damned is a more effective version of the same-school Oversight used by Haven heroes. Oversight only works if a specific unit of the hero takes damage, while the Mark triggers when an enemy unit undertakes anything other than simple movement across the field or waiting. In combination with Dark Magic (the only worthwhile school for Inferno), the "Weakness" spell is cast on the attacking unit; the Attack skill provides an ability that doubles the damage from the Mark. A unit worth mentioning here is the Fury: the only thing preventing them from dying in the first skirmish is their "unanswered strike." Mark of the Damned completely nullifies this Fury ability.
(SEVER's note:"Mark of the Damned is a more effective version of Oversight used by Haven heroes." I wouldn't be so categorical... if you have 1-2 strong stacks left in your army and the enemy has a heap of same-level trash, Oversight is much more effective...)
By the way, how does this skill work with the Griffins' "combat dive"? Something to test…
Mark of the Damned also triggers during an enemy counterattack—so it can be used against units with "infinite counterattack"—especially if this "counterattack" is drawn away by summoned creatures. In combination with War Machines, the Mark provides a free "Earthquake" spell, but if Sulfur Rain is already leveled up, there's no particular point in destroying castle walls with a spell.
As for other skills, they include (in descending order of usefulness):
1. Logistics.
Without doubt, the most useful skill for a Demon Lord. Increased movement range on its own is a good thing, but by leveling Pathfinding, the hero gains Quick Gate Opening. It reduces the downtime of summoning units from a full turn to half—equivalent to a normal "Wait." Urgash's Call—Inferno's super-ability—affects summoned troops. Both these abilities significantly expand the Demon Lord's tactical repertoire, as time is vital for the high-speed Inferno army. I sometimes make Succubi summon reinforcements first and then shoot, since this does not result in the loss of a full turn.
Quick Gate Opening and Corpse Consumption unlock the best ability in the world—Sudden Attack. Its value lies not so much in the fact of teleporting a unit, but in increasing the initiative of the teleported unit. The point of the ability is that the Demon Lord sacrifices his own turn in favor of the slowest unit. Two candidates for teleportation come to mind—Fire Demons in the early game (they have enough HP to successfully withstand any opponent on the other side of the battlefield, but they are usually too slow to be used effectively) and Pit Lords in the late game (the enemy expects Fireballs from them and positions their troops not as a "turtle," but at a significant distance from each other—you can teleport Pit Lords into the enemy camp and plunge it into hell with a large 6th-level unit equipped with a "reaping sword").
(SEVER's note: "Two candidates for teleportation come to mind—Fire Demons in the early game (they have enough HP to successfully withstand any opponent on the other side of the battlefield, but they are usually too slow to be used effectively) and Pit Lords "
I agree about the Demons... but sacrificing Pit Lords by sending them into the enemy camp???!!! No thanks... the only casters in the game can be used more rationally... (of course, here I am considering a battle with a computer army or a real player... you could throw Pit Lords at a bunch of neutrals)
But if you throw mutant dogs into a pile of enemies—a very decent meat grinder will result... they don't strike back, and when they do, it's again against everyone...)
On the next turn after the hero, Crossbowmen shoot directly at Cerberi—bad idea… But with Teleport, the problem is easily solved. Teleported Pit Lords block the Crossbowmen and at the same time can attack Archangels—they have moved sharply on the tactical panel and move immediately after the hero.
Due to the comprehensive use of Sudden Attack and the effectiveness of Quick Gate Opening—not to mention the utility of the skill itself—Logistics becomes number one on the upgrade list for a Demon Lord.
2. Luck.
Complements Logistics bonuses: with so many melee combatants, any increase in damage dealt is extremely important. And two secondary abilities that enhance luck bonuses:
- First and foremost, Soldier's Luck. Nightmares and Hell Horses have a wonderful ability for an "unanswered" strike, but it only triggers occasionally. With Soldier's Luck, this will happen much more often. Furthermore, according to unconfirmed data, it also affects Hellfire.
Another equally important ability—Wide Gates of Hell (unlocked by Soldier's Luck)—increases the number of summoned creatures. Unfortunately, it depends on the hero's luck, so Soldier's Luck does not affect it, but Wide Gates trigger often enough anyway.
If you aren't striving for Urgash's Call, then Magic Resistance or Luck on the Road are worth choosing—they are still more useful than Fatal Misfortune.
