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| Thread: Neutral Creatures-Overall Review +Tactics |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 · NEXT» |
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted February 02, 2007 06:00 PM |
bonus applied. |
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Neutral Creatures-Overall Review +Tactics
Air Elemental:
It has 17 initiative (the second in the game, after the Phoenix) so he will almost always play first.
Gets to the enemy (8 speed in one turn, and even without suffering retaliation!
But it has a poor damage (average on 6) and HP (only 30). It is killed pretty fast in a battle, but the No Enemy Retaliation help it survive longer.
Comes, like all the Elementals in a weekly growth of 4. Here it's just not enough. This creature should come in higher weekly growth to make it a powerful force on the battlefield.
Design:
This Tornado design is just awsome! It's the best Air Elemental design in HOMM so far, in my opinion.
The animation is great, and it looks like it's spinning. Specialy when it moves, it looks like it's struggling with the wind, nice thing, too.
Spinning leaves in it give it a nice effect.
Tactics:
This creature won't stay long on the battlefield. What you should utilize it when it's there. Put it in the second tile (third with Tactics skill) and attack the high initiative creature on the first turn. Just kill some fast or high initiative creatures when the battle begins, before they kill you.
Fire Elemental:
Like in H4, the Fire Elemental is a shooter.
Except of excellent damage (11 - 20) and 10 attack, it has average status. Plus, he has 50 shots (!) what's means you don't have to care to an immo cart.
It's damage is definitely his strongest spot. But the range is quite large... Luck will be useful here.
The Fire Elemental doesn't have really weak spots, and it really worth the 400 gold he costs.
Design:
The design is quite strange. It looks like a burning fat snake (with hands?  ), not like a nature elemental.
It has hands that look like a plastic pipes! And when he shot, he looks like a fireman! 
The head has nothing to do with the body, here.
Tactics:
When the battle begins, just cast Divine Strength spell on the fire Elemental, and it will be much better shooter-it will have enormous damage. Guard on it well, becuase it has a poor defence and even with the fire shield, it will be much more useful when it's not blocked.
Water Elemental:
Offensive Caster. It has very powerful spells: Circle of Winter, that hits 8 tiles at once (can be used twice) and Ice bolt, same as Circle of Winter, just can hit only one creature (can be used three times).
It has average status. When you don't have enough mana for casting, you will have to use the Water Elemental as offensive unit. Well, with average damage and 5 speed, he doesn't really good as offensive unit.
Design:
Great. like a twirl whirlpool, or a water snake (there's a difference between snake with water and water snake, if you thought about the Fire Elemental design).
It sprays water, cool effect.
It has a beak (with a Japaneese mask?), which is pretty strange but looks good. It fits him.
Tactics:
This is an offensive caster. In short battles treating it like a shooter will be fine, but in long and hard battles, it will be mistake, becuase finally, he won't be able to cast any more spells.
So you have to put it in a place where it will be able to attack from. Use the spells when you have good opportunities, soonest is the best, before some of them are killed, then the spells will be weaker. Putting some guarders (tanks or offensive untis) near it might be useful, but when comes it's turn to move, be careful that the guarders won't block it's way.
Earth Elemental:
Tank-defensive, strong and slow. That's the Earth Elemental.
With huge quantity of HP (75!), and 50% magic proof, it's very hard to kill the Earth Elemental.
And with Unliminted Retaliations skill, every time you hit him, he will retaliate.
And he has 11 defence.
All these things make him stay for a long time on the battlefield.
The problem is, that it plays so rarely in the combat (with 5 initiative, the lowest in the game!), so you can just keep it standing, without hitting it.
And it has only 5 speed. So finally, when it's turn comes, it's pretty hard to get to creatures.
This creature is the extremist Golem.
Design:
Pretty nice! It's body parts hover, what makes it look like the gravitation is different arround him. I like it.
It's very strange that his head is in the middle of his body. And he has only one eye... That's okay, I guess.
The spikes on his hands are cool.
It has heavy and slow move, that fits him very well.
