Are witch huts worth it?

[jworley1977]

Ok. I'm assuming that I have a correct understanding of the skill development options for Heroes V (please correct me if I'm wrong) in that we can develop a total 5 skills with 3 abilities for each skill.

That being said it seems to me that witch huts are entirely too random in the skills they teach. They can really screw up an intended build for your hero unless there is a way to unlearn a particular skill or ability that I haven't found yet.

Am I off in this line of thinking? Is there a way to unlearn skills/abilites? Or are witch huts just best avoided when you're trying for a specific build for your hero?

[Banedon]

Visit it with a secondary hero first, so you know what it's offering. If it's something you want, go for it; otherwise leave it.

[ThunderTitan]

Witch Huts should have a Yes and No option, it's not like they can just make someone learn something he doesn't want to...

[Edwintje]

You can always save your game, before you enter a wtch-hut and then load your saved game, if you don't like the skill you've gotten.

[Qurqirish Dragon]

You can always save your game, before you enter a wtch-hut and then load your saved game, if you don't like the skill you've gotten.

That's only good for single player games, though

[vicheron]

Witch Huts should have a Yes and No option, it's not like they can just make someone learn something he doesn't want to...

Heroes 4 had that option.

[Kalah]

Well, witches have their own agendas, and recruiting you to the fold by giving you the skill they want to give you seems entirely plausible to me.

I like Banedon's advice; send in a useless hero first, and then that hero can go and tell your main hero: "Dude! there's this witch, right, and she's like, totally giving you introductions into the occult for free!" Seems more reasonable than the ol' save-reload option. After all, in life, you can't save your progress and unlearn a skill by going back in time - you can't go to a movie and "unsee" it if it turns out to be rubbish. You can send in a stooge to watch it first and have him tell you if it's any good.

What do you mean I'm comparing Heroes to real-life? Heroes isn't real? Don't say that, you blasphemer ...

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

As has been said, use a secondary heroe for the initial visit. Your main heroe should always have a secondary heroe, a "squire" traveling with him. The squire will pick up resources so the main heroe does not waste moveinet points doing so. The squire will visit witch huts and help shuttle troops to and from the main heroe.

[lotusreaver]

They're great for single player games, where you can use save/load.

My heroes rarely end up maxing out their skill slots in multiplayer games. So even if I get a lesser skill from the Witch Hut, it doesn't really affect me. Now if Witch Huts prevented you from gaining a new skill at the next level up right off the bat, I'd avoid it like the plague.

[lumpoor]

But even if you don't mind it taking a skill slot, the new basic skill could flood your ability options, decreasing the chance for you getting what you want.

it could also give you the wrong abiliy, preventing you from getting another ability.

[Robertukas]

Today I found a really bad news:

- Witch huts NEVER teach you special subskills, only standard subskills!
- special subskills can be taken only by level-up.

And this was never mentioned neither in the manual, nor in forums (at I didn't found anything about that for years).

For example,

- standard Dark Magic subskills are:
Master of Curses, Master of Mind, Master of Pain.

- special Dark Magic subskills are:
Corrupted Soil, Dark Renewal, Fallen Knight, Seal of Darkness, Weakening Strike.

How I hate those stupid limitations for subskills. Why it has to be only 3 subskill slots there?

[Sathasarus]

witch huts with the genie place = $$$

[ThunderTitan]

Witch Huts should have a Yes and No option, it's not like they can just make someone learn something he doesn't want to...

Heroes 4 had that option.

Well i was trying to be subtle about it...

[Robertukas]

I've build a map with 50 Witch huts.

It seems that I was wrong about this:

- Witch huts NEVER teach you special subskills, only standard subskills!
- special subskills can be taken only by level-up.

I've got Refined mana (Light magic) subskill from Witch hut!

Look:


But I'm not sure if any subskill is possible to get from Witch huts.
Anyway, I think the probability is very low.

[Magelord]

Don't forget that if you already hit up a Witch Hut and got an unwanted skill if you've found a "Memory Mentor" on the map you can swap the wasted skill for a more valuable one.

[Qurqirish Dragon]

Don't forget that if you already hit up a Witch Hut and got an unwanted skill if you've found a "Memory Mentor" on the map you can swap the wasted skill for a more valuable one.

Im curious:
Can you visit a witch hut (and get the benefit) for a skill that you have gotten rid of? I just thought that there is the possibility of Hut+Mentor+cash = fill up 5 of your six skills completely (the primary skill taught by the witch obviously cannot be filled- so would only be the basic level)

[Mirez]

that's very interesting (or evil)

[parcaleste]

You can't. It says you have already learned that skill.

[Qurqirish Dragon]

You can't. It says you have already learned that skill.

Thanks for checking. I just thought of it- but didn't want to search for a map with an appropriate setup (and I don't like the editor for making it myself).

One question on your check:
You made certain to remove the *entire* skill before rechecking, right? (e.g. if the witch taught you scouting, you made certain to remove the entire logistics skill tree before trying again.)

It was just a passing thought- I hoped that it wasn't possible.

[parcaleste]

I was experimenting with this like two or so years ago, when my PC was "weaker" and didn't play much other games than HV at that time, but I am 99% positive that when you once learn a skill in a Witch Hut you can't learn it again, even if you had totally rid of that same skill in your tree.

Something like the Dark Revelation skill - once you have it and than remove it for other and then remove the other to get to DR again, you are NOT gaining another level. Works the same with Arcane Exaltation, Wizard's Reward and etc. I believe they fixed this "bug" in the last patch.