3, 4, 5 – choice of or from the following list:
Attack: Battle Frenzy increases base damage, which is certainly useful for Inferno's numerous low-level units. Devil's Strike is a good addition to Mark of the Damned. Haste is a simplified alternative to Sudden Attack: it increases the initiative of a selected unit instead of moving it to the other end of the field. Succubi are strong enough without Shooting. Tactics is a useful skill; it can be taken instead of Haste if you have Sudden Attack and aren't leveling up for Urgash's Call.
Defense: reducing damage received is good in itself. Evasion allows survival under ranged attacks, Fiery Retribution (unlocked by Evasion) allows a unit to sometimes deal more damage in a counterattack than they received. Tight Defense is not the best helper: if troops are defending instead of attacking—something is wrong here. Fortitude is a good choice for Cerberi with low defense and frequently attacked Devils.
War Machines: without access to Resurrection, a First Aid Tent provides invaluable help in preserving the army if the corresponding ability is leveled up. The other two are certainly Catapult and Sulfur Rain (three catapult shots, significant damage)—with so many non-flying creatures, it's worth breaking the castle gates as soon as possible. Additionally, the Catapult ability restores the Supply Wagon if it is destroyed in battle—and Succubi will find the wagon useful. For more attack-oriented players, a Ballista should be leveled up instead of the Tent—a little ranged support won't hurt. And under no circumstances should you take Earthquake—Sulfur Rain will do all the work anyway; don't waste the hero's turn.
6, 7, 8, 9 - other skills – not bad, but less effective compared to those listed above:
Dark Magic: spells of this school are found in the Inferno Mages' Guild; it complements Mark of the Damned with a Debilitating Strike—can be used to reduce the attack of fast enemy units. Various types of "Mastery" are a good choice, but Dark Magic does not affect undead and creatures immune to mind-altering spells. All this diminishes the value of choosing Dark Magic. But it will be needed when leveling Urgash's Call, although it is not as useful as the skills mentioned above.
Education: bonuses to stats are great, as is the increase in experience received, but the skill is not critical. It realizes its advantage closer to the end of the game: by leveling Scholar—Keeper of Secrets—Dark Revelation, the hero gains another level, and at the end of the game, gathering enough experience is not so easy.
Sorcery: the main effect is that the hero begins to move more often. On the other hand, this can interfere with the effective application of Mark of the Damned. This skill will be useful if the hero follows a path of magic, leveling the Dark school. Plus Exploding Corpses—another way to deal additional damage to the opponent.
Leadership: the main effect is good, but secondary skills are more suitable for a second hero rather than the primary one. On the other hand, Gate Master is a good ability, but to level it, you need to take Troop Gathering—not the most suitable ability for the main hero. With Sudden Attack / Haste, increased Battle Spirit does not play a major role.
10, 11, 12 – absolutely useless skills
Chaos Magic: it has its positive sides, but a Lord will never surpass a Warlock (just as one cannot surpass a Necromancer in Dark Magic). If you do take this school, it's worth developing Fire Mastery—Searing Flame—to increase the damage dealt by Hellfire.
Light Magic: an absolutely useless skill—there are no spells of this school in the Inferno Mages' Guild. If you manage to obtain a couple, it's worth leveling Blessing Mastery for Mass Divine Strength to increase the minimum damage dealt by units.
Summoning Magic: spell power depends on Spellpower. Summoning Elementals/Phoenixes is not bad, but the Inferno army can already summon units.
(SEVER's note:Summoning magic is clearly underrated... Phantoms for Inferno are a ruling thing... Main candidates for "phantomizing": Cerberi, shooters and Pit Lords...)
Inferno Army
Imps / Devils
The "meat" of the Inferno castle. Imps and Devils have the ability to steal mana; the amount of stolen mana depends on the size of the unit—the larger the unit, the more they steal. Therefore, enemy wizard-heroes strive to deal with Imps first—if left on the battlefield, the consequences for the mage will be catastrophic. Battle Frenzy gives them a maximum bonus, and in general, these are not the worst representatives of level 1 monsters. Gate Opening allows Imps to effectively fight enemy shooters.
(SEVER's note: "devils are the meat of the Inferno castle". TOTAL NONSENSE!!!!! RUBBISH!!! These are some of the most valuable units! (especially when playing against real people). They shouldn't be put in battles with neutrals at all... but carefully and tenderly accumulated for the decisive clash... With one move (if enough have been accumulated), they are capable of stripping the opponent of all mana (adding it to yours), which is already 50% of victory, and against a mage, as much as 90...
The meat for Inferno is demons...)