Tactics:
First of all, in the tactics mode, put it in the 2nd tile infront of shooters/casters to defend them from large creatures' attacks. Smart enemy won't attack it in the beginning of the battle, when it has unliminted retalition, very high HP and defence and when it plays so rarely. Don't put it in the first tile-the chances that he will reach to the enemy will be lower. When the combat begins, cast Haste on it. What he misses in initiative-Haste spell will help you with this problem. With it, it's better to attack creatures with high attack, that the Eearth Elemenal's defence will absorb.
Death Knight:
Excellent creature! Definitely the best 6th level creature.
It has huge damage of 25-35! (like the Spectral Dragon, which is 7th level creature).
It has good speed (7), 23 attack and defence and 90 HP, which is low.
Also, it has a very nice Cursing attack (lower maximum damage, like the Spectral Dragon's one).
But the thing that makes it so powerful is the ability Deadly Strike: It has 25% chance of killing atleast 50% of the creatures in the enemy detachment!
If you hit 50 Black Dragons with 1 Death Knight and the ability works, you will kill 25 dragons.
And it really cheap, only 1200 gold.
Design:
The overall look is pretty nice. The undead horse is cute.
I just don't understand why the sword is pink?  It's not a Faerie wand!
Tactics:
If you can, leave to yourself one Death Knight Aparted from all the others, that attacks the enemy and has a chance to use the Deadly Strike ability, that will kill atleast 50% of the creatures in the stack.
Having here Tactics skill will be useful, and will help the Death Knight to reach to the enemy in one turn.
Try to not waste your turns, always attack some creature-Deadly Strike ability might work. If you don't want to attack strong creature, even weak are good, but just attack. If you don't have tactics, you might need to wait in the first turn, so this is fine.
Phoenix:
There are two kinds of Phoenixes: sommuned and living. The Sommuned status depends on hero's level and Spell Power, usually it's much stronger then the living Phoenix and comes in single Phoenix per a stack, and the Living one might come in groups, and rebirth.
Because the summoned Phoenix's status depends on the hero's status (the explanation how is in the continuance), I will review the Living Phoenix:
This creature is so strong, that some people see it as a 8th level creature.
Let's start with the weak spots:
Damage: only 30-50, pretty weak, and HP, only 150, the weakest of 7th level.
Now let's move on to the strong spots:
It has 19 initiative!  It plays almost twice then other 7th level creatures.
10 speed, the best (also Black Dragon has).
33 attack and defence.
Fire shield-20% of any melee attack goes back to the attacker.
And the best thing: Rebirth. Everytime living Phoenix dies, it raises up again, with amount of creatures that was in the beginning of the combat. So, every time you kill a group of Phoenixes, you'll
have to do it again. Ofcourse it can rebirth only once in the combat.
The Phoenix is the most expensive creature in the game, costs 10,000 gold. But what it matters if there's not even place to buy it?
Design:
Great, like it should be: huge burning bird. And it doesn't look like a dragon, this time.
It has 5 tails, if I counted them all... A little bit strange but it's okay.
The way it flies is nice.
It has relly pretty wings... They look like bat's wings. I like it very much.
Tactics:
Living Phoenix's tactics: Treat to your Phoenixes, like you have two stacks, and the second one comes after the first one is killed. So, don't be afraid to suicide with if it's needed.
Remember-It plays almost twice then any other 7th level creature. It plays so many turns in the combat, that it will be smart even to hit creature that will retaliate, let him suffer 20% of the damage he dealt (by the fire shield) and attack him once/twice/three times again before his turn comes, and without suffering retaliation.
As I said, the summoned Phoenix's status is depends on the hero's Level and Spell Power. Anyway, it has only 15 initiative (still awsome, but less then 19, of the living Phoenix), and only 7 speed (10 speed at the living Phoenix). It has enormous HP (300+30*Spell Power) so a Wizard's Phoenix, with 10 Spell Power, will have 600 HP. Here just attack any creature you want, use with it to avoid that the enemy will block your shooters, delay strong creatures when they might attack living creatures, etc.
Wolf:
The Wolf has an average status with high HP (25) and initiative.
