H3 Skills

[The Mad Dragon]

So, what skills are useful and which aren't?

I've often wondered this as I am choosing my options. So, I feel the need to make a topic on this and discuss it. Whether or not people still play H3, I still think it's a good topic discussion.

[HodgePodge]

Great Skills:

Wisdom (a must)
Archery
Offense
Earth Magic
Air Magic
Water Magic
Logistics (and/or Navigation on a map with lots of water) Sorcery, Artillery, Ballistics, Fire Magic, Armorer, Resistance, Diplomacy (choose two)

I Can Live Without:

Eagle Eye
Scholar
Intelligence
Pathfinding
Necromancy (I never play the Dark Side)
Scouting
Learning
Mysticism
Estates
Tactics (I usually wait for the enemy to come to my side of the battlefield)
Leadership & Luck (as there are plenty of Artifacts to boost these skills)

[The Mad Dragon]

What about Ballistics & Artillery? (IE: Catapults and Ballistas).

Are they necessary?


Also, what about the offense and defensive skills?

[Gaidal Cain]

I'd always try to get Earth Magic and Logistics. Wisdom I'd get for all heroes except possibly barbarians. If Dim door and fly isn't banned, I'd add Air magic next. I'd most likely also get Water Magic (especially if I don't get Air magic) and Tactics, the first since it's a very versitile school and the second because it's damn hard to defend against. Pathfinding could be a necessity, depending on the map. Offence is an OK skill, but it can be skipped if other things force you. Intelligence might be a necessity if I want to use a hero to cast spells, but it's unlikely. Fire Magic is a priority if I know I can get armageddon and an immune creature or Berserk. Archery is good for Tower, but otherwise, I mostly skip it. Artillery might be nice on a barbarian, but I try to get better skills on other types of heroes. Navigation can be great on a mpa with lots of water, but is mostly a waste.
Eagle Eye, Scholar, Scouting, Learning, Mysticism, First Aid and Estates are to be avoided on main heroes at all costs. The rest are mostly passable, including Air magic without DD and fly.

To summarize, I'd start building my hero with the aim of
Wisdom, Earth Magic, Logistics, Tactics and Water or Air magic, and the fill up with what the map requires or what I can get.

[vhilhu]

imo sorcery has any point only with armagedragon trick. i never take sorcery unless playing dungeon.

[EDN]

Personally I use this skills:
Wisdom
Offense
Armorer
Mysticism
Logistics
Archery
Ballistic (to get down walls, I hate towers...)
Air magic or fire magic (I use lightning bolt and inferno a lot)

[Pol]

I'm afraid that I'm using personally same skills like G.C. No wonder they are far obvious.... maybe logistic, pathfinding and wisdom are the only one which can be used in real life too?

[Le_Faucheur]

offense
armory
tactics
archery(not with all towns)
ballistics(not with all towns)
wisdom(but I don't play much with spells on heroes 3)
one magic element(depending on what spells I get)
leadership
luck

[prowler]

For me the must have are:
1. Earth
2. Pathfinding
3. Water
4. Logistics

Usefull are:
1. Wisdom
2. Air
3. Offense
4. Resistence

Offcourse i mean online!

[Phobos]

Personally I use this skills:
...
Mysticism
...

I strongly recommend against picking Mysticism under any circumstances. 3 points of recovered mana per day is absolutely useless! You can easily fill your magic pool by visiting a magic well or an enchanted spring or by spending the night in town. Almost any skill is better than Mysticism, you should definitely go for Earth Magic instead. Mass Slow, Mass Shield, Resurrection and Implosion are much more useful and they can really change the outcome of any battle.

[The Mad Dragon]

Resurrection and Implosion are hot.

[Dread Knight]

When i`m playing I`m looking for:
Earth-Water-Earth-Water Magic
Navigation
Sorcerry
Intelligence'
DIPLOMANCY-Very Useful
Scouting

[BoardGuest808888]

I'm afraid that I'm using personally same skills like G.C. No wonder they are far obvious.... maybe logistic, pathfinding and wisdom are the only one which can be used in real life too?

You can use Learning too

I usually substitute Pathfinding with either Luck or Leadership.

[kitcat0]

Interesting that not many appreciate one of my top choices - intelligence. I think it is very good skill. Allows you to run around on map without having to sit in town for the next turn to refill your spell points. Allows you to optimize your movements by not going after wells so much. Allows you to take long battles with "blind-resurrection" and not loose anything. And in general it is always nice to have more spell points than your opponent.
It is also nice for a might hero - can counter magicians spells for longer time.

Ok, mu best skill lineup. Earth magic
Wisdom
Intelligence
Air magic
Logistics
Water magic
Offence
Fire magic

Against human opponent - resistance. Also useful depending on what alignment or what map you play - pathfinding, tactics, necromancy, diplomacy.

And btw I cant imagine anyone choosing mysticism over intelligence.

[The Mad Dragon]

I'm finding that I really don't need Intelligence as my Knowledge is usually sitting at 15+ so I don't have to worry since battles never usually last more than 10 rounds.

[kitcat0]

First - you dont start out with knowledgwe 15. And it is nice to be able to preserve army and take the most optimal routes until you get there. Second thing - if you have TP and DD then your 150 spell points dont honestly last that long.

[The Mad Dragon]

I realize that it doesn't start out at 15, but, like I said, it's usually sitting around 15.

I also dont' usually use TP and DD unless I need to. I'd like to use haste instead of TP if I can help it. And for DD, I only use it if I can't reach my towns in time.

And there's usually enough wells around anyways to replenish my mana supply.

[kitcat0]

TP- Town Portal (not teleport)

Why would you want to reach your own towns with DD. I use DD to reach enemy towns and TP to find the closest starting point. But lets say you reach enemy town with 3 DDs and you still have movement left. Without intelligence you would probably stay in one of your towns to get spell points full again. With intelligence you can keep going (use one more DD)and reach next enemy town faster. And not all maps are covered with wells.

[The Mad Dragon]

Ummm, doesn't DD transport you to one of your own towns that you own and not the enemies?

[Pol]

DD is stated for Dimension Door. You can use them at most four time in one day and it will transport you over map from any landable position in step of one map screen. They are eating lots of your moves... and are nicely suported by Thunder Helmet or Intelligence, one step is over 20mp.

TP is Town Portal, which can transport you between your towns. Usually many times deducing only bit from your movement. From the Advanced Earth Magic you may choose the town.