Posts from Analysis of factions, heroes, and playstyles for each faction.

I got acquainted with Heroes 5 when the raw first version was released. I tried it several times, playing a little, without delving into anything in particular. But quite recently, the game first interested me, and then completely captivated me. Now I want to understand everything that can be analyzed and discuss my thoughts with other people who are also interested in it.
This is a kind of preface: who is creating this topic and for whom.

I started looking at different races (castles, factions, sides - whatever you call them here?) and soon noticed various interesting features, the analysis of which I took up. I will start with the Academy, because it was with it that my greatest hopes and disappointments were connected.

Academy

Thank you to those who left comments. They, as well as some disappointment in the proposed super-ability, prompted me to look for styles based on heroes and the features of the Academy. At the moment, I have become closely acquainted with Nazir.

Nazir is a very strong damage dealer and remains so until the end of the game. By developing his school of chaos (secrets of chaos + pyromancy), we strengthen our focus on fire (wall of fire, fireball, armageddon). To support this focus, it is desirable to take education (magic attraction, then two bonuses to spellcasting) and enchantment (wisdom, secret knowledge, distraction). At level 15, a hero developed in this way will be able to compete with a Warlock in the effectiveness of destroying enemy units.

The hero's army will always be modest. Resources need to be saved and invested in buying artifacts, mini-artifacts, and upgrading the city. It is imperative to have a detachment of elemental gargoyles - they significantly increase the potential of our fire mage. Obsidian golems will be good only at the beginning of the game or in battles with neutrals (you can go out without losses, restoring their numbers and simultaneously hitting the enemy with a fireball). Steel golems can be taken if there is teleportation: they will be able to use their full potential only when surrounded by enemies. Gremlins are generally not needed, except as pests for heroes whose machines can be dangerous. As ranged units, they are very bad, and it is not rational to spend resources on providing them with an artifact. In addition, the building itself costs resources that can be spent on something more important. Warlocks will be good if you find at least two artifacts from the "Sar-Issa's Regalia" set. If this is not possible, then it is worth taking combat mages and accumulating them: they will replace weak, low-level ranged units. By the way, they should be protected, because by the end of the game, a hundred or one and a half combat mages with an artifact for initiative, life, and attack are a serious force. I will talk about genies separately below. Rakshasa need to be as durable as possible, so we take Rajahs and as many as possible. The priority for hiring Rajahs will be even higher than for Thunderbirds. The latter should be taken only because of their toughness: it will not be possible to accumulate many, and therefore their task is to live and protect the mages with their mighty chest.

Artifacts for creatures can be of two types, depending on our preferences: either we cast Armageddon over and over again, or we use fireballs and walls. In the first case, everyone needs magical protection; instead of Sultan Genies, we take Viziers (they will live longer). In the second case, physical protection, speed, life, and initiative will be useful. Elemental gargoyles in both cases need life and both protections, because we will throw them into the thick of the battle, and our spells will often hit them. Instead of simple life or protection, you can take speed, but only if after that the gargoyles will immediately fly where they need to - otherwise, this turns out to be an ineffective bonus.

The entire combat style boils down to skillfully using fire spells, destroying ranged units and mages, reducing the protection of thick and high-level units. Gargoyles help to block, increase magical damage, and tank (they, like mages, should be accumulated). Our mages shoot accurately or (if we managed to find two items from Sar-Issa's Regalia) help to get the maximum benefit from the aura of vulnerability of the gargoyles, that is, they cast fireballs. The task of all other units can change depending on the situation and the necessary tactics, but by default, it boils down to survival and supporting mages/gargoyles.

Now about the artifacts for the hero. Battle spirit, in my opinion, is not needed, because it does not provide constancy, and there is no point in it without leadership. Luck is also not our choice. It is worth taking everything for spellcasting first, then for protection. If the mages shoot, then you can add a little to the attack. If not, then you need to increase knowledge. I don't know, however, whether the bonus from artifacts is taken into account when calculating the effect of the created mini-artifact. If it is taken into account, then knowledge is put in second priority, and if not, then last. The Phoenix Feather Cloak will make us a monster of fire damage, the Ice Shield will increase the survivability of gargoyles under our spells, as well as all units under Armageddon.

As for the global strategy, we need to be greedy and minimalist until the decisive battles, for which we should accumulate strength. This will work quite well, since our hero will quickly become very strong. Of course, we need every unit of rare resource, so we travel a lot, capture, and collect. There is no logistics, so a couple of hero-scouts will come in handy: they are still useless in the castle, and fast reconnaissance will help to calculate the costs of a modest number of movement points; most of the resources are collected by these scouts. By the way, you can take mentorship for the sake of speed and share experience with them. Logistics may well drop out for at least one of two or three couriers. These same couriers should deliver troops to the hero. Our hero does not return to the castle unless it is necessary to create/significantly improve an artifact or learn the wall of fire, armageddon, evasion, or stone skin. If there is an opportunity to teach the second hero the craft of creating artifacts, then we use it and save the levels of the main hero, who will only need the sign of the magician (absorbing the artifact makes sense to take at the end).
Ideally, by level 22, you can achieve: developed magic of light (granting protection > protection from fire), skillful magic of chaos (we reach pyromancy), higher education (magic attraction, spellcasting reward, graduate), skillful enchantment (we reach distraction).

