Faction abilities

Faction	Required level	Required castle construction	Construction cost	Ability
Knights Holy knight	3 5	Training chambers -	500 -	Training True light
Necromancers Unholy necromancer	1 5	-	-	Necromancy Master animator
Wizards Battlewise wizard	3 5	Artifact foundry -	500 -	Mini-artifacts Dominion of magic
Elves Charmer Elf	3 5	Avengers' guild -	500 -	Favoured enemy Forest energy
Barbarian Shadow Barbarian Fury Barbarian	1 5 5	-	-	Combat readiness Tribal spirit
Dark elves Tamer Dark Elves	1 5	-	-	Dark barrier Summon dungeon creatures
Demons Darkness demon	1 5	-	-	Gating Pervasive darkness
Tribals Wrathbringer Tribal	1 5	-	-	Tribal spirit Ritual rage
Dwarves Fire dwarf	3 5	School of Rune magic -	500 -	Rune magic Sorcery
Pharaohs	1	-	-	Shining of Moon and Sun

Training
This ability allows the Knights to raise the strength of troops by extra-recruiting citizens. The lord can also upgrade lower rank troops up the tier. Thus, each Knight skill level allows the lords to recruit more bowmen, swordsmen, monks and cavalry at the cost of reducing the amount of lower level recruits.
True light
This ability is available to Holy knights instead of Training. It increases the efficiency of "Rapid", "Stoneskin" and "Chastise" spells. The final effect is [Base effect*(1+0.02*faction skill level)].

Necromancy
Agents of death use the ancient black art of necromancy to raise immense hordes of skeletons, which serve as the backbone of their powerful armies. Necromancers’ unique racial ability lets them recruit additional Skeletons or Skeletal Bowmen, whose number depends on the character’s faction skill level.

Faction skill level	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
Recruitable reserve	7	12	18	25	40	65	95	130	170	210	250	290	330	370	410

Master animator
This ability is available to Unholy Necromancers. They keep Necromancy, i.e. the ability to fill their reserve with skeletons, but are unable to take reserve skeletons into battle.
Instead, Master animator enhances "Raise dead" spell. The effect depends on faction skill level:
· Amount of HP raised increased by [10*FSL]%;
· When the lord resurrects a stack, it is advanced on the initiative bar by 50% + 3% * [lord's faction skill level].

Mini-artifacts
This ability allows Wizards to forge special equipment for their creatures. Mini-artifacts may only be equipped on troops and cannot be transferred or traded to another lord. There are certain peculiarities about mini-artifact creation and usage:

Any wizard stack can be equipped with mini-artifacts;

A single stack can only be equipped with one mini-artifact type;

Part types within one mini-artifact should differ;

Mini-artifact part types and their effect depend on the wizard faction skill level of the character;

Maximal count of parts in one mini-artifact depends on the combat level of the character;

Mini-artifacts have infinite durability;

Mini-artifact effects are hidden from other players and are only revealed in combat.

Wizard's FSL
0	1	1	-	-	-	1
1	1	2	-	1	-	2
2	2	3	-	1	-	3
3	2	3	-	2	1	4
4	3	4	1	2	1	5
5	4	4	1	3	1	6
6	5	5	1	3	1	7
7	6	6	1	4	2	8
8	6	6	2	4	2	9
9	7	7	2	5	2	10
10	8	8	2	5	2	11
11	9	9	2	6	2	12
12	10	10	2	6	2	13
13	11	11	2	6	2	14
14	12	12	2	6	2	15

Mini-artifact effects are hidden from other players and are only revealed in combat.
A character's profile shows only the number of components of each mini-artifact:

		one bonus
		two bonuses (requires combat level 5)
		three bonuses (requires combat level 9)
		four bonuses (not available)

Dominion of magic
This ability is available to Battlewise wizards knights instead of Mini-artifacts. It increases their attack and initiative by certain amount depending on their Spell power and Knowledge parameters. The effects are:

[0.3+0.03*(FSL)]*[(Spell power)+(Knowledge)] bonus attack;

[0.1+0.01*(FSL)]*[(Spell power)+(Knowledge)]% bonus initiative.

