Guide and walkthrough for "Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven". Heroes VI: General tactics and strategy of the game Walkthrough might magic heroes 6

Developer: Black Hole Entertainment

Publisher: Ubisoft

Publisher in Russia: Buka Entertainment

Release date: 13.10.2011

The game will be released on:

Plot

Factions

Order of Order

Also known as: Knights of light.

Briefly: A feudal Holy Empire, guarded by medieval knights and priests, with access to Light Magic and elite Angel troops.

Sources of inspiration: Medieval Western Europe (general atmosphere and design), Roman Empire (military organization and “Pax Romana” concept, i.e. the world within the empire is built in the image of the Roman Empire), Templars (personification of religious mission), Victorian England (strict class divisions)

Colors: azure blue, white, gold.

Symbolism: the “solar cross”, sun, falcon, sword.

Worshiped Deities: Elrath, the Dragon of Light and his first servants - Angels.

Basics of worldview: Law and Order are above Good and Justice.

Country/Kingdom: Holy Empire.

Capital: Falcon's Reach

Social organization: The system of government in the Holy Empire is a feudal theocracy. In theory, the Emperor has absolute power, but in reality the territory of the empire is divided into 6 duchies, dozens of smaller domains, at least 9 so-called "independent states" and so on, so the Emperor has to spend a lot of time managing his large nobility. Often, some controlled territories organize riots and uprisings, however, this rarely ends in serious bloodshed.
A theocratic system of government has various prerequisites, but the main one is the presence of Angels, the chosen children of Elrath. Although many of them died in ancient wars, their energy and charisma led the people living in their ancestral territories to abandon the worship of Silat, the Dragon of Air, in favor of Elrath. Angels are rarely seen in the Holy Empire, but they have played a large role in its history and culture.

Architecture:*Will be later*

Magic: The Order of Order relies solely on the Magic of Light, the "sacred" magic of Elrath and his ideals of Truth, Justice and Integrity.

Order of Order Strategy:
"No step back"
The Order of Order's troops are at home on the defensive and are known for forcing their enemies to fight in whatever territory they deem more advantageous.
The generals of the Order of Order focus on long-term defensive battles, whenever possible reducing the damage inflicted by the enemy.
The Hero of the Order of Order and the special skills of creatures act to weaken, absorb and redirect enemy attacks in order to reduce damage caused.

Strengths: massive positive spells (Mass buffs) and healing abilities, temporary and complete immunity to damage (racial ability), unit survivability, high morale and high retaliatory damage.

Weak sides: ranged combat, relatively low damage.

Racial ability: Guardian Angel - a friendly squad becomes invulnerable to physical damage and various negative effects.

The best weapons of the Order of Order are healing and defense, so the strike must be focused on the most dangerous enemy units in terms of damage inflicted in order to reach the point where the enemy can be “outhealed” (not sure exactly, but it seems to be the point when the recovery of hit points of your troops will begin to exceed the damage inflicted by the enemy).
Enemy creatures that can neutralize or cause great damage to the support troops of the Order of Order should also be one of the priority targets.

Canonical hero of the Order of Order: Paladin (Hero of the Sword)
Knights of the Empire, whose faith in Elrath is not inferior to that of the Priests of Light. In exchange for their loyalty, they are given the ability to add "Miracles" to their melee-oriented abilities, thereby replicating the power granted by Holy Magic.

Inferno

Also known as: Demons, Lords of Chaos.

Briefly: Demons are the personification of Chaos. They consider personal freedom and independence to be their only value and do not feel the need to justify their actions. They kill because they can or want to.
This is why they are seen as "evil" and dangerous, which is why the other factions of Ashan prefer to keep them imprisoned in their kingdom, Shio, created by Sar-Ilam.
However, even among these nations there are individuals who are seduced by the idea of ​​Free Will and ultimately become demon worshipers.

Sources of inspiration: Greek Maenads/Bacchae (companions and admirers of Dionysus), Rome during its decline (Nero, Caligula (aka Gaius Julius Caesar), Heliogabalus, etc.), Carthaginian and Aztec priests and priests.

Colors: black and red.

Symbolism: Ouroboros (snake eating its own tail) Unicursal hexagram, Chaos Spiral.

Worshiped Deities: the creator of all demons is Urgash, the Primordial Dragon of Chaos.

Basics of worldview:"The truth is in force." The ability to commit a crime is sufficient justification for committing it. Capture, rob and kill the weak - or not, as you wish - do not deny yourself your most selfish desires, seduce fools who do not understand the true meaning of “freedom”. The strong rule the weak.

Country/Kingdom: Shio, Fire Prison.

Capital: Ur-Hekal, "Gate of the Burning Heart."

Social organization:
Demon society is organized according to the principles of absolute monarchy. All orders from each of the six Demon Lords are carried out. Even the smallest signs of disagreement or disobedience are punished quickly and severely. Their subjects are organized into a rough and power-based hierarchy, with the stronger lording over the weaker. The most powerful demons call themselves Lords and claim some territory in hell as their property. The strongest of them keep entire cities and other places at the court of their Master and jealously protect them.

Magic: Demonic magic is summoned from unbridled chaos and is destructive in nature. In general, demons demonstrate an unrivaled ability to use the most negative aspects of all types of magic (immediate damage, damage over time, curses).
Most of their spells are actually corrupted versions of normal elemental spells.

Inferno Strategy:"Divide, Summon and Conquer"
Summon as many additional troops as possible, meanwhile spreading chaos and fire into the enemy ranks, and then order your shock troops to finish off the enemy.
Inferno generals focus on swift and dangerous attacks, high offensive capabilities of their troops, as well as on the destruction of enemy support and disruption of his tactical plans, calling for reinforcements.

Strengths: unrivaled potential for attacking spells, high mobility, melee troops tenacious and deadly, the ability to control Chaos (Fate/Luck, Space and Time) for your needs.

Weak sides: there is no way to support your own troops, low morale.

Racial ability: Opening the Gate - Inferno troops can call upon temporary reinforcements directly on the battlefield.

The entire Demon Nation is one big army. Each lives to prowl for prey and destruction, each with exceptional abilities to wreak havoc and destruction. United together into a disciplined army, Demons are virtually unstoppable.
Fortunately for enemies, disciplining demons is much more difficult than it seems, and small demons often require control from large, whip-wielding masters.
And even the frightening presence of legions of demons on the battlefield is not all, demons will resort to various tricks such as destructive area spells, mind control, shapeshifting, curses, etc.
And only when the enemy’s defenses are properly processed will the demons begin to attack. If there is discipline in the ranks of demons, they usually pierce with lightning speed everything that is in their path. Otherwise, they turn into an unorganized, profit-hungry crowd.
Demons also have other advantages over their enemies:
Being able to change the space-time continuum, they can teleport to the battlefield.
Also, the “Opening the Gates” ability allows them to call for reinforcements straight from Shio.
Demon weapons are covered in spikes, barbs, and hooks, all designed to inflict maximum damage, cause terrible pain, and make healing any wound they inflict extremely difficult.
Chaotic by nature, Demons have wild personalities and a correspondingly unpredictable fighting style.
Their unpredictable, wide-area abilities are also notable for their ability to affect their own troops, so their goal on the battlefield is often to make their opponents suffer more than they do.
It is usually better to sacrifice conscripted troops than regular ones, so playing passively at first can be beneficial and continues at least until the commander decides that enough troops have been conscripted to pit them against the enemy.

Canonical Hero Inferno: Hell Knight (Hero of the Sword)
This status is given to demon worshipers who have proven themselves excellent in serving their master.
The Knights of Hell are not real demons, but Humans (Elves, Dwarves...) who received the “blessing” of Urgash and were “changed” by Chaos Magic.
Their vicious bodies are now hidden in armor capable of sensation, and it can no longer be removed. They lead the legions of Demons in the lands of Ashan.
Unlike real demons, they are also not attached to Shio and can freely leave it, which makes them excellent agents of the Lord in the territory of Ashan.
Hell Knights are not great masters of Chaos Magic per se, but the ritual they endure grants them various "chaotic" abilities.

Necropolis

”Life is change, chaos, filth and suffering. Death is peace, order, everlasting beauty.”
“Life is change, chaos, depravity and suffering. Death is peace, order and endless beauty."

Also known as: Necromancers, Living Dead.

Briefly: The Necromancers formed as a small sect of Mages and developed into a powerful nation. They worship Asha in the form of a spider, her darkest form. At the same time, Necromancers interpret it in their own way, attaching special importance to death and extolling the state of the unliving, to which all Necromancers belong. They learn death magic that allows them to live forever, while on their path to immortality they also learn ways to control the souls of dead people (ghosts aka ghosts) and ways to raise the dead from their graves (skeletons aka skeletons).

Sources of inspiration: Ancient Egypt (Book of the Dead), Buddhism (asceticism and rejection of the world of flesh and blood as illusory and fleeting), all kinds of sects (fanaticism, cult of the leader, desire for order, freedom from all generally accepted moral principles).

Colors: black, white, fluorescent (poisonous) green.

Symbolism: Death Spider, Number 8: vertically located (Asha - the Lady of Time - hourglass) or horizontally (Asha - the Lady of Space - infinity).

Worshiped Deities: Necromancers worship Asha, the Primordial Dragon of Order, in her perverted "dead" form.

Basics of worldview:“Embrace the emptiness. Enlightenment can only be found after liberation from the flesh. Time is our ally, for everything that lives and will someday die...” Unhealthy fascination with death and fanatical attachment to all causes of death.

Country/Kingdom: Silver cities.

Capital: missing during the events of Heroes VI.

Social organization:
Necromancers are exceptional ascetics. Carnal pleasures are frowned upon by them, as are any forms of entertainment and celebration. The townspeople prefer to speak quietly or even in a whisper, no one is in a hurry and the streets are not much different during the day and at night. Those who have any errands quietly carry them out and then go home, where there are mainly childless social groups, called “families”, for no one has come up with a better term. Necromancers celebrate their birthdays in isolation and remorse. Procreation is generally frowned upon as it is considered a distraction from higher pursuits.

Magic: The Lords of Death specialize in destructive branches of Magic, with a particular affinity for the Primordial Magic of Order (discovered by Sar-Elam, the Seventh Dragon) and the elemental realms(?) of Darkness and Earth.
They also created their own branch of magic, which they called Necromancy.
Most of their spells involve destruction, weakening the body, and controlling the spirit.

Necropolis Strategy:"A dead enemy is a good ally."
The generals of Necropolis try to buy time, meanwhile weakening the enemy army and raising fallen troops from the dead, thereby creating an unstoppable army.
In this regard, they can rely on several abilities that provide long-lasting mass curses and "damage over time" (meaning spells like Plague), cancel healing of enemy troops, and resurrect fallen troops.

Strengths: mass curses and “damage over time”, targeted cancellation of healing and resurrection (we are talking, it seems, about the “resurrection” spell, and not about the racial ability of necromancers associated with raising the dead), tenacious troops, always neutral morality.

Weak sides: low mobility, low damage, limited abilities to support their troops.

