arcane omniscience

[laharl]

Hi im new to the forums here, and i recently started playing heroes V TOE. I have found maltz's walkthroughs for the game VERY helpful and informative. However, i have had a lot more trouble with the academy campaign and in it maltz mentions something called arcane omniscience for zehir. I am hoping that someone here can clear up just what that is because i like to make my heroes the best they can be.

[Kalah]

Have a look at the skill wheel (select wizard class).

Arcane Omniscience is the absolute skill for the wizard class heroes. It's properties: "All spells that are in existance will be written to the hero's spellbook and hero will be able to cast them on Expert level."

To get this skill you need the perfect combination of Enlightenment, War Machines and Sorcery.

[Elias_Maluco]

Never got to any of this "ultimate" race skills. I almost always go for it, I follow the exact right path, getting always the necessary skills first. Then at one point I just cant level up anymore or I level up and get offered two skills that will close the path for me.

[Kalah]

Just as it's supposed to be. The ultimate skill is rare, as it should be.

[parcaleste]

The answer of your question is "Memory Mentor". Other ways sometimes you can be really fucked up with the skills (as you have experienced already).

[Lord Lakely]

Arcane Omniscience is so grossly overpowered. Paracaleste actually mentionned the trick, the Memory Mentor.

[Kalah]

All ultimate skills are "overpowered" - that's why you should rarely get them. You usually have a good chance of winning if you get one.

[Asheera]

Well the Knight one kinda sucks though

[danhvo]

Arcane Omniscience overpowered? Hardly. Unless I'm playing on a map where there's no way to get spells, this perk is useless to me. I give up way too much to get it. I remember one map where I suddenly struggled in battles after using the Memory Mentor to get this ability. Then I used the Memory Mentor again to get back my mass spells, and things became easier again.

Being able to cast all spells is nice in theory, but in practice you only need a few good spells.

I find that in general, all ultimate abilities are like that. They require you to take too many useless skills and/or abilities that in the end, the prize hardly seems worthwhile.

[wimfrits]

Part of Arcane Omniscience's charm is that you don't need a magic skill to get it, leaving you 1 extra skill slot for non-magic skills.

Prerequisites are pretty good imo, with the exception of tremors. A wizard will want Sorcery anyway and Mentoring is probably the most overpowered ability in the game.

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

Part of Arcane Omniscience's charm is that you don't need a magic skill to get it, leaving you 1 extra skill slot for non-magic skills.

Prerequisites are pretty good imo, with the exception of tremors. A wizard will want Sorcery anyway and Mentoring is probably the most overpowered ability in the game.

But the skills required are such that you cannot survive to get it. What do you fight with on the very long road to get it? A wizard needs his magic.

The only realistic way to get it is via memory mentor. And then then you get the spells wthout the benefit of the perks wich means for example a slow spell is only slow and not the mass version.

I am not particularly impressed with it myself.

[parcaleste]

You can always grab Dark Magic and Light Magic to use the mass ones, it's that simple. Then you are becoming EXPERT in Destruction and Summoning. It's sweet...

[Rife]

And then then you get the spells wthout the benefit of the perks wich means for example a slow spell is only slow and not the mass version.

Crap. Why not? I thought all spells meant ALL spells... including Mass ones and Empowered ones... though I might forgive them for discluding empowered versions. Kind of a rip off.

[wimfrits]

But the skills required are such that you cannot survive to get it. What do you fight with on the very long road to get it? A wizard needs his magic.

With units

Best scenario would be to start developing other skills and then find a memory mentor somewhere.

Being able to switch between high damage destructive magic, tactical summoning spells and high level dark magic is a lot better than having mass spells. And again, you have a bonus non-magic skilltree to boon.

[PhoenixReborn]

I'm agreeing with GOW on this one. Without a memory mentor you'll be way behind your opponent in speed.

Even if you can afford the mentor, how many casts are you going to get in a big battle?

[wimfrits]

For MP I agree getting Arcane Omniscience is pointless. You won't even gather enough skillpoints to get it anyway. But I don't think the ultimates are meant to be used in MP games anyway.

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

With units

Best scenario would be to start developing other skills and then find a memory mentor somewhere.

Being able to switch between high damage destructive magic, tactical summoning spells and high level dark magic is a lot better than having mass spells. And again, you have a bonus non-magic skilltree to boon.

Ummm. I think the mass spells are overall the most powerful spells in the game. Plus the mass spells will cast faster than a wizard can cast any other spell even with expert sorcery (sorcery does not apply to mass spells.)

A wizard's might attributes (attack and defense) are somewhat lacking so his creatures don't do particularly impressive damage on their own. A wizard's army is dependant on the wizard's spell support.

Yes, it is possible with a memory mentor if one is available and convenient. And the gold is plentiful enough for you to be able to afford the respec costs plus your buildings and creatures.

It did not take me long playing around with omniscience to realize that I did not like it. Both becuse of the path and the end result.

About the only time I would go for it is if the spells available on the map were somewhat limited and I had a terrible spell selection in the mage guild. Otherwise having spells boosted by perks are for more useful than what the ultimate offers.

[wimfrits]

Ummm. I think the mass spells are overall the most powerful spells in the game. Plus the mass spells will cast faster than a wizard can cast any other spell even with expert sorcery (sorcery does not apply to mass spells.)

A wizard's might attributes (attack and defense) are somewhat lacking so his creatures don't do particularly impressive damage on their own. A wizard's army is dependant on the wizard's spell support.

I agree that in key MP battles mass spells are best. Even if that means that most of the wizard's stat points are wasted.
In key SP battles, mass spells are pretty much obsolete.

[blizzardboy]

Academy is pretty amazing once you have level 3 arties, so I'm not complaining, but I don't think the ultimate is anything to go crazy over. Sure it would be awesome to have access to all level 5 spells, but your hero would be stuck with tons of options and no time to use them all since they aren't going to take their turn any faster. Given Academies massive knowledge, a better ultimate would be reducing their casting time by another 0.3 ATB or something (like having two expert sorceries).

[Elias_Maluco]

I agree that omniscience is cool, but not that powerful.

Most Summoning and Descructive spells arent much effective unless you got the schools at expert and a high spellpower (which mages dont useally get, unless the map has tons of powerups). Light and dark can be usefull even when you dont have the schools at expert, but you will miss the mass spells, which are very powerful.

Better go with Sorcery, Enlightment and two magic schools: I recommend light and summoning, or light and dark if the map has Inferno or Necropolis cities (for getting the good dark spells).