What makes it so powerful are his strong abilities: He can summon, once per a battle, another identical unit, and when he attacks, all the wolves on the battlefield that can reach, attack, too.
With these abilities, it's really hard to beat the wolves. They are probably the best 3rd level creature.
Design:
Pretty good. Doesn't really looks like a wolf, but it's cooler like that.
Tactics:
Howl in the first turn, before the enemy attacks you, that the number of summoned wolves will be higher.
Try to attack creatures that the other wolves on the battlefield reach to.
Attacking with the summoned wolves first will be smarter, because they will suffer the retalition.
A tip: Cast Phantom Forces spell on it. If you do it after Howling, you will have 3 wolves that attack together every target.
Mummy:
As a neutral creature, the Mummy is not very strong. It has extremely high damage to the 5th level (20-30), 50 HP, 15 initiative, but only 3 speed.
It has two spells: Confusing and Raise Dead, that might be very useful when fighting with different creatures, becuase the Mummy might be a healer. It quite useful in long battles.
But as a neutral creature, that fights alone, and have to be an offensive unit (might be shooter or destructive caster), the Mummy can't function well, with 3 speed.
Well, there's the Hexing Attack, that means that the creatures might be cursed after the mummy attacked them, but it doesn't really helps.
Design:
Cool, very Egyptian, like it actually should be. The Mummy also looks quite crazy.
It really looks like it woke up after many years of lying.
Tactics:
Using this creature alone against a whole army (like it is used as a neutral creature) will be mistake, because then it will have to function as an offesive creature, which is not.
You should use this creature as a part of an army, and use it as a caster. Cast Raise Dead spell on allies. In this way, it's much more useful then a First Aid Tent.
If it's an easy battle, use the Confusion spell, just to make the losses number as small as possible, because raised creatures will be gone after the battle ends.
Manticore:
The Manticore is extremely powerful creature. It has huge damage, of 7th level creature (30-50), good HP (120), and the Poisonous Attack, which is similiar to the Assassin's, just four times stornger.
The Manticore could be amazing 6th level creature, unless he has 5 speed. Any way, it's allready much better then a Bone Dragon.
The attack and defence are low, but the high damage covers this weak spot.
Design:
Mabey that the way Manticore should be, but that's the wierdest creature design in HOMM5, except of the Djinn's one.
A creature with body of lion, tail of scorpion and wings of dragon.
A least it was like in H3, when the body part were fited to each other. Here, it looks pretty randomal, like combination.
And putting strong orange with pale white as a fur, just seems not natural, like the orange part were glued.
Any way, even it shows the basic concept, it wasn't executed well.
Tactics:
The best way to utiliz the Manticore is try to attack different creature in every turn, because his powerful Poisonous Attack will be active on every creature that the Manticore attacked, for three turns.
You can raise the Manticore's huge damage by the spell Divine Strength, which is 1st level spell, and effect perfectly on the Manticore, that has a big damage range.
Remember-with the Manticore you do a great damage, but lack of defence makes is vulnerable. With this truble, basic light spells might help, like Endurance.
The main issue with the Manticore is the low speed. In the first turn wait and cast Fire Trap spell infront of the Manticore. The Manticore will be able to reach the creatures, that already some of them are killed.
Thank to Age of Heroes for the pictures.
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VokialBG
Honorable
Legendary Hero
First in line
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posted February 02, 2007 06:13 PM |
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Good, work GLord, I like your review 
P.S.
but where is the mummy and the wolf 
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Doomforge
Admirable
Undefeatable Hero
Retired Hero
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posted February 02, 2007 06:18 PM |
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted February 02, 2007 06:23 PM |
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I did the review only about the regular neutral creatures, not icluding the neutrals from HoF.
Edit:
They are reviewed now.