Racial ability: Necromancy - any living creature or living dead that has fallen on the battlefield “feeds” a special scale. The player can use it to increase the size of one of his units. A certain percentage of creatures raised in battle remain after the battle.
Necromancers, like Mages, are rarely found directly at the front. They prefer to remain in the rear as command staff or support units.
The armies of Necropolis are countless hordes of the living dead, absolutely submissive, immune to fear and pain, advancing one wave after another.
However, the living dead are usually slow and clumsy, but with their numbers they cause the enemy to literally drown in bodies and ranks of dead enemies rise to replace their own fallen troops.
Necromancers also bring ghosts into battle for swift and targeted strikes. In many ways, ghosts for the Lords of Death are analogous to the Djinn for Mages.
As a rule, Necromancers drag out attacks for long hours, knowing full well that this is one of their main advantages. After all, their troops never tire.
Unlike most factions, Necropolis, while relying on its ability to "outlast" its enemies, does not usually focus on support, but rather on dealing damage.
Your goal on the battlefield should be to suppress the enemy's ability to inflict more damage than your army can handle.
Also, any support on the enemy side that can remove and cancel your curses should become one of the primary targets for suppression.

Canonical Hero of Necropolis: Necromancer (Hero of Magic)
Most high-ranking Death Lords choose the path of Necromancers, masters of dark curses, earth-based enhancements, and, above all, focus on fundamental control over time.

Citadel

"We Walk our own Path, Alone"

"We go our own way, alone"

Wars

Order of Order

Guardians

Crossbowmen

Priestesses

The Priestesses of Elrath are respected and loved by the people of the Empire, and in times of war they are always on the front lines to heal the wounded.

Gloria

Griffins

Riders of the Sun

Seraphim

Physically striking with their superiority, the Angels of Light are the messengers of Elrath and his shock troops on the face of Ashan. Being taller and much more beautiful than ordinary people, they radiate an aura of strength and courage. Seraphim are lower than angels and more similar to people. They appeared after the creation of the Falcon Empire. Their true origins are shrouded in mystery, but their faith in Elrath is absolute. In battle they use the swords of Justice and Mercy.

Inferno

Maniacs

Succubi

Cerberus

Uterus

Tormentors

Juggernauts

Cavespawn

Necropolis

Skeletons

Skeletons are nothing more than dead, rotted bodies raised by the will of a necromancer. Combining blind loyalty, indifference to hunger and thirst, and a lack of fear or doubt, they are meant to be ideal servants.

These are voracious spirits of the dead, raised by magic from lifeless bodies. Ghouls are tormented creatures filled with hatred for all living things.
Powerful necromancers are able to control them, but in any case they are wild and destructive. Turning into a ghoul is the worst punishment in Erish, and implies the eternal extraction of the soul from the circle of death and rebirth.
Ghouls feed on bodies and retain the infection in their blood and saliva.

After death, the children of the Dragon Gods ascend as spirits to the moon to spend eternity under the hand of Asha. However, accidents(?) can lead to the birth of ghosts, whose spiritual connection with the material world is very strong.
With the help of a special ritual, necromancers can turn ghosts into faithful servants under their absolute control.

When Liches become stronger, they gain the right to give their lives to the Spider Goddess and be reborn as Akharus, in other words, a “Vampire”. They undergo a ritual that gives them a young body, devoid of any flaws. Vampires no longer need to eat, drink, sleep or breathe, so their organs are “petrified”, and in their veins there is not blood, but spider venom.
However, they need to drink human blood to reduce the amount of poison, preventing their bodies from being destroyed from the inside.

High-ranking necromancers (Priests of the Spider Goddess) take a life-extending elixir created from the venom of sacred spiders. They mix this elixir with food.
This “treatment” turns them into Asaccus, in other words, “Liches,” drying up their bodies, but freeing them from carnal passions. However, they continue to age until they look like desiccated mummies... This poisonous mixture also turns their eyes green

Lamasu is an unsuccessful experiment by magicians to create a higher breed of beast people using an unnatural combination of humans (mainly slaves and criminals) and magical creatures (in this case, manticores).

The resulting creature turned out to be too weak (?) and short-lived, but still useful for necromancers. Necromancers raised their dead bodies and infected them with all sorts of infections. Their function as carriers of infection, combined with enormous physical strength, makes them excellent warriors in the vanguard of necromancer armies.

The Fate Spinners are avatars of the Spider Goddess, a true reflection of the Death aspect of Asha. They represent the will of the Goddess on the face of Ashan. The Fate Spinners often become a boon to the Necropolis, strengthening their ranks and supporting their growth.

Like the queen of the hive, she ensures the growth of the necropolis. Under her protection, the undead scour the territories in search of lost souls to join their ranks. Fate Spinners are also capable of taking the form of a female-spider hybrid with six arms and a pair of legs.

Pre-order

Digital Deluxe Edition

The Digital Delux Edition has the following content (everything that is included by default in the standard edition emphasized):

• Edge of Chaos - a mighty blade
• Akasha - unique game character
• Heart of Nightmares - additional card
• Yume, Kraal, Svetlanna, Aguirre - four unique heroes
• Staff of Asha - sorcerer's staff
• Staff of Cleansing - unique weapon
• Artbook 164 pages (PDF format)
• Game soundtrack by Rob King and Paul Romero (MP3)
• Poster size A2 (in PDF format)

Artifacts

Ashan Map

Spells

School of Fire

Heroes

Mocha

Mateva

Biography: Trusted, if not religiously revered, among the warriors of his tribe, Mateva was small in years but wise as the ancients.
This orc shaman said that he heard the angry voices of his ancestors in his first childhood dreams.
Mateva completed his initiation into dreamcatchers at age six and bears no twisted or mutating marks from the experience; except for the lightning bolt scar that runs across his entire chest.
A magnificent speaker and a clever joker, Mateva draws on the wisdom of thousands of orc warriors and hundreds of shaman-storytellers.
He often jokes that when he gets rid of their complaints, the day will come when the orcs will rule all of Ashan.
Specialization: Master of dream catchers (increase in dream catchers and dream thieves +3 per week)

Quan

Biography: Born into a family of pirates and given command of a ship at a young age, Quan amassed many spoils by plundering the merchant ships of the Seven Cities en route to the Jade Ocean.
Her fate took a turn when her ship was eaten by a giant sea monster, and she awoke 100 leagues below the surface of the ocean in the vast palace of a naga daimyo.
Quan was happy to be alive, but quickly realized that she was being held captive. After 5 years of captivity, during which she learned more about the vast and rich culture of the underwater naga than any person before her, she was awarded the daimyo's freedom and an island to do with as she pleased.
Specialization: Explorer (+2 to movement on land and sea)

Yugen

Biography: Yugen trained as a dancer with Naria's imperial troupe, the Silk Waves. This all-human force, over a hundred men and women, performs twice a year when the Eternal Empress leaves her vast palace beneath the ocean to visit the island provinces above its waters.
The prestigious troupe was destroyed by assassins for reasons that remain unknown.
Yugen was one of the three survivors and became a servant of Shalassa in gratitude to the Dragon Goddess for her miraculous salvation.
The Eternal Empress nevertheless asks the surviving trio to perform once a year, which is the only time Yugen dances in public.
He says his dancing is so sad that the eel dragons cry when he dances.
Specialization: Brook Spirit Master (production of Brook Spirits and Mizugami increased by 3 per week).

Lorish

Biography: Once a nursery master in the court of Emperor Connor himself, Lorish now works hard at the Cerberus nursery in the heart of Shio. A man of principles, he betrayed his loyalty, if not his calling, when he refused, on the orders of the emperor, to hunt down young orcs who were stealing apples from the orchard. Sacked from his post and facing bleak prospects, Lorish drowned his sorrows in ale until a mysterious beauty promised him a new life for a bit of information about the royal hunt planned for the end of the month during a visit to the Greyhound Principality. Lorish accepted her offer, and as a result of the attack, half of the imperial retinue was killed. Under torture for his part in the conspiracy, Lorish died of his wounds, but did not reveal the identity of the lady - this was taken into account when he was revived under her command in Shio.
Specialization: Cerberus Master (Hellhound and Cerberus production increases by 6 per week)

Deleb

Biography: Do not confuse Deleb, servant of the lord of pain Ur-Thraggal, with a succubus, he is not.
And to prove this, we are pleased to invite you to test her new mechanical structure - a machine for tearing, cauterizing and burning skin in ways hitherto unknown. Not without a smile, of course.
As a master of firebending, she could happily spend hours telling you the difference between burning and scorching, or between branding and scalding, but she would be much quicker to demonstrate it to you.
Specialization: Fire Master (the effectiveness of fire magic spells has been increased)

Sir Jaywoods

Biography: Sir Jaywoods, formerly a knight of the Unicorn Duchy, will tell you that he decided to become a vampire because there is more life in half a dozen ghosts than in a hundred living, breathing townspeople, and it's not far off.
Sir Jaywoods is obsessed with the future, a fascination illuminated by his father's passion for history. He wants to know who will rule Ashan in five hundred years, what regular discoveries of arcane magic might lead to, and whether there will be a place for gallant people like him.
There was only one way to find out - to become an immortal vampire. He's willing to bet that life will remain cruel and bloody regardless of age, but while he waits to find out if this is true, he happily hunts demons.
Specialization: Enlightened (The hero starts with the Enlightenment ability and an effective bonus to it)

Scathach

Biography: Scathach left the kingdom of Tuidana at the age of 24, going to study the way of the sword in the Seven Cities at the invitation of the blademage Deras Ban, one of Ashan's greatest weapon masters. She was a brilliant student and studied until her queen was attacked by the Holy Falcon Empire. Deras Ban, who immensely adored his invaluable student, sent her into hiding in his hometown of Al-Betyl, fearing that the top Mages of the Seven Cities would side with Emperor Liam and might throw her into prison simply as a gesture of goodwill. While Scathach was hiding in the luxurious dungeons of Al-Betyl, she became acquainted with the cult of the Spider Goddess. Her conversion is shrouded in secrecy, but she is devout and enjoys the trust of Mother Namtaru and the necromancer Svetlana.
Specialization: Master of Agony (The hero starts with the “Agony” ability and an effective bonus to it)

Lord Haart

Biography: A protégé of the House of Hart, Lord Haart demonstrated his mettle at a young age, participating in the Elven Wars as Lord Cyrene's squire at the age of thirteen.
After the mystical disappearance of Lord Kien, Lord Haart devoted himself entirely to the path of the sword, becoming the youngest knight in the history of the duchy, not to mention the fact that he became the bravest of the knights. Gossip says that when the grumpy innkeeper Bardon Fleece mocked the famous knight For his reticence in discussing the experience gained in the Elven Wars, Lord Haart had his dress altered by the tip of a blade from three steps.
Specialization: natural leader (hero starts with +4 leadership)

Eileen

Biography: Lady Eileen first became famous for giving birth to identical triplets. Elrato's amazing blessing was overshadowed by the fact that her three sons were kidnapped by mercenaries greedy for ransom and held captive for seven years.
At a time when Emperor Liam himself was offering a huge reward for the return of the children, Eileen returned to Elrath and became an extremely devout priestess. After returning the children and executing their captors, her sons were far from the gentle angels she once knew and were sent to an inquisitor school to be re-educated.
Eileen continues to see them regularly, but she relies more on Elrath's prayers and church education to raise them than on her personal attention.
The secret of Eileen's fury is the turn of fate in her life, which gave her a very pragmatic, if not expedient, sense of justice.
Specialization: Master of Sisters (production of sisters and vestals increases by 6 per week)

Main characters

At the origins of the dynasty stands Duke Paul Gryphon, who was a fanatical servant of the Light and a loyal lieutenant of the Emperor of the Falcon Dynasty. He met his death defending his Duchy from a host of demons summoned by the dying wish of the enemy army.
Paul's last support was his son Glory, who was still a boy in those days.

