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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, you can acquire all possible machines. The building responsible for constructing these machines (or upgrading them) will be very expensive. New war machines will have 2 ranks: 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 gaining huge advantages from machines.) One upgrade or one new machine purchase 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, provided 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 — 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, provided 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 apply to the Speed Miner (with luck, placed mines deal double damage). It reveals mines placed by the enemy.
Inferno:
Basic machine — Stunning Catapult (upgrade of the regular catapult). +1 shot per turn. When a wall fragment or tower is destroyed, 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, provided 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. When a wall fragment or tower is destroyed, 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 destroying 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, provided machines are actually introduced into the game.) Can be used during city defense and in 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 apply to the catapult. The catapult becomes a full-fledged unit — i.e., initiative bonuses for machines, shooters, and large creatures apply. 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 of 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 applies to 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, provided machines are actually introduced into the game.) Damage is 2 times higher than that of a regular ballista.
Upgraded machine — Jagged (Thorny) Ballista. +2 shots per turn. Entangles with roots for 3 turns per shot. Morale applies (luck applies to the regular ballista). If the hero has the Enchanted Ballista ability, then no mana or action points are spent when casting the spell. Health +600. Defense +10. Initiative +6. (Numerical parameters will be balanced, provided machines are actually introduced into the game.) Damage is 4 times higher than that of a regular ballista. The ballista becomes a full-fledged unit — i.e., initiative bonuses for machines, shooters, and large creatures apply. 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, provided machines are actually introduced into the game.) Grants the hero the Armageddon spell. Armageddon does not affect the hero's Black Dragons. Spells cast on other dragons are 2 levels higher than usual. Magic Fist does not affect Black Dragons. (I generally don't understand why it affects 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, provided machines are actually introduced into the game.) Immune to all magic. Increases dragons' initiative by 10%. Grants the hero the Armageddon spell. Armageddon does not affect the hero's dragons. Hostile spells cast on other dragons are 3 levels 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, Pernicious Grip) do not affect dragons. Dragon Breath and Acid Breath deal no damage to friendly stacks. Has a Fire Shield. Hero's defense applies. Casts Anti-Magic at the Expert level 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, provided 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, provided 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 apply to Earth Tremor (with luck, spike damage is doubled, and it restores twice as much health to friendly Necropolis stacks).
Haven:
Basic machine — Strengthening Tent (upgrade of the regular tent). +6 healing charges. Adds +50 health to regular healing. Each time healing is used, 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. It continues casting the Heavenly Shield after healing charges run out. Health +400. Defense +7. Initiative +2. (Numerical parameters will be balanced, provided machines are actually introduced into the game.)
Upgraded machine — Protective Tent. +12 healing charges. Adds +100 health to regular healing. Each time healing is used, 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 Evasion and Stone Skin at the Expert level for U turns. It continues casting spells after healing charges run out. Health +600. Defense +10. Initiative +4. (Numerical parameters will be balanced, provided machines are actually introduced into the game.)
Dwarves:
Basic machine — Transporter. Teleports friendly stacks and casts Haste at the Expert level for U turns. Health - 700. Defense - 18. Initiative - 11. (Numerical parameters will be balanced, provided 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 stack's position is already greater than 0.5, the unit immediately gains the ability to move) and casts Punishing Strike, Haste, and Divine Strength at the Expert level for U turns. Health - 930. Defense - 21. Initiative - 13. (Numerical parameters will be balanced, provided machines are actually introduced into the game.)
