User Guide

8
** Once combat begins, it cannot be interrupted without consequences. Saving a game is not possible
while in combat. Surrendering merely concedes defeat, and your hero will be lost.
If your hero is defeated in combat, he is destroyed, but the mission does not necessarily end. With
enough resources, you can summon new heroes in your Castle. Heroes can also be resurrected with
the proper spell.
Depending on specific mission goals, you accomplish a mission by destroying certain opposing heroes,
an enemy Castle, or completing other particular tasks.
Territory Map (Strategic Mode)
The Territory map is where all strategic events of a mission occur. Depending on the mission, heroes of
different races (controlled by the computer or by other players) may be present on the map at the same
time. At the beginning of each mission you'll usually control one or more heroes of the same race.
Sometimes you may be able to select your race; often it is pre-determined. You will play the same race
until the end of the mission. Heroes may have a Specialization giving them certain powers. Heroes can
acquire other Skills that you may select as they gain experience levels; this is discussed in more detail
under the “Heroes' Parameters” section.
In the single-player campaign game, your allies and enemies are pre-defined. In multiplayer games, you
can select the race you play and, in most missions, players can establish diplomatic relations with each
other (see “Multiplayer Game”).
Castle
The main structure on the map is the Castle; each player has only one Castle. Heroes begin their mission
here. Each Castle has a certain number of Structure Points and can be destroyed if it receives enough
damage from enemy attacks. If your Castle is destroyed, your mission ends in failure. Conversely, in
some missions, your primary goal will be to destroy an enemy Castle. In the Castle, you can also cast
certain global spells like summoning new heroes.
Resources
To support heroes and buy new spells and runes, you need resources. There are eight types of
resources found in the game. Seven of these resources will accumulate in your stockpile on a daily
basis. One resource type is non-accumulating; any unused amount disappears at the end of the day. At
the beginning of a mission, you receive small initial amounts of resources. Thereafter, you need to
search for and accumulate resources yourself. Gathered resources belong to the race as a whole;
individual heroes don’t own or carry resources.
Accumulative Resources: These are either plants or minerals. Plants grow in gardens, while minerals
must be extracted from mines. When you capture a garden or a mine, you begin receiving a certain
amount of that resource daily. Some resources you can freely pick up in various areas of the territory
map, but beware – access to these deposits is usually well guarded! You can also receive resources as
loot after winning a combat. Extracted and spent resources are measured in resource units.