Paul's sister Sveltana, who left her native lands to study Necromancy in the 7 Cities, returned to her homeland to act as regent for Glory and teach him the ways of the Griffin family. 15 years have passed since those events, and now Duke Glory Griffin father of five children. They will be the main characters of Heroes 6, and will lead the armies of various factions into battle.

Bosses

Hai Ro

Options :

• Health Points (HP): 75004
• Attack: 4650 (Magic-Water)
• Initiative: 50
• Physical protection (PF): 43%
• Magic Defense (GP): 43% Oda gave birth to the world, and then gave birth to six Elemental Dragons to rule it.
  She controls the destinies of all mortals, starts the wheel of fate at the moment of their birth, controls them throughout their lives and stops their clocks at the moment of death.
  Asha is very careful in maintaining neutrality. They never take the side of good or bad, dwarves, elves or orcs. The entire universe is her creation.
  Be that as it may, she is diametrically opposed to the principles of chaos of her insane twin brother Urgash and his abnormal children - demons.
  After the Creator Wars, Asha went to her guarded refuge in the depths of the moon to sleep, heal and dream.
  In fact, the moon is a cocoon woven around itself. This is a reflection of the World Egg, time itself, the last place where dragons can rest, the gateway to the afterlife (from which all souls come to Ashan and where they return after death).
  No one worships the true Asha. She is above this, but she is served by the White Spinners, Blind Brothers and Silent Sisters, who help during childbirth, interpret omens (I don’t remember exactly, like the fairies in Sleeping Beauty), perform funeral rites (playing the roles of midwives, seers, oracles, embalmers, funeral organizers) around the world.
  Note: Necromancers (Necropolis) chose Asha as their divine patron. However, their strength and vision of Asha's strength and characteristics are incorrect, perverted by their destructive essence.

  Three Faces of Asha:

  Saint: Fate - Justice - Future - Waxing Moon
  The Holy Blind Mother is a harbinger of fate, spinning here and there, invisible, making sure that all living things fulfill their role. She is the “Hand” that can catch anyone to save or kill him.

  Mother: Life - Creation - Present - Full Moon
  (Eternally Pregnant) The Mother sees everything, as do her creatures and her children. By giving life, it gives form to chaos, gives meaning to potential. This was the first thing Asha sent out from their Void, which created the universe and allows it to develop. She is the “Heart”, unconditional love, compassionate to everyone - good and bad.

  The Witch: Death - Destruction - The Past - Waning Moon
  The witch is an image of death. Old and wrinkled, she cuts the thread of life with a sickle, holding it in her gnarled fingers. She is the "Head", intelligent and calm, endowed with infinite wisdom and absolute knowledge.

  Symbolic images:
  Moon. Number 3 (in its three aspects). The number 8 (in the shape of an hourglass and a lying 8 - the symbol of infinity).

  Figurative description:
  Asha is a huge winged dragon, noble in appearance and full of grace, as befits the Empress and Mother of the Elemental Dragons. Its appearance is dominated by angles rather than roundness, completely symmetrical, seemingly complex, but absolutely ordered. Her scales are a deep black color, like interstellar space, but myriads of lights constantly flash across her skin, usually in a certain way, like microconstellations. Her eyes emit a soft silvery light, but they can explode in a blinding flash like a supernova.

  The span of its wings is so enormous that to the average person they seem endless.

  Urgash

  

  The Chaos Dragon is an indomitable and wild force, a primordial chaos with boundless energy and an infinite variety of forms.
  He is gluttonous and insatiable, he is “a serpent that devours its own tail.”
  He is the father of wanton destruction, frantic distortion and creeping madness.
  He is the ancestor of demons.
  Urgash is completely unpredictable. His “logic” defies the understanding of mortals. One time he can save, and another time he can kill, in a second he can switch from laughter to crying, switch from cruelty to calm.
  Long ago he was banished to Shio, the heart of Ashan, but demons live in this prison of the world and help him achieve his desires.

  Symbolic images:
  Number 0/circle (primordial emptiness, Ouroboros, wheel of Fortune, completion of the cycle, stagnation in movement, etc.)

  Figurative description:
  Urgash is a dragon of colossal size, with distorted forms, constantly changing. His abilities are monstrous and scary to think about. Its thick black scales are never in the same position and seem to be made of hot molten metal.
  Bone outgrowths (horns, spikes) constantly crawl out of his body and immediately retract back. The blood from his wounds is constantly transformed into an aggressive and poisonous liquid that corrodes everything that comes into contact with it.
  Urgash is constantly shrouded in a kind of haze that distorts the real world around him.
  Urgash's mouth is filled with rows of jagged teeth and he can open it to incredible widths. He is truly an insatiable devourer of worlds.
  After centuries spent in the burning heart of Ashan, only pain, madness, hunger and hatred are reflected in his eyes.

  Silanna

  Silanna is loved by the elves, the silent rulers of her forests.
  The Earth Dragon is the most phlegmatic, unhurried and balanced among the Elemental Dragons.
  Peaceful and cautious, Earth acts only after much thought and study.
  She often acts as a peacemaker among her siblings.
  She is a guardian of nature, very fond of plants, animals and living stones that grow from her “back”, and the only way to awaken her wrath is to destroy or desecrate her sacred groves and stone circles.
  Sylanna is worshiped by druids, rangers, hunters, farmers and shepherds, as well as stone and wood carvers.
  She is the patron goddess of the elves (Forest Union).
  
  Figurative description:
  Silanna is the strongest of the dragons. Her appearance is filled with resilience and calm determination. Her dense emerald scales are as hard as diamonds and are covered with moss, plants, trees, etc.
  Silanna is wingless, her legs are massive and short (so that she almost touches the ground). In anger, she causes earthquakes by stamping her feet.
  The goddess’s breath is a cloud of stone fragments that tear the target to shreds, or “turn to stone”, covering them entirely, like waste rock.

  Ilat
  

  
  Young and impulsive, the Dragon of Air is a seeker of dangerous knowledge, crafts that are passed on from father to son, countless data about the world that he sees from above.
  Like the wind, he travels everywhere, collecting everything he sees and hears on his way.
  Curious and intuitive, he quickly gets to the heart of things, but he is still too restless and frivolous.
  Ilat never sought self-worship. His only commandments are that followers must seek, study and enjoy life to the fullest, but most importantly that they can do whatever they want as long as they respect and honor the world created by the Dragons (which is the decisive difference between Ilath and Urgash).
  He is the patron god of people (the youngest people, since Ilat is the youngest Dragon God), but was supplanted in the Holy Empire by his brother Elrath.
  However, he is still revered by the nomadic barbarian tribes who roam vast areas outside the Holy Empire, as well as in the alliance of the southern Free Cities.
  He is also revered by travelers, bards and spies, jesters and actors, flatterers, rakes and thieves, and even some wizards (for his extensive secret knowledge, and also for his desire to simplify knowledge that seems “hermetic”).

  Figurative description:
  Ilat is the smallest of the Elemental Dragons. His appearance speaks of speed and agility. Its delicate scales are silvery-white. His wings seem fragile, but they are powerful enough to create a whirlwind.
  Ilat's breath is a bolt of lightning that strikes with absolute precision.
  

  Arkat

  Dwarves, stern masters of blacksmithing and fire, gathered under the wing of Arkat.
  The Fire Dragon is reckless, hot-tempered and irritable. Selfish and ardent, ferocious in battle, he is subject to passions and impulses.
  He is revered by thrill seekers, those who perceive life as a constant struggle and waste their strength recklessly, but also by blacksmiths who shed their sweat and blood as a symbol of sacrifice to the fire.
  Arkat is the patron god of the gnomes (Northern clans).

  Figurative description:
  Arkat is the largest of the Elemental Dragons. His appearance is full of physical strength, ferocity and passion. Its thick red-gold scales are like lava - scorching hot and red-hot.
  His breath is a stream of fire that burns everything it engulfs.
  Arkat is wingless and prefers to move on two legs (standing on his hind legs, he towers over the enemy).

  Shalassa

  Shalassa populated her domain with snake-like Nagas, who can move freely both in water and on land.
  The Water Dragon is modest, quiet and secretive. She is an unflappable mystic, the wisest of dragons, and the depth of her knowledge is only slightly inferior to that of her sister Malassa, for her watery kingdom is filled with forgotten knowledge and treasures.
  Of all things, she values ​​diplomacy, flexibility and adaptability most of all. However, if she decides to act, she will be fast and indomitable. When you fight the waves, don't expect to win.
  Shalassa is revered by sailors, fishermen and pirates, as well as prophets, hermits and sages.
  She is the patron goddess of the Nagas (Sanctuary, Peoples of the Waters).

  Figurative description:
  Shalassa is the most graceful of the Elemental Dragons. Her appearance is full of calm and wisdom. Its scales harmoniously combine jade green and turquoise colors.
  Shalassa has no wings, but fins instead of legs. It looks like a sea serpent or an Asian dragon.
  The breath of Shalassa can be a tidal wave, a scorching geyser, or a bone-chilling blizzard.

  Mallasa

  Malassa rules over the gloomy and mysterious Faceless Ones.
  Dragon of Darkness, Faceless Enemy, Crawling Shadow with a hundred faces and a thousand whispers. Darkness is a fickle and dangerous mistress.
  Darkness seems meaningless and formless, but it is multi-knowing. She is here and there at the same time, watching close and from afar, absorbing your words and cries.
  In its depths lie all the forgotten memories, the buried secrets of the past.
  Malassa is mainly worshiped by madmen and doomsayers, fearless spies and assassins.
  She was once the patron god of the faceless, but almost all of them were exterminated during the Ancient Wars.
  Apparently, she made an ominous pact with the dark elves (League of Shadows)

  Figurative description:
  Malassa is the most elusive of the Elemental Dragons. It is impossible to determine its exact type. Her body and wings are covered with dark scales with a purple tint, but she is almost ethereal, like dense smoke, or a play of light and shadow.
  Its wings are dotted with dozens of “eyes”, peering into the invisible world and restoring forgotten secrets.
  Malassa never speaks, only whispers. Her words are always mysterious, so that only true believers can hope to understand her.
  The Breath of Malassa is a cloud of Darkness that dulls the senses and fills the mind with terrible visions.

  Elrath

  Elrath leads the shining and immortal angels.
  The Dragon of Light is revered as the sun god and the (true) patron of power, truth, honor and justice.
  Its servants strive to dispel darkness, overcome evil and glorify personal courage and heroism.
  He was once revered by angels, but almost all of them died during the Ancient Wars.
  In modern times, Elrath became the patron god of the Holy Empire (Alliance of Light).