In short, for all factions without exception, there is (and sometimes more than one) a development path that doesn't rely on a Super Ability – often, this Super Ability isn't even the focus, not only because it's difficult to obtain, but also because the game ends much sooner (levels 15-20, or even earlier). Otherwise, your views are quite consistent with the time you've spent studying the intricacies of the game – a little later, as you gain more experience, they will change in the most unexpected ways.

antonag07 correctly pointed out. The super ability is mainly applicable in campaigns, but not in a game against another player. Even if you manage to acquire it, any normal light spell, for example, Haste, will not have a mass version, which is not ideal. So, it's better to have fewer spells, but make them more effective.
I'm not even going to mention that in some tournaments, as I've seen, taking Mentorship is prohibited by the rules. And how will you take a Specialist Archer without Mentorship?

I've updated the topic; I'd appreciate any new comments, criticism, and advice.

I don’t like Nazira, except maybe for a trickster build. Otherwise, he’s too specialized. Among fire spells, there’s only Fireball and Armageddon (the latter is what we use for the trickster build, combined with buffing gargoyles and alt-buffing golems). But we need to consider that we might not get strong fire spells in the town, it all depends on the random chance of what appears in the library. If there’s a spell library on the map, then yes, it can be used, but again, it’s better for a trickster build. If tricksters are banned, I wouldn’t use it at all.

I don't like Nazir, except maybe for using him with a "hithran" strategy. Otherwise, he's too specialized. Among fire spells, there's only Fireball and Armageddon (the latter is what we use for the "hithran" strategy, combined with buffing gargoyles and alt-buffing golems). But you need to consider that we might not get strong fire spells in the city; it all depends on the random chance of what appears in the library. If there's a spell library on the map, then yes, you can use it, but again, it's better for the "hithran" strategy. If "hithran" is prohibited, I wouldn't use it at all.

Yeah, Nazir will also lose effectiveness in battles against fire elementals, dwarven dragons, and those who have immunity to any type of magic or have more than 50% magic resistance.
Overall, some units from the Academy are specifically adapted to resist magic, so you can deploy obsidian gargoyles and obsidian golems and start using Armageddon on everyone. :)

In short, for all factions without exception, there is (and sometimes more than one) a development path that doesn't rely on the Super Ability – most often, players don't focus on this Super Ability not only because it's difficult to obtain, but also because the game ends much earlier (levels 15-20, or even sooner).

Otherwise, your views are quite consistent with the time you've spent studying the intricacies of the game – a little later, as you gain more experience, they will change in the most unexpected ways.

I agree with you; it makes sense to develop the Super Ability only in single-player scenarios and campaigns; in multiplayer, you won't have time.

ACADEMY

Necromancers weaken the enemy, elves shoot with bows, warlocks cast spells, but they only like Chaos magic; other types are difficult for them. But the Academy scholars can easily handle any magic. As for their troops... one might say that they counter the enemy's magic. But you can't win a battle just by defending, and after the orcs invaded, the Academy warriors learned many new tricks. Now it is they who bring victory, and the wizard commander, proudly sitting on an elephant, must provide them with support: with a blessing, stone skin, or, for example, by raising luck and morale. A mage is great because he uses all of this equally well, and, by the way, he does it well.

That is why you can take almost any hero into battle. The elves have only two or three decent commanders, but here almost everyone is good, although each of them has their own special path to glory. Perhaps this is what makes mages interesting – you won't get bored with them. But it is much more difficult to learn how to play with them. We will try to figure out who is the best of all the Academy scholars.

Nura. Mystic. Each turn in battle replenishes mana. Before each turn, her mana is restored by one unit for every three levels of the hero. A pleasant specialization, to say the least, especially for those who intend to fight using Chaos magic, which consumes mana like seeds. However, at the beginning of the game, Nura's specialization is almost useless. A few units per turn won't hurt, but they won't be of much use either...

At the beginning, we get "Fundamentals of Spellcasting" and "Mana Restoration," but "Secret Advantage" and "Distraction" will be unavailable. You can ignore the first one, but it's a pity about the second. In the "Spellcasting" line, it is worth learning "Counterspell," but it is not related to the specialization. Of course, take "Skilled Spellcasting."

Faiz. Destroyer. The "Destructive Ray" spell not only weakens the enemy but also deals ten units of damage for every three levels of the hero. Even one hundred units of damage is not much, and it is already difficult to reach level thirty. Besides, "Destructive Ray" is not the best spell at all. In general, a strange hero.

