In general, which School of Magic is Strongest/Most Useful?

[asuka]

So which do u think?

I personally think Dark Magic is strongest (Mass Slow, Mass Confusion, Frenzy, Vampirism, & Puppet Master). I think Destructive is weakest.

[JudgeMan]

I agree, Drak is most usefull in a lot of different situation.
I'd put Light as second.

As for summoning and Destructive i'll put them tie #3. The phoenix can be really strong but it's limited and other summon spells aren't THAT great.
Destructive can, IMO, only be viable on the long run with Dongeon faction with emp. spells, crit. magic, irresitible magic and LOTS of spellpower.

[parcaleste]

... and other summon spells aren't THAT great...

Yeah, yeah - try to say that to the three Wasp Hives

[okrane]

it's all too situational to comment.

Try thinking about a week 2 rush from a 15 spell power warlock.
One Meteor Shower will simply waste all your army and you can spend casting all the mass slows and confusions you want... it won't make any difference.

[asuka]

it's all too situational to comment.

Try thinking about a week 2 rush from a 15 spell power warlock.
One Meteor Shower will simply waste all your army and you can spend casting all the mass slows and confusions you want... it won't make any difference.

Good day.
Just curious, how can a warlock have 15 spell power in week 2?

[parcaleste]

it's all too situational to comment.

Try thinking about a week 2 rush from a 15 spell power warlock.
One Meteor Shower will simply waste all your army and you can spend casting all the mass slows and confusions you want... it won't make any difference.

Good day.
Just curious, how can a warlock have 15 spell power in week 2?

Otherways perhaps I'll go for Dark first and Summoning next - remember that Crystal and the Blades can block shooters from shooting and this Hive... gosh! Did anyone try it in a BIG battle? Cause if I manage to put one to "shoot" before the enemy unit that is closer to him... than putting another one there is a matter of a turn

[asuka]

Yes me too, I personally would take Summoning as second after Dark.

I find Blade Barrier very useful specially on the early parts of the game. Other very useful ones i find are Conjure Phoenix (due to it's high init) and Phantom Forces (he.. makes me remember the Demon Lord in the Flamboyant Exit mission that keeps casting this spell on his succubi stack..).

[okrane]

it's all too situational to comment.

Try thinking about a week 2 rush from a 15 spell power warlock.
One Meteor Shower will simply waste all your army and you can spend casting all the mass slows and confusions you want... it won't make any difference.

Good day.
Just curious, how can a warlock have 15 spell power in week 2?

Let's see.
Expert Enlightment + Intelligence + Wizards Reward
Expert Destructive
and a level 14 warlock(realistic to obtain)

a warlock starts with 3 spell power.: +3
40% of his stats go to spellpower. +6
Enlightment adds half this value: +3
Wizard's Reward: +2
-----------------------------------------------------
Total: 14

Take into account some locations or artifacts or luck with the stat distribution and you might have more than that....

[parcaleste]

... Expert Enlightment + Intelligence + Wizards Reward
Expert Destructive
and a level 14 warlock(realistic to obtain)...

WHOA! Nice map (and luck )

[okrane]

do you play multiplayer... or do you just love to abuse the retarded AI?

[parcaleste]

My comp is too slow for multiplayer, sorry

Still to have these stats you need to take a HUGE amount of battles and the luck, to get the right skills

[Bahototh]

I don't really agree with the rush warlock being so dominant.
If you have a hero with expert sorcery, and the warlock doesn't, then you can gain the upper hand. If the warlock relies on for example direct destruction spells, then Galib with high level magic mirror holds up pretty well.

And Barbarians with the right skills will pound his troops silly quite fast.

[Orfinn]

Destructive for me. Yeha, the spells may come out just average late game, but dont forget that spells get enhanced greatly by Fiery Wrath, Cold Death, Cold Steel and so on. Add Warlocks Luck, being a Warlock yourself or a Wizard. You can wreack havoc with enough spellpower and a decent amount of knowledge, power up you spellpower but focus on abilities that strenghtens your knowledge mostly, will save your arse.

[ThunderTitan]

Destructive is great in the beginning... but turns to crap after you amass a certain number of creatures... granted in MP that doesn't happen very often.

Maybe if they made the dmg spells take into account the number of creatures somehow it would still be useful in the long run...

[okrane]

It's all too map dependand imo.

If the map has heavy guardians between the players, rushes are impossible, and might factions are stronger respectively light and dark spells. Of the two dark is better in this case.

If the map is rushable, destructive and summoning become much stronger, and from the two I would pick destructive as the best.