  Figurative description:
  Elrath is the most magnificent of the Elemental Dragons. He is the embodiment of nobility and power. Its exquisite scales are pure gold, but do not reflect light, but glow from within. His wings are covered not with scales, but with feathers, like those of his children.
  Elrath does not possess the “breath of the dragon,” but in his righteous anger he emits rays of blinding light from his eyes.

  
  

Good day everyone!

The other day I was reproached for not doing anything and letting others do “at least something.” I won’t bring up that topic completely, but just do “something” and, hopefully, not just “something.” ;)

So, I want to talk about how to play sixth heroes in general. Without reference to factions or hero specializations. I’ll start, perhaps, with the skills that are a must-have almost always and for all GGs. This is (the names may differ from the official ones, as I am writing from memory):

• Tactics- without it, you simply will not be able to arrange your troops before the battle in such a way as to reduce losses. You can, of course, try to do this in battle, but in practice this is not always possible. Therefore - a must have. There is only one limitation - it is hardly worth taking tactics as the first skill, because before reaching the second level there are usually opponents that do not require tactics to defeat. However, it will be very useful to you already at 2-3 levels of the hero, when you need to fight with more complex mobs.
• Logistics- a very useful skill that allows you not only to run around the map faster, but also, accordingly, to catch up with enemy heroes, run away from them, and also carry out more battles with mobs in the same time (simply, you will have time to reach the big ones). You can take first, but not necessarily. In principle, you can play without it at all, but then you risk finding yourself in a losing position. For example, you met an enemy hero who has an army of equal strength. We met not far from the castle (no matter whose) on the sixth or seventh day. The enemy has logistics and plus some artifact like boots that speed up movement on land. But you have no logistics and no luck with boots. The enemy quickly dives into the castle (especially unpleasant if it is your castle and it is now unprotected due to the fact that the hero(s) have all the troops) and, voila, the forces are no longer equal, but there is an advantage in his favor. The situation is similar with forts, as you understand. So I still recommend taking logistics and doing it at the first levels of the hero (you will level up faster due to a longer path and more battles per week).
• Education- simply an excellent skill that increases the experience the hero receives by 25%. This means that you will level up 25% faster than those who have not taken this skill. Naturally, if you’re going to take it, it’s better at the first levels or even right at the start. In the campaign, by the way, the skill is of little use - you will reach the maximum level even before the completion of the mission begins to sparkle on the horizon. You can take it in a campaign to speed up the experience gain, but most often there are other more useful skills. But when playing on regular maps against computers or friends online, I recommend taking it first - it will make life much easier if you are not afraid to wait a little until new skill points appear. By the way, you can give education to the hero even before the game when creating him - this is even more effective. But here you need to take into account that when creating, you have access to such features of the heroes that you will no longer be able to take in the game. For example, an increase in the growth of creatures (+1 selected creatures or the same +2 liches for necrs). Having a quickly leveling hero is also beneficial for reaching strong supporting heroes, which we will discuss below.
• Mentoring- the very skill that allows you to quickly “upgrade” secondary characters to a level comparable to the level of the main character. The main character can take it at the fifth level, if it is on fire, but it makes sense to wait until the sixth level - then, during training, the secondary character will immediately receive the fifth level and, accordingly, will be able to take skills from the second line. This is especially beneficial for construction heroes, since at level five they will unlock a skill that allows them to save 20% of resources during construction. Although this is not out of place for the “cockroaches” - at the fifth level they will have a skill that gives an additional market.
• Architect 1- all builders and “cockroaches” without exception should take this skill. +1 main creatures per week will not be superfluous. The only ones who don’t need the skill are the GG and the second (third?) combat hero.
• Reinforcements, Regeneration, Treatment And Drainage It’s worth taking for almost everyone, even people/nagas/necrs who have healing units. Of course, all of these skills at once are unlikely to help you, on the contrary, the hero will become weaker due to the lack of other useful skills, and you will not be able to use all the healers at once (the cooldown is usually 3 turns, so you usually don’t need more than three spells/abilities - 1-2 mass and a couple of singles are quite enough). Do not forget that units called in as support cannot be healed and they will not remain with you after the battle. By the way, there is currently a bug in the game with this ability. The fact is that if you call for help after someone on the stack has died (and has not yet been resurrected), then at the end of the battle he will still be considered dead. Perhaps this is not a bug, but was intended to be so - there is a certain logic, although it contradicts the description of the skill in the game.
• Kinship with magic- this skill is worth taking if you lack mana and/or its recovery speed. For magicians, of course, it’s a must for everyone, but for warriors who occasionally use spells in battle, at least one level will also come in handy - you must admit, it makes a difference whether you have 50-60 mana or 80-90. You can play without it at all, but then you should count on reducing losses primarily due to reinforcements and resurrecting troops in the castle (humans and necrs) and very rarely rely on the 1-2 spells available (literally after one serious battle your warrior there will be no more mana left if he has to use a general healing once and a single one). Therefore, in most cases it is better to spend a point on affinity with magic.

General principles of strategy.

1. Try not to drain troops on neutrals
2. On the first day, if you have enough money, we build a tavern and hire a second hero. For what? It's simple - this way you get almost twice as many troops and, accordingly, neutrals become more easily passable. In addition, you also get someone who will run around the surrounding lands and collect resources and artifacts. Why shouldn't the main character do this? Again, everything is simple - a) a hero with an army moves slower than a single hero; b) the main character’s main task is to level up as quickly as possible, and also to recapture all the mines/sawmills/dwellings/forts that he can reach as quickly as possible. Therefore, everything that is lying is collected by your “cockroach”, and the GG is not distracted by this. He can afford to enter a mine/dwelling, but only if the “cockroach” does not have time on the same turn, and you need a bloody nose so that the resource is added on the next turn. Well, or if there is a battle coming up and you need dwelling units to get through it without losses. Well, or if there is a bunch of resource that is not enough to build the next building on this turn, and the “cockroach” again does not have time (although with its speed you still have to manage not to keep up with the GG;)).
3. Construction at every turn. There is only one exception to this rule - if you can build on the current turn only what you do not need, but if you wait 1-2 turns, you will be able to erect a useful building. What and how useful is up to you. Personally, I prefer to enter the third level of the city in the first week. Otherwise, I simply run out of funds and I cannot build for too long. On the other hand, 2-3 creature buildings must be built before the end of the first week. Otherwise, in the second week you will not have enough troops to continue expansion.
4. It makes sense to make a builder from the third hero, since by the end of the week you are unlikely to have the opportunity to bring him to the fifth level and take a reduction in the cost of construction. And the second hero will rarely have the opportunity to sit in the castle - he runs after the main character. Well, it’s better to make a builder out of a warrior hero, so that on occasion you can bring the architect to the third level and get the opportunity to build two buildings per turn.
5. If you are not playing a campaign, then when relatively large armies and free funds appear (if played correctly, this happens at about the same time), it is worth buying a hero designed to become a second combat hero. If the GG knows how to teach, we quickly bring the second one to the “graduate class”, then we give him an army and go to farm. Well, or we run through the obelisks to gain additional experience. Well, or we just sit in the city and are afraid of those who might come (this is the worst option, since your hero does not level up at all; remember - you need to pick out exp from the insides of neutrals and enemy troops).

While there are few troops, vestals, priestesses or spirits walk in one stack. When you have about 20 pieces, you can usually divide them into two stacks, but it’s better to do this when you have 25-30. Similarly, when the number of healing units reaches 45 heads, we divide them into three stacks. By the way, it’s a pity that there is no button for dividing the stack into three parts. :)

Why divide doctors? After all, the fewer of them in the stack, the weaker they heal? The fact is that all healers only have two uses of treatment. If you are sure that you don’t need anything else, of course you shouldn’t divide the stack. But more than three stacks of healers are almost never required. No, I had such practice (forced), but it was not pleasant. And in this case, it won’t be possible to take everyone into the squad. In general, my advice is 3 stacks of healers until there is a need to free up a slot for another stack of other creatures. Likewise, then 2 stacks of healers until you need to release again. Personally, when playing on regular maps, I prefer not to take all seven types of creatures into a squad - not all units are equally useful. For example, I don’t take Lamasu into my squad from the Necrs (they are given to the second hero so that he doesn’t get bored and has a more or less strong stack).

Tactics for playing as demons and orcs

Here, excuse me, I can’t say anything worthwhile other than what has already been said in the section on skills. The fact is that I haven’t played much with these factions and therefore I practically don’t know their intricacies. When I have more knowledge and understanding, I will definitely write, if no one gets ahead of me before. ;)

Arrows.

I don’t think anyone needs to explain that shooters need to be hidden behind other units? If necessary, take the second level of tactics, although from experience I can say that you can manage to cover the first ranks in almost any battle.

Developer: Black Hole Entertainment

Publisher: Ubisoft

Publisher in Russia: Buka Entertainment

Release date: 13.10.2011

The game will be released on:

Plot

Factions

Order of Order

Also known as: Knights of light.

Briefly: A feudal Holy Empire, guarded by medieval knights and priests, with access to Light Magic and elite Angel troops.

Sources of inspiration: Medieval Western Europe (general atmosphere and design), Roman Empire (military organization and “Pax Romana” concept, i.e. the world within the empire is built in the image of the Roman Empire), Templars (personification of religious mission), Victorian England (strict class divisions)

Colors: azure blue, white, gold.

Symbolism: the “solar cross”, sun, falcon, sword.

Worshiped Deities: Elrath, the Dragon of Light and his first servants - Angels.

Basics of worldview: Law and Order are above Good and Justice.

Country/Kingdom: Holy Empire.

Capital: Falcon's Reach

Social organization: The system of government in the Holy Empire is a feudal theocracy. In theory, the Emperor has absolute power, but in reality the territory of the empire is divided into 6 duchies, dozens of smaller domains, at least 9 so-called "independent states" and so on, so the Emperor has to spend a lot of time managing his large nobility. Often, some controlled territories organize riots and uprisings, however, this rarely ends in serious bloodshed.
A theocratic system of government has various prerequisites, but the main one is the presence of Angels, the chosen children of Elrath. Although many of them died in ancient wars, their energy and charisma led the people living in their ancestral territories to abandon the worship of Silat, the Dragon of Air, in favor of Elrath. Angels are rarely seen in the Holy Empire, but they have played a large role in its history and culture.

Architecture:*Will be later*

Magic: The Order of Order relies solely on the Magic of Light, the "sacred" magic of Elrath and his ideals of Truth, Justice and Integrity.

Order of Order Strategy:
"No step back"
The Order of Order's troops are at home on the defensive and are known for forcing their enemies to fight in whatever territory they deem more advantageous.
The generals of the Order of Order focus on long-term defensive battles, whenever possible reducing the damage inflicted by the enemy.
The Hero of the Order of Order and the special skills of creatures act to weaken, absorb and redirect enemy attacks in order to reduce damage caused.

Strengths: massive positive spells (Mass buffs) and healing abilities, temporary and complete immunity to damage (racial ability), unit survivability, high morale and high retaliatory damage.

Weak sides: ranged combat, relatively low damage.

Racial ability: Guardian Angel - a friendly squad becomes invulnerable to physical damage and various negative effects.

