Posts from Which Academy hero did you like the most?

Comparing unit, town, and hero compositions.

The mages in the second game were pretty good, I think. Although, the presence of pigs there... Well, other than that, it was fine. The Tower in the third game is an immortal classic, of course. I think many here know everything about this Castle inside and out. Having gremlins in the city is more interesting than having halflings in the second game, and the genies are even better integrated, without which this Castle is simply unthinkable. As for the nagas... The presence of snakes in the snow Castle is a debatable phenomenon, but the unit is interesting. Heroes 4, Order. I don't particularly like it. They gathered halflings, nagas, and even gnomes for some reason; in general, it has all the shortcomings of the mage Castles from previous series, except for the pigs. However, I think the dragon golems are a successful unit, better than the titan, as they are more unique. Heroes 5, Academy. The mages were moved from the snow to the desert and given a distinct cultural style, which is reflected in the architecture, the appearance of the units, and the heroes. This is definitely a positive aspect. However, in other respects, the Academy is a clone of the Tower from the third game, except that the nagas have turned into rakshasas, which I also consider a plus (on the other hand, rakshasas are very similar to nagas from the third game from a tactical point of view, so it's debatable).

In the second part, I don't particularly like the lineup. As time has shown, boars and birds didn't take root in the Mage Guild castle. Being the originator of the wizard faction, this city has firmly established itself with golems, mages, and titans.
The third installment. Here, I completely agree with user Ment: it's a classic of the series. But, in my opinion, it's not without its drawbacks: I personally don't like this kind of mix (European gremlins, gargoyles, and titans + Islamic djinns + Buddhist nagas + Jewish golems). I understand that all this is probably explained by the plot, the history of the world... But, overall, it still causes some rejection.
In the fourth part, I'm pleased with the presence of dwarves (it's logical, they are miners, and the Academy's fortresses were located in snowy mountains at that time, as far as I remember) and dragon golems (industry is flourishing, no doubt). Titans, mages, and now golden golems – standard. Djinns... Well, let's say it's acceptable. I don't like the presence of halflings and nagas. Especially the latter. In short, conceptually, it's better than the previous version. IMHO.
The fifth installment. The pluses: moving south; common cultural elements; excellent golems and mages. The minuses: essentially copying the lineup from the third part; gremlins wearing warm clothes in the deserts; completely ugly gargoyles, djinns, and titans; a contrived image of a sixth-level creature. Not the best version of this castle, in my opinion.
And, yes, the sixth installment! If this option were in the poll, I would choose it. Preserved traditions in the form of mages, golems, and titans + absolutely charming and beautiful djinns + magnificent gargoyles + new girls in the ranks of the Academy = the best wizard lineup in the series. It's a great pity that the faction was cut from the game. IMHO, it's much more appealing than its counterparts from parts 2, 3, and 5.
But, since I can't give my preference to the long-gone Academy of the sixth installment, I'm voting for its slightly less appealing predecessor – the Order of the fourth installment.

Regarding the third one—if you don't delve into this

...mixture (European gremlins, gargoyles and titans + Islamic djinn + Buddhist nagas + Jewish golems)...

then visually and logically everything is connected; there are no cows with saddles. A classic of the genre.
Regarding the fourth one—dwarves and hobbits (halflings) are not quite in place, they should be moved to some other faction... well whatever, I won't spell out why these are starting fodder. But as for the mages themselves—they're useless, flimsy, weak in magic and don't live up to their name—more like some kind of apprentices. The main plus is that it's the only school with a spell that allows map control.
I have nothing to say about the others, so I will abstain from voting.

Visually and logically, everything is connected.

Snakes cannot withstand sub-zero temperatures. In the vicinity of the Towers, there is always snow, and it doesn't melt. Therefore, the temperature there has indeed dropped below zero. And this would inevitably lead to frostbite on the tails of the Nagas. So, personally, I see an inconsistency.

Snakes cannot withstand sub-zero temperatures. There is always snow in the vicinity of the Towers, and it doesn't melt. Therefore, the temperature there has indeed dropped below zero. And this would inevitably lead to frostbite on the tails of the Nagas. So, personally, I see an inconsistency.

Why can't they withstand it? There are also warm-blooded snakes that, thanks to this and a clever mechanism for regulating metabolism, are capable of more or less active actions in the cold.
Besides, the Nagas are only half snakes.

Why can't they withstand it? There are warm-blooded snakes that, thanks to this and a clever mechanism for regulating metabolism, are capable of more or less active actions in the cold.

Snakes can generate heat, but as far as I remember, there are no warm-blooded ones among them. And you yourself wrote about more or less active actions; is it worth talking about engaging in a prolonged battle?...

Besides, Nagas are only half snakes.

I doubt that a practically naked person will be able to feel comfortable staying in the cold for a long time. Even hardened people will eventually need warmth.

Personally, I think that moving Nagas to a water-based island faction is a very correct decision, because snake-like creatures in eternal snows... is... strange, to say the least.

Snakes can generate heat, but as far as I remember, there are no warm-blooded snakes among them.

Once, there was a show about snakes on TV. They mentioned this one.

Personally, I think moving the Nag into the water-based island faction is a very good decision, because snake-like creatures in the eternal snows... that's... strange, to say the least.

According to Indian legends, the Nag lived in the so-called Third World, somewhere near the realm of the god of death, Yama. So, perhaps it would be better to place them in the Dungeon.

In the fourth game, the Mages are, in my opinion, the best. Mages (even though they are weak), djinns, golems, and titans – it’s a classic. I also like the Nagas. Adding dwarves, halflings, and another golem makes the Mages more interesting. However, the not-so-well-chosen abilities make the Mages not as strong as I would like.
In the fifth game, I didn’t like the shift to the south and the adoption of Arabic architecture.
In the third game, the Tower is an excellent castle, and I like most of it. BUT, gremlins throwing iron balls don’t quite fit the image of mages (even though a gremlin is a magical creature).
In the second game, I only remember the presence of pigs, but nothing else, so I won’t take it into account.
That’s why I like the Mages from the fourth game (even if they are a bit unbalanced).