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Ted
Promising
Supreme Hero
Peanut Exterminator
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posted February 02, 2007 11:17 PM |
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find if i do one about them? no? ok
Wolf
the wolf has an average attack of 5, but remember wolfs can call on new pack of wolfs, with the same number of wolfs as the wolf who used the abilitie howl, and even more annowing, if a wolf attakcs your creature and another pack of wolves can attack the creature, then they attack as well, the basic stratagie for wolfs is ammubush, although they have a level 2s defense, and a huge 25 health, and they have 17 aniactive, thats as much as a blood maiden, and a high average speed of 6
overall id say that a Wolf is a huge! and killer machine, worthy of being a upgraded level 5, this up. level 3 is a shocker for its stats, so really, dont fight them!
Mummy
ok, first of all these creatures are weak, really weak, they are very slow, with only 6 speed but can cast raise dead and confusion (able to cast both 3 times), but to compensate for their low speed they have a high initactive with 15, health is also a fare let down,
so really when you fight these guys, expect an easy victory (well they are undead)
Manticore
these guys have a low attack, which is equaled to those of unupgraded level 5s, but these guys have possion, which deals x4 the amount of creatures in the stack attacking, same goes for defense, and iniacitive, although their health is about on the high end of a level 6, and with a speed of 5, let your archers do the work,
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted February 03, 2007 11:03 AM |
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Quote:
find if i do one about them? no? ok
Wolf
the wolf has an average attack of 5, but remember wolfs can call on new pack of wolfs, with the same number of wolfs as the wolf who used the abilitie howl, and even more annowing, if a wolf attakcs your creature and another pack of wolves can attack the creature, then they attack as well, the basic stratagie for wolfs is ammubush, although they have a level 2s defense, and a huge 25 health, and they have 17 aniactive, thats as much as a blood maiden, and a high average speed of 6
overall id say that a Wolf is a huge! and killer machine, worthy of being a upgraded level 5, this up. level 3 is a shocker for its stats, so really, dont fight them!
I agree they are strong, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't fight them.
[Quote:
u]Mummy
ok, first of all these creatures are weak, really weak, they are very slow, with only 6 speed but can cast raise dead and confusion (able to cast both 3 times), but to compensate for their low speed they have a high initactive with 15, health is also a fare let down,
so really when you fight these guys, expect an easy victory (well they are undead)
Their speed is 3, not 6. If it was 6 they were much stronger.
I think that the point about them is fighting when other creature are present, and use the Mummy's Raise Dead spell. In this way, they can be pretty useful creatures.
Quote:
Manticore
these guys have a low attack, which is equaled to those of unupgraded level 5s, but these guys have possion, which deals x4 the amount of creatures in the stack attacking, same goes for defense, and iniacitive, although their health is about on the high end of a level 6, and with a speed of 5, let your archers do the work,
They have a low attack? I don't think it matters when their damage is 30-50, like the Phoenix's. Their damage. is the highest of 6th level.
And when you say that 120 HP is high to 6th, always remember the Treant (181 HP).
Any way, you made me to review those three, too. It will be ready soon.
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emilsn
Legendary Hero
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posted February 03, 2007 11:41 PM |
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Yes, wolfs = bad if they get near and arent dead! But hey they die like flies...
Manticores, try get a couple and then you see how great they are. When they get hero stats they will rock your world.. If they just could move a bit further! Damn those slow retards!
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TemjinGold
Known Hero
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posted February 05, 2007 04:52 AM |
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Hey nice review. Just wanted to mention 2 things:
1) Phoenixes (Phoenii?) can only rise ONCE in a fight. If you kill the stack twice, no more.
2) Earth Elementals, due to being pathetically slow AND having unlimited retal, are easy to creep with a Demonlord. Just gate in some stacks of 1s, mark the elementals, and bum rush. 
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted February 05, 2007 02:46 PM |
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Quote:
Hey nice review. Just wanted to mention 2 things:
1) Phoenixes (Phoenii?) can only rise ONCE in a fight. If you kill the stack twice, no more.
2) Earth Elementals, due to being pathetically slow AND having unlimited retal, are easy to creep with a Demonlord. Just gate in some stacks of 1s, mark the elementals, and bum rush.
Thank you for your comments.
I added a sentence that said it can rebirth only once in a combat.
And DemonLord might be useful agaisnt Earth Elemental. I would use shooters.
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ZombieLord
Promising
Famous Hero
that wants your brainz...