The best weapons of the Order of Order are healing and defense, so the strike must be focused on the most dangerous enemy units in terms of damage inflicted in order to reach the point where the enemy can be “outhealed” (not sure exactly, but it seems to be the point when the recovery of hit points of your troops will begin to exceed the damage inflicted by the enemy).
Enemy creatures that can neutralize or cause great damage to the support troops of the Order of Order should also be one of the priority targets.

Canonical hero of the Order of Order: Paladin (Hero of the Sword)
Knights of the Empire, whose faith in Elrath is not inferior to that of the Priests of Light. In exchange for their loyalty, they are given the ability to add "Miracles" to their melee-oriented abilities, thereby replicating the power granted by Holy Magic.

Inferno

Also known as: Demons, Lords of Chaos.

Briefly: Demons are the personification of Chaos. They consider personal freedom and independence to be their only value and do not feel the need to justify their actions. They kill because they can or want to.
This is why they are seen as "evil" and dangerous, which is why the other factions of Ashan prefer to keep them imprisoned in their kingdom, Shio, created by Sar-Ilam.
However, even among these nations there are individuals who are seduced by the idea of ​​Free Will and ultimately become demon worshipers.

Sources of inspiration: Greek Maenads/Bacchae (companions and admirers of Dionysus), Rome during its decline (Nero, Caligula (aka Gaius Julius Caesar), Heliogabalus, etc.), Carthaginian and Aztec priests and priests.

Colors: black and red.

Symbolism: Ouroboros (snake eating its own tail) Unicursal hexagram, Chaos Spiral.

Worshiped Deities: the creator of all demons is Urgash, the Primordial Dragon of Chaos.

Basics of worldview:"The truth is in force." The ability to commit a crime is sufficient justification for committing it. Capture, rob and kill the weak - or not, as you wish - do not deny yourself your most selfish desires, seduce fools who do not understand the true meaning of “freedom”. The strong rule the weak.

Country/Kingdom: Shio, Fire Prison.

Capital: Ur-Hekal, "Gate of the Burning Heart."

Social organization:
Demon society is organized according to the principles of absolute monarchy. All orders from each of the six Demon Lords are carried out. Even the smallest signs of disagreement or disobedience are punished quickly and severely. Their subjects are organized into a rough and power-based hierarchy, with the stronger lording over the weaker. The most powerful demons call themselves Lords and claim some territory in hell as their property. The strongest of them keep entire cities and other places at the court of their Master and jealously protect them.

Magic: Demonic magic is summoned from unbridled chaos and is destructive in nature. In general, demons demonstrate an unrivaled ability to use the most negative aspects of all types of magic (immediate damage, damage over time, curses).
Most of their spells are actually corrupted versions of normal elemental spells.

Inferno Strategy:"Divide, Summon and Conquer"
Summon as many additional troops as possible, meanwhile spreading chaos and fire into the enemy ranks, and then order your shock troops to finish off the enemy.
Inferno generals focus on swift and dangerous attacks, high offensive capabilities of their troops, as well as on the destruction of enemy support and disruption of his tactical plans, calling for reinforcements.

Strengths: unrivaled potential for attacking spells, high mobility, melee troops tenacious and deadly, the ability to control Chaos (Fate/Luck, Space and Time) for your needs.

Weak sides: there is no way to support your own troops, low morale.

Racial ability: Opening the Gate - Inferno troops can call upon temporary reinforcements directly on the battlefield.

The entire Demon Nation is one big army. Each lives to prowl for prey and destruction, each with exceptional abilities to wreak havoc and destruction. United together into a disciplined army, Demons are virtually unstoppable.
Fortunately for enemies, disciplining demons is much more difficult than it seems, and small demons often require control from large, whip-wielding masters.
And even the frightening presence of legions of demons on the battlefield is not all, demons will resort to various tricks such as destructive area spells, mind control, shapeshifting, curses, etc.
And only when the enemy’s defenses are properly processed will the demons begin to attack. If there is discipline in the ranks of demons, they usually pierce with lightning speed everything that is in their path. Otherwise, they turn into an unorganized, profit-hungry crowd.
Demons also have other advantages over their enemies:
Being able to change the space-time continuum, they can teleport to the battlefield.
Also, the “Opening the Gates” ability allows them to call for reinforcements straight from Shio.
Demon weapons are covered in spikes, barbs, and hooks, all designed to inflict maximum damage, cause terrible pain, and make healing any wound they inflict extremely difficult.
Chaotic by nature, Demons have wild personalities and a correspondingly unpredictable fighting style.
Their unpredictable, wide-area abilities are also notable for their ability to affect their own troops, so their goal on the battlefield is often to make their opponents suffer more than they do.
It is usually better to sacrifice conscripted troops than regular ones, so playing passively at first can be beneficial and continues at least until the commander decides that enough troops have been conscripted to pit them against the enemy.

Canonical Hero Inferno: Hell Knight (Hero of the Sword)
This status is given to demon worshipers who have proven themselves excellent in serving their master.
The Knights of Hell are not real demons, but Humans (Elves, Dwarves...) who received the “blessing” of Urgash and were “changed” by Chaos Magic.
Their vicious bodies are now hidden in armor capable of sensation, and it can no longer be removed. They lead the legions of Demons in the lands of Ashan.
Unlike real demons, they are also not attached to Shio and can freely leave it, which makes them excellent agents of the Lord in the territory of Ashan.
Hell Knights are not great masters of Chaos Magic per se, but the ritual they endure grants them various "chaotic" abilities.

Necropolis

”Life is change, chaos, filth and suffering. Death is peace, order, everlasting beauty.”
“Life is change, chaos, depravity and suffering. Death is peace, order and endless beauty."

Also known as: Necromancers, Living Dead.

Briefly: The Necromancers formed as a small sect of Mages and developed into a powerful nation. They worship Asha in the form of a spider, her darkest form. At the same time, Necromancers interpret it in their own way, attaching special importance to death and extolling the state of the unliving, to which all Necromancers belong. They learn death magic that allows them to live forever, while on their path to immortality they also learn ways to control the souls of dead people (ghosts aka ghosts) and ways to raise the dead from their graves (skeletons aka skeletons).

Sources of inspiration: Ancient Egypt (Book of the Dead), Buddhism (asceticism and rejection of the world of flesh and blood as illusory and fleeting), all kinds of sects (fanaticism, cult of the leader, desire for order, freedom from all generally accepted moral principles).

Colors: black, white, fluorescent (poisonous) green.

Symbolism: Death Spider, Number 8: vertically located (Asha - the Lady of Time - hourglass) or horizontally (Asha - the Lady of Space - infinity).

Worshiped Deities: Necromancers worship Asha, the Primordial Dragon of Order, in her perverted "dead" form.

Basics of worldview:“Embrace the emptiness. Enlightenment can only be found after liberation from the flesh. Time is our ally, for everything that lives and will someday die...” Unhealthy fascination with death and fanatical attachment to all causes of death.

Country/Kingdom: Silver cities.

Capital: missing during the events of Heroes VI.

Social organization:
Necromancers are exceptional ascetics. Carnal pleasures are frowned upon by them, as are any forms of entertainment and celebration. The townspeople prefer to speak quietly or even in a whisper, no one is in a hurry and the streets are not much different during the day and at night. Those who have any errands quietly carry them out and then go home, where there are mainly childless social groups, called “families”, for no one has come up with a better term. Necromancers celebrate their birthdays in isolation and remorse. Procreation is generally frowned upon as it is considered a distraction from higher pursuits.

Magic: The Lords of Death specialize in destructive branches of Magic, with a particular affinity for the Primordial Magic of Order (discovered by Sar-Elam, the Seventh Dragon) and the elemental realms(?) of Darkness and Earth.
They also created their own branch of magic, which they called Necromancy.
Most of their spells involve destruction, weakening the body, and controlling the spirit.

Necropolis Strategy:"A dead enemy is a good ally."
The generals of Necropolis try to buy time, meanwhile weakening the enemy army and raising fallen troops from the dead, thereby creating an unstoppable army.
In this regard, they can rely on several abilities that provide long-lasting mass curses and "damage over time" (meaning spells like Plague), cancel healing of enemy troops, and resurrect fallen troops.

Strengths: mass curses and “damage over time”, targeted cancellation of healing and resurrection (we are talking, it seems, about the “resurrection” spell, and not about the racial ability of necromancers associated with raising the dead), tenacious troops, always neutral morality.

Weak sides: low mobility, low damage, limited abilities to support their troops.

Racial ability: Necromancy - any living creature or living dead that has fallen on the battlefield “feeds” a special scale. The player can use it to increase the size of one of his units. A certain percentage of creatures raised in battle remain after the battle.
Necromancers, like Mages, are rarely found directly at the front. They prefer to remain in the rear as command staff or support units.
The armies of Necropolis are countless hordes of the living dead, absolutely submissive, immune to fear and pain, advancing one wave after another.
However, the living dead are usually slow and clumsy, but with their numbers they cause the enemy to literally drown in bodies and ranks of dead enemies rise to replace their own fallen troops.
Necromancers also bring ghosts into battle for swift and targeted strikes. In many ways, ghosts for the Lords of Death are analogous to the Djinn for Mages.
As a rule, Necromancers drag out attacks for long hours, knowing full well that this is one of their main advantages. After all, their troops never tire.
Unlike most factions, Necropolis, while relying on its ability to "outlast" its enemies, does not usually focus on support, but rather on dealing damage.
Your goal on the battlefield should be to suppress the enemy's ability to inflict more damage than your army can handle.
Also, any support on the enemy side that can remove and cancel your curses should become one of the primary targets for suppression.

Canonical Hero of Necropolis: Necromancer (Hero of Magic)
Most high-ranking Death Lords choose the path of Necromancers, masters of dark curses, earth-based enhancements, and, above all, focus on fundamental control over time.

Citadel

"We Walk our own Path, Alone"

"We go our own way, alone"

Wars

Order of Order

Guardians

Crossbowmen

Priestesses

The Priestesses of Elrath are respected and loved by the people of the Empire, and in times of war they are always on the front lines to heal the wounded.

Gloria

Griffins

Riders of the Sun

Seraphim

Physically striking with their superiority, the Angels of Light are the messengers of Elrath and his shock troops on the face of Ashan. Being taller and much more beautiful than ordinary people, they radiate an aura of strength and courage. Seraphim are lower than angels and more similar to people. They appeared after the creation of the Falcon Empire. Their true origins are shrouded in mystery, but their faith in Elrath is absolute. In battle they use the swords of Justice and Mercy.

Inferno

Maniacs

Succubi

Cerberus

Uterus

Tormentors

Juggernauts

Cavespawn

Necropolis

Skeletons

Skeletons are nothing more than dead, rotted bodies raised by the will of a necromancer. Combining blind loyalty, indifference to hunger and thirst, and a lack of fear or doubt, they are meant to be ideal servants.

These are voracious spirits of the dead, raised by magic from lifeless bodies. Ghouls are tormented creatures filled with hatred for all living things.
Powerful necromancers are able to control them, but in any case they are wild and destructive. Turning into a ghoul is the worst punishment in Erish, and implies the eternal extraction of the soul from the circle of death and rebirth.
Ghouls feed on bodies and retain the infection in their blood and saliva.