At the beginning, Faiz receives "Fundamentals of Dark Magic" and "Pain Master." This hero will have to specialize in weakening spells and focus on the additional damage they can inflict. But, unfortunately, there is not much point in this...

Hafiz. Gremlin Master. All kinds of gremlins in the army receive one unit of attack and defense for every two levels of the hero. Frankly speaking, gremlins are not outstanding fighters, and even with such a skilled hero, they still do not impress. It would be better for Hafiz to abandon his ungrateful task and go train creatures that are more suitable for fighting. And let the gremlins repair golems. They are good at that.
Initially, "Fundamentals of Mechanical Mastery" is available among the skills. And that's it.

Razzak. Golem Creator. All golems in the army receive one unit of attack and defense for every two levels of the hero. Golems are much more combat-ready than gremlins, especially those proudly called obsidian golems. The hero can build the entire battle around them, as there are special abilities designed to increase their movement speed. On the duel server, Razzak's golems caused quite a stir, and they also do not fail on the global map, although it is noticeably more difficult for them here.

At the very beginning, Razzak receives "Fundamentals of Defense" and "Resilience." A very useful ability, since doubling the health allows troops to fight longer. Here, perhaps, it is worth studying "Stone Strength" – then our golems will become truly invulnerable.

Nazir. Flame Lord. Enhances the "Fireball" spell: each time the damage from the spell is calculated, the hero's magic increases by one unit for every three levels of the hero. It's not that casting fireballs is a great occupation, because there is, for example, "Meteor Shower." But if you instruct the hero to only shoot fireballs and develop the entire Chaos line very well, you will get a nice mess.

Initially, Nazir has "Fundamentals of Chaos Magic" and "Fire Master." The latter allows you to further enhance the "Fireball" spell.
Narhix. Mentor. All mages receive one unit of attack and defense for every two levels of the hero. Unlike Razzak, Narhix loves communication. There is not much to talk about with golems... Unlike mages. But attack, and especially defense, is not particularly suitable for them. Therefore, the hero should be chosen only if you are sure that archmages will not be your trump card.

Initially, the hero has no skills, and this will be useful for those who want to create a hero from scratch. But the specialization cannot be changed, and you will have to take it into account.

Ora. Wind Speaker. The hero's initiative increases by five percent each level. An excellent ability, and combined with "Skilled Spellcasting" – simply magnificent. Remember, you can turn an Academy scholar into any mage – be it a Dark Mage or a Chaos Mage. She goes more often than many fighters on the field, and causes a lot of trouble to the enemies. And if Ora has more mana, she will become almost invincible.

Initially, Ora has "Fundamentals of Spellcasting" and "Secret Knowledge." All that remains is to develop the first to the expert level, and then gain skills as you see fit. Ora is a great hero. She does not specialize in any one spell and does not have favorites in her army. The player can choose her development path himself. This is a great advantage!

Jalib. Spell Weaver. Increases the likelihood that the "Magic Mirror" ability will reflect the spell not into a random target, but specifically into the enemy. The probability of this is 40% + 2% for each level of the hero. If the specialization does not work, the spell is reflected into a random target. Jalib is ambiguous. "Magic Mirror" is good against a necromancer, but not very good against a warlock.

Initially, he receives "Ghostly Luck." Luck is always useful – especially for those who rely on the army, not spells.

The third strongest hero is Nazir, from whom you can make a good combat mage. All his spells are chaotic, and the army is mostly antimagic. His obsidian golems are especially good: they can approach the enemy and take fireballs on themselves. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise they will absorb all the power of the blow and give nothing to the enemy. At the same time, a djinn vizier, possessing an artifact with bonuses to magical defense, can stand next to the golems. Both are immune to magic, but you should not overdo it with this either. After all, we are hitting the enemy, not demonstrating defense...

An elemental gargoyle will also look good in the army. It approaches the enemy, stands defiantly next to him, and... that's it. It is vulnerable to fire, but this vulnerability is contagious, so everyone around it dies from fireballs, as if from the plague.

Second place is awarded to the hero named Nura. Her mana replenishment in battle solves the problems of prolonged battles. Now you can exhaust the enemy fighters – especially the warlocks, whose mages quickly spend mana. If your troops survive the bombardment of Sinistar, it will not be difficult to win. The dark elf army is good, but requires magical support. And there won't be any.

The army of Nura needs to recruit the most stubborn fighters, who should move little and hit back a lot. It is not necessary to choose exactly this tactic, but otherwise it will be more difficult to realize the advantage. And so – the troops defend themselves, and Nura casts spells, and casts, and casts again. Like a machine.

And the first place is taken by Ora. She is a versatile hero, and her strength lies in the fact that she copes well with any magic. You can build the game only on her, or you can not take her into account at all, although it is not worth it – she goes too often. It is pointless to ignore this feature. Ora is not rigidly tied to any kind of spells or abilities, but at the same time she can be made a very strong mage.