All Wizard characters also have an increase to the damage they deal with spells to neutral creatures at hunt and on Mercenaries' Guild errands:

in case of direct damaging spells, [final damage]=[normal damage]*(2+[faction skill level])/2;

in case of area of effect damaging spells, [final damage]=[normal damage]*([spell area]+[faction skill level])/[spell area].
This damage increase has no effect with the "Firewall" spell.

Favoured enemy
Thanks to this ability, elves gain a chance to inflict critical (double) damage in combat to a stack of creatures of certain types. Favoured enemies are chosen in the castle, in the "Avengers' guild" building.

You can switch your favoured enemy at any time. The total number of favoured enemies is always 15, one for each faction/class, regardless of your faction level.

Elvish troops cannot be chosen as favoured enemies.

All monsters at hunt are regarded as favoured enemies, regardless of who is chosen as one, except elvish faction creatures.

Chance of dealing critical damage: 5%+4%*[Elf skill level].
Forest energy
This ability is available to Charmer Elf. The lord's knowledge parameter increases by one point for every four points of attack. The lord also accumulates spell power during the battle by taking and dealing damage.
Accumulated spell power cannot exceed [lord's attack]*(70%+3%*[faction skill level]).
"Imbue arrow" faction ability provides the lord with an additional spell imposed together with the lord’s attack. If the arrow is used, it grants 20% pierce through magic resistance when casting this spell.

Combat readiness
It is known that Barbarians spend their lives in constant military training. At peace or at war, they seek perfection in their combat skills, and know how to use every second on the battlefield to their favor. Thanks to the "Combat readiness" ability, every stack of Barbarian troops led by a lord accumulates damage to-be-dealt whenever it spends its turn without attacking, up to a maximum of 50% extra damage.

Damage increase rate: 1%*[Barbarian skill level] per creature turn.
The damage increase is cumulative for every stack independently, it resets after each attack of the stack.
Tribal spirit
All creatures of the Tribals faction, except for Wyverns and their upgrades, as well as of Fury barbarian and Shadow barbarian classes have the "Tribal spirit" ability, allowing those creatures to cumulate tribal spirit when they are led by their faction lord. The spirit points are cumulated when the creature is active, and lost if passive actions are taken and when the creature takes damage:

Event on the battlefield	Spirit points
General events
Enemy stack perishes, all stacks gain	+20
Allied stack perishes, all stacks gain	+30
Allied stack perishes, tribal creature has 'Rage' ability	+60
Shadow barbarian lord casts a Darkness spell all stacks gain	+40
Tribal lord performs a ritual (depends on level: 1-3) all stacks gain	+20/+30/+40
Creature actions
Melee attack	+100
Ranged attack	+50
Cast a spell on an enemy	+40
Perform 'Sacrifice goblin'/'Devour goblin'	+60
Defend	–60
Wait	–100
Skip a turn due to low morale	–80
Flee through 'Cowardice'	–100
Creature under the effect of 'Berserker'	all TS gained x2
Actions towards a creature
Become target of 'Delay', 'Curse' 'Decay', 'Weakness' 'Disruption ray'	+10
Become target of 'Confusion'	–8
'Confusion' of Dark sybils and Genies	–6
Blinded	0
Feared	–100
Hypnotized, controlled	–50
Stunned, knocked	–20
Triumph of death	–40
Life drained, infecting strike suffered	–90
Tribal lord performs 'Tribute to Spirits'	+10*CL

Tribal spirit points are also expended whenever creatures take damage to dampen that damage.