After death, the children of the Dragon Gods ascend as spirits to the moon to spend eternity under the hand of Asha. However, accidents(?) can lead to the birth of ghosts, whose spiritual connection with the material world is very strong.
With the help of a special ritual, necromancers can turn ghosts into faithful servants under their absolute control.

When Liches become stronger, they gain the right to give their lives to the Spider Goddess and be reborn as Akharus, in other words, a “Vampire”. They undergo a ritual that gives them a young body, devoid of any flaws. Vampires no longer need to eat, drink, sleep or breathe, so their organs are “petrified”, and in their veins there is not blood, but spider venom.
However, they need to drink human blood to reduce the amount of poison, preventing their bodies from being destroyed from the inside.

High-ranking necromancers (Priests of the Spider Goddess) take a life-extending elixir created from the venom of sacred spiders. They mix this elixir with food.
This “treatment” turns them into Asaccus, in other words, “Liches,” drying up their bodies, but freeing them from carnal passions. However, they continue to age until they look like desiccated mummies... This poisonous mixture also turns their eyes green

Lamasu is an unsuccessful experiment by magicians to create a higher breed of beast people using an unnatural combination of humans (mainly slaves and criminals) and magical creatures (in this case, manticores).

The resulting creature turned out to be too weak (?) and short-lived, but still useful for necromancers. Necromancers raised their dead bodies and infected them with all sorts of infections. Their function as carriers of infection, combined with enormous physical strength, makes them excellent warriors in the vanguard of necromancer armies.

The Fate Spinners are avatars of the Spider Goddess, a true reflection of the Death aspect of Asha. They represent the will of the Goddess on the face of Ashan. The Fate Spinners often become a boon to the Necropolis, strengthening their ranks and supporting their growth.

Like the queen of the hive, she ensures the growth of the necropolis. Under her protection, the undead scour the territories in search of lost souls to join their ranks. Fate Spinners are also capable of taking the form of a female-spider hybrid with six arms and a pair of legs.

Pre-order

Digital Deluxe Edition

The Digital Delux Edition has the following content (everything that is included by default in the standard edition emphasized):

• Edge of Chaos - a mighty blade
• Akasha - unique game character
• Heart of Nightmares - additional card
• Yume, Kraal, Svetlanna, Aguirre - four unique heroes
• Staff of Asha - sorcerer's staff
• Staff of Cleansing - unique weapon
• Artbook 164 pages (PDF format)
• Game soundtrack by Rob King and Paul Romero (MP3)
• Poster size A2 (in PDF format)

Artifacts

Ashan Map

Spells

School of Fire

Heroes

Mocha

Mateva

Biography: Trusted, if not religiously revered, among the warriors of his tribe, Mateva was small in years but wise as the ancients.
This orc shaman said that he heard the angry voices of his ancestors in his first childhood dreams.
Mateva completed his initiation into dreamcatchers at age six and bears no twisted or mutating marks from the experience; except for the lightning bolt scar that runs across his entire chest.
A magnificent speaker and a clever joker, Mateva draws on the wisdom of thousands of orc warriors and hundreds of shaman-storytellers.
He often jokes that when he gets rid of their complaints, the day will come when the orcs will rule all of Ashan.
Specialization: Master of dream catchers (increase in dream catchers and dream thieves +3 per week)

Quan

Biography: Born into a family of pirates and given command of a ship at a young age, Quan amassed many spoils by plundering the merchant ships of the Seven Cities en route to the Jade Ocean.
Her fate took a turn when her ship was eaten by a giant sea monster, and she awoke 100 leagues below the surface of the ocean in the vast palace of a naga daimyo.
Quan was happy to be alive, but quickly realized that she was being held captive. After 5 years of captivity, during which she learned more about the vast and rich culture of the underwater naga than any person before her, she was awarded the daimyo's freedom and an island to do with as she pleased.
Specialization: Explorer (+2 to movement on land and sea)

Yugen

Biography: Yugen trained as a dancer with Naria's imperial troupe, the Silk Waves. This all-human force, over a hundred men and women, performs twice a year when the Eternal Empress leaves her vast palace beneath the ocean to visit the island provinces above its waters.
The prestigious troupe was destroyed by assassins for reasons that remain unknown.
Yugen was one of the three survivors and became a servant of Shalassa in gratitude to the Dragon Goddess for her miraculous salvation.
The Eternal Empress nevertheless asks the surviving trio to perform once a year, which is the only time Yugen dances in public.
He says his dancing is so sad that the eel dragons cry when he dances.
Specialization: Brook Spirit Master (production of Brook Spirits and Mizugami increased by 3 per week).

Lorish

Biography: Once a nursery master in the court of Emperor Connor himself, Lorish now works hard at the Cerberus nursery in the heart of Shio. A man of principles, he betrayed his loyalty, if not his calling, when he refused, on the orders of the emperor, to hunt down young orcs who were stealing apples from the orchard. Sacked from his post and facing bleak prospects, Lorish drowned his sorrows in ale until a mysterious beauty promised him a new life for a bit of information about the royal hunt planned for the end of the month during a visit to the Greyhound Principality. Lorish accepted her offer, and as a result of the attack, half of the imperial retinue was killed. Under torture for his part in the conspiracy, Lorish died of his wounds, but did not reveal the identity of the lady - this was taken into account when he was revived under her command in Shio.
Specialization: Cerberus Master (Hellhound and Cerberus production increases by 6 per week)

Deleb

Biography: Do not confuse Deleb, servant of the lord of pain Ur-Thraggal, with a succubus, he is not.
And to prove this, we are pleased to invite you to test her new mechanical structure - a machine for tearing, cauterizing and burning skin in ways hitherto unknown. Not without a smile, of course.
As a master of firebending, she could happily spend hours telling you the difference between burning and scorching, or between branding and scalding, but she would be much quicker to demonstrate it to you.
Specialization: Fire Master (the effectiveness of fire magic spells has been increased)

Sir Jaywoods

Biography: Sir Jaywoods, formerly a knight of the Unicorn Duchy, will tell you that he decided to become a vampire because there is more life in half a dozen ghosts than in a hundred living, breathing townspeople, and it's not far off.
Sir Jaywoods is obsessed with the future, a fascination illuminated by his father's passion for history. He wants to know who will rule Ashan in five hundred years, what regular discoveries of arcane magic might lead to, and whether there will be a place for gallant people like him.
There was only one way to find out - to become an immortal vampire. He's willing to bet that life will remain cruel and bloody regardless of age, but while he waits to find out if this is true, he happily hunts demons.
Specialization: Enlightened (The hero starts with the Enlightenment ability and an effective bonus to it)

Scathach

Biography: Scathach left the kingdom of Tuidana at the age of 24, going to study the way of the sword in the Seven Cities at the invitation of the blademage Deras Ban, one of Ashan's greatest weapon masters. She was a brilliant student and studied until her queen was attacked by the Holy Falcon Empire. Deras Ban, who immensely adored his invaluable student, sent her into hiding in his hometown of Al-Betyl, fearing that the top Mages of the Seven Cities would side with Emperor Liam and might throw her into prison simply as a gesture of goodwill. While Scathach was hiding in the luxurious dungeons of Al-Betyl, she became acquainted with the cult of the Spider Goddess. Her conversion is shrouded in secrecy, but she is devout and enjoys the trust of Mother Namtaru and the necromancer Svetlana.
Specialization: Master of Agony (The hero starts with the “Agony” ability and an effective bonus to it)

Lord Haart

Biography: A protégé of the House of Hart, Lord Haart demonstrated his mettle at a young age, participating in the Elven Wars as Lord Cyrene's squire at the age of thirteen.
After the mystical disappearance of Lord Kien, Lord Haart devoted himself entirely to the path of the sword, becoming the youngest knight in the history of the duchy, not to mention the fact that he became the bravest of the knights. Gossip says that when the grumpy innkeeper Bardon Fleece mocked the famous knight For his reticence in discussing the experience gained in the Elven Wars, Lord Haart had his dress altered by the tip of a blade from three steps.
Specialization: natural leader (hero starts with +4 leadership)

Eileen

Biography: Lady Eileen first became famous for giving birth to identical triplets. Elrato's amazing blessing was overshadowed by the fact that her three sons were kidnapped by mercenaries greedy for ransom and held captive for seven years.
At a time when Emperor Liam himself was offering a huge reward for the return of the children, Eileen returned to Elrath and became an extremely devout priestess. After returning the children and executing their captors, her sons were far from the gentle angels she once knew and were sent to an inquisitor school to be re-educated.
Eileen continues to see them regularly, but she relies more on Elrath's prayers and church education to raise them than on her personal attention.
The secret of Eileen's fury is the turn of fate in her life, which gave her a very pragmatic, if not expedient, sense of justice.
Specialization: Master of Sisters (production of sisters and vestals increases by 6 per week)

Main characters

At the origins of the dynasty stands Duke Paul Gryphon, who was a fanatical servant of the Light and a loyal lieutenant of the Emperor of the Falcon Dynasty. He met his death defending his Duchy from a host of demons summoned by the dying wish of the enemy army.
Paul's last support was his son Glory, who was still a boy in those days.

Paul's sister Sveltana, who left her native lands to study Necromancy in the 7 Cities, returned to her homeland to act as regent for Glory and teach him the ways of the Griffin family. 15 years have passed since those events, and now Duke Glory Griffin father of five children. They will be the main characters of Heroes 6, and will lead the armies of various factions into battle.

Bosses

Hai Ro

Options :

• Health Points (HP): 75004
• Attack: 4650 (Magic-Water)
• Initiative: 50
• Physical protection (PF): 43%
• Magic Defense (GP): 43% Oda gave birth to the world, and then gave birth to six Elemental Dragons to rule it.
  She controls the destinies of all mortals, starts the wheel of fate at the moment of their birth, controls them throughout their lives and stops their clocks at the moment of death.
  Asha is very careful in maintaining neutrality. They never take the side of good or bad, dwarves, elves or orcs. The entire universe is her creation.
  Be that as it may, she is diametrically opposed to the principles of chaos of her insane twin brother Urgash and his abnormal children - demons.
  After the Creator Wars, Asha went to her guarded refuge in the depths of the moon to sleep, heal and dream.
  In fact, the moon is a cocoon woven around itself. This is a reflection of the World Egg, time itself, the last place where dragons can rest, the gateway to the afterlife (from which all souls come to Ashan and where they return after death).
  No one worships the true Asha. She is above this, but she is served by the White Spinners, Blind Brothers and Silent Sisters, who help during childbirth, interpret omens (I don’t remember exactly, like the fairies in Sleeping Beauty), perform funeral rites (playing the roles of midwives, seers, oracles, embalmers, funeral organizers) around the world.
  Note: Necromancers (Necropolis) chose Asha as their divine patron. However, their strength and vision of Asha's strength and characteristics are incorrect, perverted by their destructive essence.

  Three Faces of Asha:

  Saint: Fate - Justice - Future - Waxing Moon
  The Holy Blind Mother is a harbinger of fate, spinning here and there, invisible, making sure that all living things fulfill their role. She is the “Hand” that can catch anyone to save or kill him.

  Mother: Life - Creation - Present - Full Moon
  (Eternally Pregnant) The Mother sees everything, as do her creatures and her children. By giving life, it gives form to chaos, gives meaning to potential. This was the first thing Asha sent out from their Void, which created the universe and allows it to develop. She is the “Heart”, unconditional love, compassionate to everyone - good and bad.

