Is this a bug? (phantom forces + gating)

[Raspyn]

Using the inferno faction, if I cast phantom forces on one of my troops, the duplicate "phantom" stack is able to gate in "normal" troops.

Such that, if I used phantom forces on a stack of 100 succubi, they could gate in X number of succubi which don't die in one hit - unlike the phantom stack of 100.

My question is this - is this a bug, or a clever ability of the inferno faction?

[Gaidal Cain]

Sounds like a bug to me. Don't know why you felt that you had to make a poll though?

[DaemianLucifer]

Yes its a bug.I dont think phantom units should be able to gate.

[ThunderTitan]

Does anyone else thinks that the incorporeal ability of the Phantom units is overpowered?

[Raspyn]

Sounds like a bug to me. Don't know why you felt that you had to make a poll though?

Well, it's fun to make polls

Plus, this question seemed suitable for a poll-type of discussion, I thought.

[Continuity]

Does anyone else thinks that the incorporeal ability of the Phantom units is overpowered?

I don't know. It feels like it could be too powerful right now, but I think the game needs to be played more online. Let's have a few tournaments and let's see what the really skilled people think about it.

[vicheron]

Phantom force creatures have all the abilities of the copied creature. A phantom force Archangel can resurrect, a phantom force mage can cast spells, etc. They should definitely weaken it, the Heroes 4 phantom image was much more balanced.

[DaemianLucifer]

Phantom force creatures have all the abilities of the copied creature. A phantom force Archangel can resurrect, a phantom force mage can cast spells, etc. They should definitely weaken it, the Heroes 4 phantom image was much more balanced.

Not to mention that whatever the spellpower,this spell is as strong as the stack it copies,which is bad.If it copied just the number of creatures based on the spellpower(lets say 10xsp/creature level),it would be much better.

[asandir]

awfully useful spell to have picked on the inferno campaign (map 2) thou ;-)

and i tend to use it on hell hounds/cerberi (when i don't have an uber stack of succubi oc) and then use the phantom cerberi to attack, not gate, they hurt the enemy stacks and tend to absorb two sometimes three of the enemies biggest attacks - the ai cannot resist killing the phantom forces ....

[JackieLGW]

I think this should not be considered a bug.
The description of "Phantom force" states that the summoned creatures have all the abilities the target creature owned.
So that means, if the target creature has the ability to gate, then the summoned creature should be able to do the same thing.

And by gating, the description says that the original creature can call reinforcement from the hell, so the recinforcement should be "normal" instead of just an illusion~

[Campaigner]

"No, it's working as intended".

Phantom Forces + gating is the most powerful combination I've encountered so far. Makes the Inferno campaign quite easy

[Labyrinth]

I'd regard it a bug, as for balancing reasons phantommed units should not be able to gate. (Imagine what would happen if there were phantommed units who could cast phantom image again? Would be like hell, don't you think?)

Still, as you can take Phantom Image as one of the starting boni in Agrael's chapter, this has to be intentional.

[asandir]

Would be like hell, don't you think?)

pun intended?? ;-)

[Alamar]

My personal opinion is that a summoned or phantom unit shouldn't be able to use spell-like-abilities at all.

Things like flying, ranged attacks, etc. should be fine but things like gating / spell casting / exploding / etc. shouldn't be allowed.

[asandir]

have been using this with my succubus mistresses ... works a treat!!

[Wolfshanze]

The phantom + gate "cheat" is needed to counter the Necromancer's "Haunt Mine, then grab free ghosts" cheat.

[asandir]

scary ....

[sisko]

When I "gated" reinforcement via a phantom image, they were also dead after getting damage (i believe, i'll try again when i'm home) In that case i don't consider it a bug. Otherwise yes.

[DaemianLucifer]

Phantom forcing a phantom force No ownder AI targets them mercilessly.And they have incoporeal as well This spell is way to powerfull!And what if you phantom force a ghost?