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posted February 06, 2007 03:07 PM |
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Earth Elementals are simply too slow to pose any threats to you.
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted February 06, 2007 06:47 PM |
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Quote:
Earth Elementals are simply too slow to pose any threats to you.
5 speed is fine.
Just with 5 initiative, you will have to use this 5 speed once in 10 minutes.
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Fofa
Famous Hero
Famous? Me?!
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posted February 07, 2007 01:44 AM |
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Apart from the Elementals, do any of the other neutrals have places to recruit them? I'm guessing no, but it's a good idea to check anyhow.
As for the looks, do Mummies naturally have sharp teeth like that? To me, that doesn't look natural. The Fire Elemental looks odd at best, and the Manticore. . . . I just won't bring it up.
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Creator of the Guild and Prison towns for ICTC.
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emilsn
Legendary Hero
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posted February 07, 2007 07:23 AM |
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Edited by emilsn at 07:23, 07 Feb 2007.
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There seem to be no recruit dwellings for: Death knights, phoenix(I have heard something about this though), Wolf, Manticore and Mummy... Why ? Well maybe Nival do have some point, or not..
P.S That manticore = the worst ever(looks)
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted February 07, 2007 10:46 AM |
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Perhaps you have heard of Borges a writer, poet and critic. He had an online encyclopedia of imaginary animals somewhere and it is there that I first learnt that the manticore originally had the head of a man and that its tail could launch multiple stings. Obviously Nival had heard of this version and did well to change it(though forgot the tail part  ). Anyway it looks ugly but in a sweet way
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted February 09, 2007 01:37 PM |
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Quote:
Perhaps you have heard of Borges a writer, poet and critic. He had an online encyclopedia of imaginary animals somewhere and it is there that I first learnt that the manticore originally had the head of a man and that its tail could launch multiple stings. Obviously Nival had heard of this version and did well to change it(though forgot the tail part ). Anyway it looks ugly but in a sweet way
According to what I heared, he has a lion's body, including the head.
Any way, I guess that Nival and 3DO agree with me.
 
Quote:
There seem to be no recruit dwellings for: Death knights, phoenix(I have heard something about this though), Wolf, Manticore and Mummy... Why ? Well maybe Nival do have some point, or not..
P.S That manticore = the worst ever(looks)
Someone said that there are in the map editor.
I don't know if that's correct, I didn't find the dwelling in the map editor at all. ><
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted February 10, 2007 11:26 AM |
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Tactics were added. I hope you like them.
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baklava
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Mostly harmless
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posted February 10, 2007 11:48 AM |
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Manticore's face looks crappy. They should've just given him the ordinary lion head, and darker torso I guess. They have too big mouth and a ridiculous grimase... Nival could've really done a much better job about them
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you got the blues."
Howlin Wolf
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted February 10, 2007 11:51 AM |
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Quote:
Manticore's face looks crappy. They should've just given him the ordinary lion head, and darker torso I guess. They have too big mouth and a ridiculous grimase... Nival could've really done a much better job about them
Yes. I agree.
And I think that it's silly thing that a lion's mouth will be lager then the whole face.
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Moonlith
Bad-mannered
Supreme Hero
If all else fails, use Fiyah!
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posted February 10, 2007 12:19 PM |
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In legends the manticore was described as having a lion's body, scorpion's tail and a human's face, so in that sense Nival went pretty accurate.
Even though the HOMM3 looked a lot cooler and more natural.
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted February 10, 2007 12:27 PM |
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Quote:
In legends the manticore was described as having a lion's body, scorpion's tail and a human's face, so in that sense Nival went pretty accurate.
Even though the HOMM3 looked a lot cooler and more natural.
Somehow, it doesn't seem like all those parts grew on one body, don't you agree?
The Manticore of H5 looks like someone took:
-Lion's body
-Huge Scorpion's tail
-Wings of Dragon/Phoenix)
And Glued all them together.
In H3, it seems like lion's body, scorpion's tail and dragon's wings grew out of one body.
I think H3 is much better, because it suppose to be one natural creature, and that's how it looks like there.
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