  The Witch: Death - Destruction - The Past - Waning Moon
  The witch is an image of death. Old and wrinkled, she cuts the thread of life with a sickle, holding it in her gnarled fingers. She is the "Head", intelligent and calm, endowed with infinite wisdom and absolute knowledge.

  Symbolic images:
  Moon. Number 3 (in its three aspects). The number 8 (in the shape of an hourglass and a lying 8 - the symbol of infinity).

  Figurative description:
  Asha is a huge winged dragon, noble in appearance and full of grace, as befits the Empress and Mother of the Elemental Dragons. Its appearance is dominated by angles rather than roundness, completely symmetrical, seemingly complex, but absolutely ordered. Her scales are a deep black color, like interstellar space, but myriads of lights constantly flash across her skin, usually in a certain way, like microconstellations. Her eyes emit a soft silvery light, but they can explode in a blinding flash like a supernova.

  The span of its wings is so enormous that to the average person they seem endless.

  Urgash

  

  The Chaos Dragon is an indomitable and wild force, a primordial chaos with boundless energy and an infinite variety of forms.
  He is gluttonous and insatiable, he is “a serpent that devours its own tail.”
  He is the father of wanton destruction, frantic distortion and creeping madness.
  He is the ancestor of demons.
  Urgash is completely unpredictable. His “logic” defies the understanding of mortals. One time he can save, and another time he can kill, in a second he can switch from laughter to crying, switch from cruelty to calm.
  Long ago he was banished to Shio, the heart of Ashan, but demons live in this prison of the world and help him achieve his desires.

  Symbolic images:
  Number 0/circle (primordial emptiness, Ouroboros, wheel of Fortune, completion of the cycle, stagnation in movement, etc.)

  Figurative description:
  Urgash is a dragon of colossal size, with distorted forms, constantly changing. His abilities are monstrous and scary to think about. Its thick black scales are never in the same position and seem to be made of hot molten metal.
  Bone outgrowths (horns, spikes) constantly crawl out of his body and immediately retract back. The blood from his wounds is constantly transformed into an aggressive and poisonous liquid that corrodes everything that comes into contact with it.
  Urgash is constantly shrouded in a kind of haze that distorts the real world around him.
  Urgash's mouth is filled with rows of jagged teeth and he can open it to incredible widths. He is truly an insatiable devourer of worlds.
  After centuries spent in the burning heart of Ashan, only pain, madness, hunger and hatred are reflected in his eyes.

  Silanna

  Silanna is loved by the elves, the silent rulers of her forests.
  The Earth Dragon is the most phlegmatic, unhurried and balanced among the Elemental Dragons.
  Peaceful and cautious, Earth acts only after much thought and study.
  She often acts as a peacemaker among her siblings.
  She is a guardian of nature, very fond of plants, animals and living stones that grow from her “back”, and the only way to awaken her wrath is to destroy or desecrate her sacred groves and stone circles.
  Sylanna is worshiped by druids, rangers, hunters, farmers and shepherds, as well as stone and wood carvers.
  She is the patron goddess of the elves (Forest Union).
  
  Figurative description:
  Silanna is the strongest of the dragons. Her appearance is filled with resilience and calm determination. Her dense emerald scales are as hard as diamonds and are covered with moss, plants, trees, etc.
  Silanna is wingless, her legs are massive and short (so that she almost touches the ground). In anger, she causes earthquakes by stamping her feet.
  The goddess’s breath is a cloud of stone fragments that tear the target to shreds, or “turn to stone”, covering them entirely, like waste rock.

  Ilat
  

  
  Young and impulsive, the Dragon of Air is a seeker of dangerous knowledge, crafts that are passed on from father to son, countless data about the world that he sees from above.
  Like the wind, he travels everywhere, collecting everything he sees and hears on his way.
  Curious and intuitive, he quickly gets to the heart of things, but he is still too restless and frivolous.
  Ilat never sought self-worship. His only commandments are that followers must seek, study and enjoy life to the fullest, but most importantly that they can do whatever they want as long as they respect and honor the world created by the Dragons (which is the decisive difference between Ilath and Urgash).
  He is the patron god of people (the youngest people, since Ilat is the youngest Dragon God), but was supplanted in the Holy Empire by his brother Elrath.
  However, he is still revered by the nomadic barbarian tribes who roam vast areas outside the Holy Empire, as well as in the alliance of the southern Free Cities.
  He is also revered by travelers, bards and spies, jesters and actors, flatterers, rakes and thieves, and even some wizards (for his extensive secret knowledge, and also for his desire to simplify knowledge that seems “hermetic”).

  Figurative description:
  Ilat is the smallest of the Elemental Dragons. His appearance speaks of speed and agility. Its delicate scales are silvery-white. His wings seem fragile, but they are powerful enough to create a whirlwind.
  Ilat's breath is a bolt of lightning that strikes with absolute precision.
  

  Arkat

  Dwarves, stern masters of blacksmithing and fire, gathered under the wing of Arkat.
  The Fire Dragon is reckless, hot-tempered and irritable. Selfish and ardent, ferocious in battle, he is subject to passions and impulses.
  He is revered by thrill seekers, those who perceive life as a constant struggle and waste their strength recklessly, but also by blacksmiths who shed their sweat and blood as a symbol of sacrifice to the fire.
  Arkat is the patron god of the gnomes (Northern clans).

  Figurative description:
  Arkat is the largest of the Elemental Dragons. His appearance is full of physical strength, ferocity and passion. Its thick red-gold scales are like lava - scorching hot and red-hot.
  His breath is a stream of fire that burns everything it engulfs.
  Arkat is wingless and prefers to move on two legs (standing on his hind legs, he towers over the enemy).

  Shalassa

  Shalassa populated her domain with snake-like Nagas, who can move freely both in water and on land.
  The Water Dragon is modest, quiet and secretive. She is an unflappable mystic, the wisest of dragons, and the depth of her knowledge is only slightly inferior to that of her sister Malassa, for her watery kingdom is filled with forgotten knowledge and treasures.
  Of all things, she values ​​diplomacy, flexibility and adaptability most of all. However, if she decides to act, she will be fast and indomitable. When you fight the waves, don't expect to win.
  Shalassa is revered by sailors, fishermen and pirates, as well as prophets, hermits and sages.
  She is the patron goddess of the Nagas (Sanctuary, Peoples of the Waters).

  Figurative description:
  Shalassa is the most graceful of the Elemental Dragons. Her appearance is full of calm and wisdom. Its scales harmoniously combine jade green and turquoise colors.
  Shalassa has no wings, but fins instead of legs. It looks like a sea serpent or an Asian dragon.
  The breath of Shalassa can be a tidal wave, a scorching geyser, or a bone-chilling blizzard.

  Mallasa

  Malassa rules over the gloomy and mysterious Faceless Ones.
  Dragon of Darkness, Faceless Enemy, Crawling Shadow with a hundred faces and a thousand whispers. Darkness is a fickle and dangerous mistress.
  Darkness seems meaningless and formless, but it is multi-knowing. She is here and there at the same time, watching close and from afar, absorbing your words and cries.
  In its depths lie all the forgotten memories, the buried secrets of the past.
  Malassa is mainly worshiped by madmen and doomsayers, fearless spies and assassins.
  She was once the patron god of the faceless, but almost all of them were exterminated during the Ancient Wars.
  Apparently, she made an ominous pact with the dark elves (League of Shadows)

  Figurative description:
  Malassa is the most elusive of the Elemental Dragons. It is impossible to determine its exact type. Her body and wings are covered with dark scales with a purple tint, but she is almost ethereal, like dense smoke, or a play of light and shadow.
  Its wings are dotted with dozens of “eyes”, peering into the invisible world and restoring forgotten secrets.
  Malassa never speaks, only whispers. Her words are always mysterious, so that only true believers can hope to understand her.
  The Breath of Malassa is a cloud of Darkness that dulls the senses and fills the mind with terrible visions.

  Elrath

  Elrath leads the shining and immortal angels.
  The Dragon of Light is revered as the sun god and the (true) patron of power, truth, honor and justice.
  Its servants strive to dispel darkness, overcome evil and glorify personal courage and heroism.
  He was once revered by angels, but almost all of them died during the Ancient Wars.
  In modern times, Elrath became the patron god of the Holy Empire (Alliance of Light).

  Figurative description:
  Elrath is the most magnificent of the Elemental Dragons. He is the embodiment of nobility and power. Its exquisite scales are pure gold, but do not reflect light, but glow from within. His wings are covered not with scales, but with feathers, like those of his children.
  Elrath does not possess the “breath of the dragon,” but in his righteous anger he emits rays of blinding light from his eyes.

  
  

The behavior of fans of the series of the most popular turn-based strategies can serve as a clear demonstration of the “duckling syndrome” - those that are declared the best and only correct "Heroes", which the player had first. Fans of the third part are especially zealous in defending the superiority of their favorite: there, they say, the orcs are greener, and the “fireballs” are brighter, and in general HoM&M in 3D - this is heresy. There is no need for changes, we had to do it like in the “troika”! All this, however, does not prevent fans of the series from waiting for the release of the next sequel, secretly hoping that now everything will be done as in that very faithful second/third/fourth part.

One can only envy those who begin their acquaintance with the world of Might and Magic with the recently released Heroes 6. Beginners do not need to compare, look for differences and similarities with their favorite game, argue on forums and chats, finding out which "Heroes" more canonical - you can just play for your own pleasure. Will it be a pleasure? Let's see.

The appearance of the necropolis suspiciously resembles the buildings of the undead from Warcraft.

This time, the developers did not arrange universal cataclysms or transfer the plot to a new world. On the contrary, they took us back four hundred years ago regarding the events. The Griffin family has not yet taken the Imperial throne - for now they are only one of the many duchies of the Empire. Duke Paul dies in battles with demons, but his son Vyacheslav survives. The new duke turned out to be smarter than his father, had five children, made friends with the orcs who settled nearby - in short, he strengthened his family in every possible way before it was too late. After all, everyone in Ashan knows that Griffins rarely die of natural causes.

Vyacheslav and his charming (and sometimes not so charming) children will be the main characters of the campaigns, of which there are only seven - one for each heir of the Griffin, as well as a prologue and epilogue. Moreover, you can go through campaigns in any order, which sometimes adds confusion, but allows you to take a break from long battles for the same faction.

If you want to go through missions in chronological order, then it is better to do it like this:
- “Prologue 1”;
- “Prologue 2”;
- “Rebellious Tribes 1”;
- “Sanctuary 1”;
- “Alliance of Light 1”;
- “Inferno 1”;
- “Necropolis 1”;
- “Disobedient Tribes 2”;
- “Sanctuary 2”;
- “Alliance of Light 2”;
- “Necropolis 2”;
- “Sanctuary 3”;
- “Disobedient Tribes 3”;
- “Inferno 2”;
- “Necropolis 3”;
- “Inferno 3”;
- “Sanctuary 4”;
- “Disobedient Tribes 4”;
- “Alliance of Light 3”;
- “Necropolis 4”;
- “Alliance of Light 4”;
- “Inferno 4”;
- “Epilogue”.