Demons / Fire Demons
If the hero does not have the Sudden Attack ability, then Demons might not even be worth buying or can be sacrificed immediately in the Pit to gain experience. But if the hero has this ability, then Demons turn from ordinary level 2 monsters into a "treat." Their ability once per battle to set surroundings on fire within a distance of 1 cell around them and their relatively high HP make them ideal for breaking through the standard tactic of "shooter in the corner plus melee guard." Furthermore, Demons have an unusually high growth and are extremely cheap, even when upgraded to Fire Demons. You just need to use them correctly in battle.
Hell Hounds / Cerberi
Hell Hounds are fast, deal high damage, and have low defense. Thus, they take damage from both enemy attacks and counterattacks. The upgraded version – Cerberi – becomes more durable with a non-retaliating area attack and greater speed. The same-turn strike and the ability to attack several enemies around them compensate for their rather mediocre damage level. With own developed Tactics or an artifact that increases speed, Cerberi can reach the other edge of the field in one turn and begin to "crack open" the enemy's "turtle" formation. Therefore, it is worth upgrading Hounds as quickly as possible – Cerberi are perfect for hit-and-run tactics.
Succubi / Demonesses
The best unit and the foundation of the Inferno army – this is hard to dispute. Even Succubi have the ability to retaliate against ranged attacks, so the enemy will strive to block them with melee units (who, in turn, are attacked by the player's own melee units). The upgraded version – Demonesses – attack all units not belonging to the Inferno castle with an analogue of "chain lightning." Therefore, it is better to sacrifice non-Inferno neutrals who are adjacent in the Pit; Demonesses do not distinguish between the hero's troops and the enemy's – only demons and non-demons. And considering that they also counterattack with a chain volley, the enemy will regret not taking the Ballista ability. Since we are talking about War Machines, it is worth buying a Supply Wagon and developing the Skilled Machine Operation ability. Additionally, Hellfire affects not only melee units but also Demonesses.
Hell Steeds / Nightmares
Steeds have a chance to perform a non-retaliating attack that reduces the enemy's initiative and forces them to retreat to the edge of the battlefield. The upgraded version increases Speed and Initiative, and also gains a Demoralizing Aura that causes the enemy unit to panic and move less frequently. Nightmares can cross the entire field in one turn, so they are next on the same-turn upgrade list after Demonesses. Furthermore, it is worth building Halls of Terror in the city to increase their growth.
Cave Demons / Lords
The casters of the Inferno army, even the basic version of the unit – Demons – are quite durable and possess a number of useful spells. The only drawback is low initiative and speed, but this can be compensated for by Sudden Attack: they suddenly find themselves face-to-face with the enemy and easily triumph over almost any opponent unit. Upgrading Demons to Lords is worth it: "Meteor Shower" is added to their spellbook, and there is now enough mana for 2 Fireballs. A melee ability – Shearing Sword – is also added, which kills one creature in any unit. It differs from the Death Harbinger's Soul Drain ability, as it is followed by an enemy counterattack but deals full damage. Cave Lords + Sudden Attack are Inferno's answer to the Phoenix Call ability.
Demonesses, Nightmares, and Lords are the foundation of the Inferno army in the middlegame and early endgame.
Devils / Archdevils
Unfortunately, the level 7 unit of Inferno loses to other castles in terms of price/quality ratio. Devils can teleport, but there is no great need for this skill due to Gate Opening. Their speed is low, and while their maximum damage is higher than any other level 7 monster, the lower bound of damage is comparable to level 6. Until Perfect Gate Opening is developed, they cannot use Gates. The summoning of Cave Demons occurs in 2 cases:
1. When there is a fallen unit – which should be avoided at all costs.
2. You spent a lot of money upgrading Devils – which could have been spent on something more worthwhile.
So it's better to save resources and upgrade some other unit, buy a second hero, etc. Devils are too expensive compared to the benefit they provide. Even the joke about having three sixes in their cost worked out better for Nightmares.
Special Buildings
Chaos Gates – increases the number of creatures summoned from Hell by 5% - and adds a couple of succubus statues to the city's appearance – although they cannot always be seen behind the Fort and Tavern. Any increase in summoned creatures is welcome, and the building itself is inexpensive – it is recommended to build it as early as possible.
Sacrificial Pit (exchanging creatures for experience) – must be built to erect the Castle; on the other hand, there are more useful buildings in the castle that money can be spent on. Some use Demons as sacrifices – if the hero has not learned Sudden Attack or uses it in combination with Cave Demons/Lords, this will be a good use of these low-level creatures. This is similar to the "Zombies into Skeletons" principle from Heroes III. The Pit is the best place for joined neutrals, since Demonesses will hit them with chain attacks anyway.