[asuka]

Let's see.
Expert Enlightment + Intelligence + Wizards Reward
Expert Destructive
and a level 14 warlock(realistic to obtain)

a warlock starts with 3 spell power.: +3
40% of his stats go to spellpower. +6
Enlightment adds half this value: +3
Wizard's Reward: +2
-----------------------------------------------------
Total: 14

Take into account some locations or artifacts or luck with the stat distribution and you might have more than that....

Whoa! Is level 14 really possible in two weeks? That's almost levelling up everyday. Can u give an example map? I really like the Dungeon faction but I could not win in hotseat be it large or tiny maps. Or perhaps because we play in Hard or Heroic difficulty.

Also, if say the enemy Necro or Demon Lord also reaches level 14 with expert dark, sorcery, mass slow/confusion, frenzy/puppet master. Can the level 14 warlock actually win with his destructive spells (and limited mana)?

I really would like to know since I am a fan of Dungeon since H3 Restoration of Erathia.

[parcaleste]

It's all too map dependand imo.

If the map has heavy guardians between the players, rushes are impossible, and might factions are stronger respectively light and dark spells. Of the two dark is better in this case.

If the map is rushable, destructive and summoning become much stronger, and from the two I would pick destructive as the best.

Actually, reading your post made put Destructive in my last slot for the skills, cause it was not that far away when I fought a HUGE stack of Bloodeyed Cyclops (around 200) and believe me - I defeated them only by Summoning. Blade Barrier + the Hives behind - sure it took me ALOT of time and running and teleporting my Titans, but I won it, lol That is where I found that spell SICKLY useful...

After the battle I was so excited that I forgot to save it, dammit

[okrane]

Let's see.
Expert Enlightment + Intelligence + Wizards Reward
Expert Destructive
and a level 14 warlock(realistic to obtain)

a warlock starts with 3 spell power.: +3
40% of his stats go to spellpower. +6
Enlightment adds half this value: +3
Wizard's Reward: +2
-----------------------------------------------------
Total: 14

Take into account some locations or artifacts or luck with the stat distribution and you might have more than that....

Whoa! Is level 14 really possible in two weeks? That's almost levelling up everyday. Can u give an example map? I really like the Dungeon faction but I could not win in hotseat be it large or tiny maps. Or perhaps because we play in Hard or Heroic difficulty.

Also, if say the enemy Necro or Demon Lord also reaches level 14 with expert dark, sorcery, mass slow/confusion, frenzy/puppet master. Can the level 14 warlock actually win with his destructive spells (and limited mana)?

I really would like to know since I am a fan of Dungeon since H3 Restoration of Erathia.

It is, it just depends on the map. try the ToH multiplayer maps like Let's Fight, Just Another Map, Master of Disguise, Heritage of Deleb etc
try Sinitar/Yrwanna with Secrets of Destruction, Enlightment and some stalkers and blood furies.

Actually, reading your post made put Destructive in my last slot for the skills, cause it was not that far away when I fought a HUGE stack of Bloodeyed Cyclops (around 200) and believe me - I defeated them only by Summoning. Blade Barrier + the Hives behind - sure it took me ALOT of time and running and teleporting my Titans, but I won it, lol big smile That is where I found that spell SICKLY useful...

After the battle I was so excited that I forgot to save it, dammit

For abusing neutrals Dark and Summoning are the best.

In a hero battle though, things change, and as I said it depends on when the battle takes place.
That's why usually you won't take summoning as the only spell school.

[ThunderTitan]

Actually, reading your post made put Destructive in my last slot for the skills, cause it was not that far away when I fought a HUGE stack of Bloodeyed Cyclops (around 200)

After the battle I was so excited that I forgot to save it, dammit

As i said, Destructive loses it's edge against high numbers.

[tb5841]

I went for Destructive. In theory, Summoning/Destructive would become useless when stack sizes become huge, but I've never found this even in large 8-player maps (except against Stronghold).

The main problem Warlocks have is that your opponent has a good idea of your skills and battle strategy, and will almost always invest in skills that protect them from destructive spells (Protection, Magic Mirror, Sap Magic, Boneward, Shatter Destruction etc). But Wizards/Rangers don't have this problem and can decimate enemy armies just as easily with destructive spells.

Summoning magic is too varied to be useful unless you get the right spells. Your Mage Guild could contain, for example: Fist of Wrath, Raise Dead, Earthquake, Summon Elementals and Arcane Armour. All of which are decent situational spells, but useless in most situations.

Light magic has some excellent spells, but is generally poor unless your army is fantastic already. I considered choosing Dark magic, but there are far too many units who are immune to the more powerful spells. Titans, Golems, Gargoyles, elementals, magma dragons and all undead are immune to mind spells, and there are far more units immune to specific Dark spells. Taking into account Magic Resistance, Magic Mirror, artifacts etc and Dark magic is really not that powerful.