The plot tells how... Although, you know, we will not dwell on the story in detail - we will only note that it is good enough to get to know it on your own, while playing through the campaign. IN Heroes 6 an interesting script with enough intrigue, betrayal, love and hatred, plot twists of average steepness and original discoveries (how do you like, for example, a mission in the subconscious of the main character, where she fights against her childhood fears?).

Cut it seven times

Five children of Vyacheslav - five main campaigns. I think the question of how many factions there are in the game disappears. If four of them - Haven, Stronghold, Inferno and Necropolis - are familiar to us, then Sanctuary appears for the first time in the series, although some representatives of this city have been met before (for example, the nagas who rule the Sanctuary). Not much, but there is a hint of additions with new combat units and factions. The amount of resources was also reduced - in addition to the usual trinity of ore-wood-gold, only crystals were left (which will forever be in short supply).

Reducing the number of cities and resources is not enough for the developers - they tried to get rid of what, in their opinion, unnecessarily complicated the gameplay. And indeed, before, during a protracted passage of a large map, you had to tinker a lot with the development of your power. Build buildings, buy troops in cities, run one hero for reconnaissance, collect resources with a second, send a third to capture a castle, hire a fourth... And also caravans, guarding mines, portals from which enemies are constantly crawling. As a result, the game turned into a dull routine.

“Bosses” appeared in “Heroes”. Very serious guys.

Perhaps the most noticeable innovation in this regard is the division of the map into separate areas. Each is controlled by a fort or city, the capture of which is the only way to take possession of all the buildings in the area. You can take control of the mine without even occupying the fort, but as soon as you move away, the enemy flag will rise above the building again. The security of the mines was removed as unnecessary - now the entire struggle for territory and resources consists of storming and defending the forts.

To be honest, it's a controversial decision. Previously, it was possible to undermine the enemy’s economy with constant raids on mines, forcing them to disperse their forces to protect them, but now such a trick will no longer work. Add to this the presence of a city portal spell among the heroes, which also affects forts. Any sabotage can be quickly stopped, and it only makes sense to go on the attack with a large army. And collecting it has become much easier than before - not only can all the troops received in a week be immediately purchased in one city (if it has the appropriate barracks), but now for a certain fee they are allowed to rebuild captured cities into castles of their faction. The fans are outraged.
The routine has become noticeably less, as well as thoughts about the troops and their actions on the global map. What about the heroes themselves?
Necromancers cry too

Rejoice, munchkins and fans of online duels - random acquisition of skills has finally been thrown to hell. Now you can independently choose which abilities to learn when leveling up. This means that more flexible development of the hero is possible, “pumping” him for a specific task.
As in the third part, each faction has two types of heroes - magicians and warriors. Already during the game you will be able to choose another specialization - the Path of Blood or the Path of Tears. Moreover, this choice will depend on your actions during travel and battles. For example, the usual question when you have a strong superiority over a group of neutral monsters who decide to flee the battlefield: catch up and fight or let them go home? If you finish them off, they will add Blood points, if you spare them, they will improve your Tears. “Necromancer on the Path of Tears” sounds funny, of course, but in fact there is nothing unusual about it. In addition to adding new abilities, the choice of Path, albeit slightly, also affects the development of the campaign plot.

Bestiary. There's a pair of each creature.

The Mages Guild no longer exists, and spells are now learned in the same way as abilities such as logistics or luck - as you level up. Each time, only one skill point is given, so the warriors will have a serious head start. Some fighters can also cast spells, and they have plenty of passive skills. Add to this the effects of artifacts and the hero's specialization - all this must be taken into account during the battle, which begins to resemble some kind of complex card game like Magic: The Gathering.

Another new feature is dynasties. In the editor you can create your own heroes, and then use them in multiplayer or single player. The dynasty points earned during the passage can be used to purchase various goodies, for example, increasing the growth of the main creatures or improving the hero’s parameters. There are a lot of features of the dynasty, and they significantly increase the number of development options. Here you can buy all sorts of decorative things - a beautiful postscript to the nickname (let everyone see that I am not just NOGIBATOR112, but also the Mighty One!) or a new portrait of the hero.

The tales are over

A fifth could not afford such luxury. I say this not because I like it (although the orcs were indeed greener there) - many will agree that the map, drawn to the last blade of grass in full 3D, did not leave any room for imagination, and the artist’s vision did not always coincide with the player’s opinion.

This is the kind of squalor we are forced to see instead of the magnificent castle screen from the fifth part.

Sixth "Heroes" Let's go even further along this path. But here we are at least offered something in return - functionality and dynamics (yes, in a turn-based strategy) instead of that very “soul”. For example, now in the castle you cannot admire the beautiful view of the city, but it has become much more convenient to build buildings and buy troops. You can change the interface to your taste by dragging the most needed buttons directly onto the main screen, and traveling around the global map takes noticeably less time.

However, a piece of the fairy tale still remains. Take a look at the bestiary - you can get stuck in it for a long time, looking at drawings of monsters and reading descriptions. True, it is only accessible from the main menu. Apparently, so as not to be distracted from completing the mission. New "Heroes"- this is not an add-on to the fifth part, as some were quick to think. Even in appearance they are noticeably different if you look closely. This is not a remake of the third series on a new engine, as many would like. Yes, a lot is taken from previous games in the series, but all of it is rethought and reworked to suit the desires... probably of the developers, not the fans. The result was an original product with its own advantages and disadvantages. Our happiness is that there are still more of the former.

Pros: original plot with interesting dialogues; convenient and pleasing to the eye interface; many options for hero development; is not .
Minuses: poor lock screen; imbalance of magicians and warriors; is not .

Every gamer who has ever been interested in turn-based strategies knows the “Heroes of Might and Magic” series - this is the most famous project that has ever existed. Many developers tried to overtake "Heroes" in popularity, but this turned out to be simply impossible. It’s worth saying right away that the third episode was actually epic, and is still incredibly popular. In the wake of its popularity, a re-release in HD was released, so that even non-old-school fans can now feel the greatness of this project. Even those parts that were published later could not surpass the third episode - it remained the standard. However, one should not underestimate the remaining episodes - they are simply different, but at the same time they deserve no less attention. The sixth part is especially worth noting, because it has already turned into a completely different project. It is the passage of “Heroes of Might and Magic 6” that will be discussed later in the article.

Leveling up your character

Why is the sixth episode so different from the third? In fact, a lot of people, because the passage of “Heroes of Might and Magic 6” resembles more of a role-playing game in turn-based mode, while the third episode was a pure turn-based strategy. Character leveling was important, but still remained secondary to the background of strategic actions on the battlefield. Now the main emphasis is on making your character (and his partners) as strong as possible, and the development of castles, the accumulation of armies and other strategic features fade into the background. Thus, the skills that you level up in your character become incredibly important. There are a lot of them, and you can choose for yourself in which direction to level up the hero, but you should definitely pay attention to several abilities that you should level up to the maximum anyway. Firstly, this is “Reinforcement” - with this skill you can summon new troops. Secondly, “Education” - you will gain more experience and, accordingly, you will be able to level up faster and choose more skills.

“Training”, it would seem, should not be different from “Education”, but in fact the differences are very great. With this ability, other heroes receive even more experience for your achievements - accordingly, you can level up several characters at once faster. There are also two skills that are worth leveling up together - “Theft” and “Logistics”. The first allows you to collect resources from adjacent squares, and the second adds additional moves during one turn, which will allow you to collect even more resources from adjacent squares. With these abilities, completing “Heroes of Might and Magic 6” will become noticeably easier and more enjoyable, no matter in which direction you upgrade your hero.

The buildings

Even if castles no longer play such a decisive role as in the third “Heroes”, in the sixth you should still care about what exactly is happening in your stronghold. The passage of "Heroes of Might and Magic 6" will largely depend on what exactly you build and when. Any mistakes can be corrected with the help of a powerful hero, but it is always more pleasant to not make mistakes and know that you built the right building at the right time. Naturally, there can be various deviations in construction, depending on which way you develop. However, it is worth noting that some buildings may not be useful to you at all, and you should not waste time and money on them. For example, you should not build improved buildings for your creatures when you have reached a high level - it is simply useless. You don't have to build improvements for buildings that increase your character's skills within the castle - it's better to focus on properly leveling up your hero.

It is also worth noting that there is no point in building a tavern in each of the cities, because you will be able to acquire new heroes in your capital. They are updated every week, so you will even have a complete selection. Moreover, you will not need to have a whole army of heroes - depending on the size of the map and the complexity of the mission, their number may vary, but it will never be too large. In the game "Heroes of Sword of Magic 6" the passage is based more on pumping up existing heroes, and not on purchasing a large number of new ones.

Dynasty Artifacts

The peculiarity of this game compared to other modern projects is the fact that you can easily play it offline, that is, without connecting to the Internet for verification, loading tables and other data, and so on. However, in this case it will be much more difficult for you to complete this game. The fact is that there is such a thing as Dynasty Artifacts, and they are completely tied to online. Only in the official version, when connected to the Internet, will you be able to find such artifacts, collect collections of them, exchange them with other players or trade with each other.

These artifacts give you an impressive advantage over those who play without a network connection. Naturally, there are other features - for example, you will be given certain prizes for daily visits. Therefore, it is recommended to make the passage more enjoyable by activating this game via the Internet and playing with an active connection.

Walkthrough

So, what is required of you during the passage? There is no point in describing each individual mission, since they all have approximately the same goal - to capture all the castles and destroy all opponents. Naturally, the conditions may differ - sometimes you will need to capture a specific castle, sometimes you will need to defend your capital, sometimes you will need to meet a certain period of time. But the result should almost always be the same. Completing the campaign will take you a very long time for one simple reason - it is very large. It contains narratives from five races, so the campaign is divided into five parts. Each of them includes four chapters, and each of the chapters consists of four missions.

Accordingly, there are over 80 missions in total, and all of them take quite a long time, so you will have to seriously commit to this game if you want to beat it. Naturally, if you use the tips given earlier, it will become noticeably easier.

"Edges of Darkness"

Given the fact that all missions are similar to each other, it is worth looking at just a few of them that stand out the most. For example, "Edges of Darkness" is one of the two ending missions in the game that you will need to complete if you choose the dark side during the game. The passage of "Heroes of Might and Magic 6: Edge of Darkness" differs from the rest in that you will need to go through several powerful gate guards, and then fight the final boss.

"Alliance of Light"

Separately, it is worth highlighting the passage of “Heroes of Might and Magic 6: Alliance of Light”, because the missions of this campaign are truly impressive. This is the most popular campaign, since gamers for the most part love to play for the human race, not only in the “Heroes” series.

"Dance of Death"

Another very interesting mission, “Dance of Death”, is the final one in the “Sanctuary” campaign. The passage of "Heroes of Might and Magic 6: Dance of Death" is different in that there is no particular need for you to develop your creatures - it is better to find an island on the map as soon as possible, on which a large number of creatures will gladly join your army.

"Sanctuary"

Since we are talking about this campaign, it is worth noting the passage of “Heroes of Might and Magic 6: Sanctuary” separately. Here you have to play for the dark magician Irina, you will follow the path of blood and eventually reach the “Edges of Darkness”, which were already discussed earlier.