Of the two buildings that increase creature growth, Halls of Terror are more useful. More Demons mean more experience, but sulfur is better saved for something more worthwhile. Demon growth is high enough on its own.
Heroes
(in order of preference – plus a brief comment)
Grok - Swiftfoot
Starting skills – Logistics and Pathfinding.
Grok is choice number 1. A Logistics specialist will easily run circles around the opponent. He starts the game with the "Teleport" spell, which allows using Demons to block shooters right at the beginning of the game. He is a couple of levels away from Fast Gate Opening and Sudden Attack – if desired, he can be easily developed up to Urgash's Call.
Deleb – Made of Steel
Starting skills – Advanced Machine Operation.
Many players prefer this heroine; her special ability adds a Fireball effect to the ballista. A good choice for quickly clearing neutrals at the start of the game – later she becomes the terror of castles, and with a Supply Wagon, she strengthens Demonesses. When leveling up, it is better to choose Ballista instead of First Aid Tent.
Nimus - Gatekeeper
Starting skills – Luck and Magic Resistance.
Luck is a decent secondary skill for the start; Wide Hell Gates combine perfectly with the special ability that increases the number of summoned creatures as the hero's level grows. With Nimus, reaching 100% summoning is realistic.
Jezebet - Temptress
Starting skills – Basics of Sorcery and Wisdom.
What makes this heroine attractive for roleplay are not so much the starting skills as the strengthening of Succubi/Demonesses under her command. With starting Sorcery, Dark Magic should be developed as soon as possible.
Marbas – Spellbreaker
Starting skills – Defense and Reflection.
If you are overwhelmed by enemy units casting spells, then Marbas is the best choice. Starting Reflection is enhanced by a special ability that increases magic defense. Obvious development of Fire Retribution strengthens Marbas's army, which, along with reflecting targeted spells, makes her almost invincible.
Nebiros – Chosen of Chaos
+ 1 to Luck, the opponent cannot use reconnaissance (the battle preparation phase)
Starting skills – Attack and Tactics.
Nebiros is a "universal tool." The opponent cannot optimally place units on the battlefield, while Nebiros himself fully utilizes the increased troop placement radius. The starting bonus to Luck is welcome, but as the hero's level grows, no abilities are strengthened, so he is somewhat static in development. On the other hand, Attack is a decent enough starting skill.
Gravel – Master of Hounds
Starting skills: Advanced Chaos Magic
Strengthening Cerberi is not bad, but still not as good as strengthening Succubi. But what does Chaos Magic have to do with it?
Alastor – Mind Stealer
The "Absent-mindedness" spell gains an additional effect, reducing the victim's mana pool by one unit for each hero level.
Starting skills: Basic Education and Magic Attraction.
Alastor would not be such a useless character if, for example, it weren't for Marbas's Magic Reflection or if he started the game with developed Dark Magic or obtained it at one of the early levels. With Dark Magic, he can drain mana not only from one spellcasting enemy unit – after a few levels, a mass version of the spell can be developed. Of course, this ability is undoubtedly useful in the late stages of the game, but until then, you can forget about effectively fighting the opponent.
Dirty Tricks
Actually, there's only one trick – using phantoms to summon additional troops. On the other hand, this spell still needs to be obtained…
So, these are essentially all the considerations regarding the Inferno castle – some of them may seem incorrect – any criticism is welcome. Congratulations to everyone who found the strength to read this unillustrated opus. As soon as new maps appear and the AI is improved, a review on tactics for other castles to counter Inferno can be written.
original:http://www.celestialheavens.com/viewpage.php?id=555
addition
Castle Build-up
By SEVER
Regarding the castle build-up (conditions: castle is NOT fully built)... 2 options...
1. Normal difficulty (Warrior):
Tavern-Imp Cauldron-Town Hall-Devil's Tower-Mages Guild-Hell Kennel-Cerberi Kennel-Fort-Magistrate-Halls of Temptation-Citadel-Blazing Rift-Fire Stables-Sacrificial Pit-Capitol-Castle... and so on according to the scheme
2. When playing on Hero difficulty:
Tavern-Imp Cauldron-Town Hall-Devil's Tower-Market-Resource Warehouse-Hell Kennel-Mages Guild-Magistrate... then as $ and resources accumulate, we implement the first scheme...
Depending on the map, it is sometimes useful to make adjustments to these schemes
write your ideas in this thread. I think refinements of such a guide will be useful for Heroes 5 beginners!
Those playing as Inferno, write your castle build-up. The guide needs to be supplemented...
An offline version of the manual has become available. Thanks to Admin for the idea.
Rean's Ghost :smile24:
