Academy Artifact Forging

[Derek]

I recently tried a game as the academy and, although it is probably the most enjoyable town to play as, it seems to have a potentially privilege that is too good. As the topic would imply it is the artifact forging. I am not talking about really high-level artifacts, but low level ones that you can get early on. If I recall correctly 5 ore and 5 mercury can get you an item that gives +2 min/max damage to the unit that wears it. I gave this item to my gremlins (which already are very good)...the damage output by them was nearly doubled and made them an incredibly lethal force throughout the whole game. I created another copy of that artifact and gave it to my gargoyles and had a very similar experience.

Does anyone else get the impression that this ability is too good for a town with already good units?

[Pitsu]

Have you tested the abilities of other towns? I love Academy myself, but I do not think the artificier is too unbalacing. Training of Haven and gating of Inferno are potentially more usable.

[Derek]

Have you tested the abilities of other towns? I love Academy myself, but I do not think the artificier is too unbalacing. Training of Haven and gating of Inferno are potentially more usable.

I'm talking strictly in the early game. I had about 80 gremlins on day 1, and the +2 damage would make them very lethal. Later on the gating ability of the inferno is incredible, and I have yet to try out Haven. I am only talking about at the start of the game, roughly the first 2 weeks.

[Pitsu]

If i am not mistaken the bonus depends on hero level. a level 1 hero cannot give +2 to damage. 80 gremilns on first week means that you must have taken Havez as one of the heroes. His 60 gremlins is IMO a bit unbalanced starting force. Take other heroes and the gremlin stack is much weaker. Additionally, academy has problems getting lvl higher lvl creatures as fast on field as most other towns due to high costs, so the low levels should be a bit better than of other towns.

We could argue which resources should be associated to damage artifacts. I am sure if one of them would be gems, you would think twice before creating that particular artifact very early.

[Derek]

If i am not mistaken the bonus depends on hero level. a level 1 hero cannot give +2 to damage.

I'll try it out, but I am pretty sure that they can. If they can't, then I cannot see why the artifact forging would be too good.

Mostly I think it is too good because of the mercury cost. That seems a bit easy to get, and considering the Academy does not use much of it I think it allows for considerable spending.

[IceCold2000]

Hmmm...the academy's artificier seems nice.

[solmyr005]

Academy Forging is an usefull utility for Academy, especially that it's not so good (read: "tough" or "powerfull") as it was in Heroes 3...
And the bonus depends of the hero's skill... I had an hero who was expert in forging so the bonus received for the artifacts was +5.

[Boromir]

I think the damage bonus is too high, but initiative too low. The first one makes Gremlins and Gorgoyles the best units in Academy and thus makes higher leve units useless. Initiative bonus is lower than luck or or morale, while both of them are rather better than initiative.

[RK]

it is a viable strategy and i think it's intended to be so.
when u look at gargoyles 1-1 dmg even upg(!) u WILL have to boost him up in some way to make him useful. Else he'lll just end up being a flying brick wall.

[Derek]

It just seemed to me that giving Gremlins, an already powerful stack of creatures, even MORE damage seemed a bit extreme. I do not even need the artifacts to make them lethal, but with them...

I really like the idea of the artifact forging, but it makes certain low levdl units, and even Magi, a bit stronger than they already should. Magi are already scary as is.

[Rakshasa]

I also think the damage bonus is too big.