For Barbarian alternative classes, dampened damage equals [20% + (faction skill level)%]

For Tribals, dampened damage equals [50% + (faction skill level) * 2%].
Tribal spirit points lost equals [1200 * damage dampened / total current HP of stack].
As spirit points are cumulated, creatures pass to next levels of spirit, obtaining new abilities and improving certain parameters:

Creature	Tribal spirit lvl 1 200 spirit points	Tribal spirit lvl 2 500 spirit points	Tribal spirit lvl 3 1000 spirit points
Tribal goblins	+1	+3 No 'Treachery'	'No retaliation'
Goblin trappers	+2	+3 'Mayhem'
Goblin shamans	+1 +3	+1 'Purge'	'No retaliation' 'Hexing attack'
Centaurs	+3	+2	'Precision'
Tempered centaurs	+7
Centaur outriders	+7 +4
Invaders	+1 +5	+3	'Stun'
Enforcers	+2 +5
Protectors	+1 +6
Shamans	+2	+7	+15
Sky shamans		+8 x2	x4
Earth shamans	+3	+3	+7
Commanders	+1 +2	+10	'Double strike'
Warlords	+1 +3
Chieftains	+1 +2	+7
Tamed wyverns	No 'Tribal spirit'.
Venomous wyverns
Tribal cyclops	+5	'Intimidation aura'	'Fear attack'
Unfettered cyclops
Tribal beholders

Creatures	Tribal spirit lvl 1 200 spirit points	Tribal spirit lvl 2 500 spirit points	Tribal spirit lvl 3 1000 spirit points
Goblins	+1	+2	'No retaliation'
Goblin warlocks		+3	+2
Goblin archers		+2 +1	'Precision'
Wolf Riders	+3	+1	+1
Boar riders			'Stun'
Hyena riders	+2	+2	+2
Orcs	+2 +2	+1	+3
Orc shamans	+2 +3		+5
Orc tyrants	+3 +2	+1 +1
Ogres	+10 +4	+1	+2 +1
Ogre trophy-hunters	+15 +5	+5	+3 +2
Ogre shamans	+5 +5	+1 +2	+2 +5
Rocs	+2	+7	+15 +1
Dark rocs		+7 'Immune to mind control'
Firebirds	+3	+10	+20 +1
Cyclops	+5 +5	+8	+3
Cyclop generals	+7 +7	+10	+4
Cyclops shamans	+8 +8 x2	+12 +1 x4
Behemoths	+7	+20	+15 +10
Infuriated behemoths		+30 'Fear attack'
Cursed behemoths	+40	+8 'Fear attack'	+15 +12

The Tribals can also perform Rituals which require mana, but spell power has no influence on them.
Ritual rage
This ability is available to Wrathbringer Tribal. The amount of accumulated tribal spirit changes when using battle cries, depending on the ratio of Lords or Lady's attack and defense characteristics: each battle cry additionally adds tribal spirit to their units equal to (Attack – Defense) * [faction skill level] / 10. If the defense parameter is greater than the attack, then the tribal spirit will be subtracted.
- Dampened damage through tribal spirit is equal to (15 + [faction skill level] / 2)%;
- Alternative upgrades to basic units with their own bonuses of Tribal Spirit levels.

Dark barrier
Dark Elves are well known for their thirst to natural magic forces as part of a creation process. Throughout ages they stored knowledge and their sense of battle became their intuitive second nature. That’s the reason why Dark Elves possess their unique racial ability that separates them from other factions.

Their unique racial ability provides Dark Elves with additional defense that can be calculated as: (Spell power+Knowledge)*([10+(faction skills level of a hero)]%).
For example, all of the creatures in the army of 10th faction skills level hero that has Spell Power + Knowledge = 30, will gain +6 Defense.
Summon dungeon creatures
The unique racial ability of the alternative Dark Elf class lets you summon dungeon creatures to aid you in battle. Each level of Magic Guild built in your castle unlocks one tier of dungeon creatures. If you have the Beastmaster talent, you will summon the upgraded version of each dungeon creature. The number of creatures summoned depends on your combat level and faction skill level. Note that a Tamer may only have one type of summoned creature on the battlefield at any one time. The number of creatures summoned is reduced by 10% with each summon after the first one.

Magic Guild	Summon creatures
1	Spiders Venomous spiders
2	Harpies Raiding harpies
3	Beholders Shadow eyes
4	Trolls Crazed trolls

Gating
This is a unique Demonic ability which allows your troops to call for additional reinforcements right on the combat field. The amount of troops summoned directly depends on the numbers of the summoning stack. Any demonic creature led by a lord is able to gate a stack consisting of 20%+4%*[Demon skill level] creatures of the summoning stack. This ability is extremely useful against neutral creatures. You will be able to distract enemy troops with the summoned armies and destroy them with your main forces, use magic or simply run them over with everything you've got.
Gated stacks disappear after combat. Note that if only gated creatures are left, the Demon loses the fight immediately, as if he or she didn't have them at all.
Pervasive Darkness
This ability is available to Darkness Demons instead of Gating. It increases the efficiency of "Delay", "Disruption ray" and "Weakness" spells. The final effect is [Base effect*(1+0.02*faction skill level)].

Rune magic
Technically, Rune magic isn’t really magic, but a unique dwarven racial ability. Rune magic can only be applied to your own stacks when the targeted stack gains its turn. Each stack may have any individual rune applied to it only once per combat. Moreover, each individual rune may only be used once per combat (exception: “Spare rune” talent allows any rune to be used twice per combat and high faction skill level can allow yet additional applying of some runes).

To have rune magic activated one must have achieved faction skill level 1. Every additional faction skill level unlocks a new type of rune:

	Rune of Crusade. Requires faction skill level 1 Upon reaching FSL 11 you’ll get an additional rune of this type to use in one combat. Upon its next attack, the stack which has this rune applied will hit its target twice. This rune can only be used after at least one creature from the stack has perished. More specifically, the current amount of creatures in stack should be lower than the initial amount of creatures in the very same stack at the beginning of combat). The effect of this rune is removed right after the first melee/ranged attack of the creature. Retaliation does not remove the effect of this rune. If the creature kills its target with its first hit, the effect is also not removed.
	Rune of Agility. Requires faction skill level 2 Upon reaching FSL 12 you’ll get an additional rune of this type to use in one combat. Speed of the stack affected by this rune becomes doubled. The effect of the rune is removed right after the affected creature finishes its turn (even if that stack skips its turn by either waiting or defending).
	Rune of Exorcism. Requires faction skill level 3 Upon reaching FSL 13 you’ll get an additional rune of this type to use in one combat. Activation of this rune removes all Darkness magic spells that can be removed by the “Dispersion” spell from the stack affected.
	Rune of Magical Attraction. Requires faction skill level 4 Upon reaching FSL 14 you’ll get an additional rune of this type to use in one combat. When a creature affected by this rune attacks the targeted enemy stack it “steals” a random Holy magic spell from it if available. The spell is removed from the target and is applied to the attacker for the same duration as it was on the target. The effect of the rune is removed right after the creature completes its attack. Retaliation does not remove the effect of this rune. If the target doesn’t have any Holy magic spell effects on it, the use of this rune is wasted.
	Rune of Elemental Immunity. Requires faction skill level 5 The stack affected by this rune becomes immune to damage of 2 random elements out of: Fire, Water, Air, Earth. The creature that activates this rune is under its effect until end of combat. If the lord has “Spare rune” talent learned, this rune can be used again on a different stack, the effect not necessarily granting immunity from the same element.
	Rune of Intangibility. Requires faction skill level 6 For one full turn (duration between two consecutive turns of a creature with initiative 10) the creature that activates this rune becomes incorporeal. The effect is removed upon/before the creature’s next turn. In other words, the effect will be removed upon their next turn for creatures with initiative more or equal to 10; the effect will be removed before their next turn for creatures with initiative less than 10.
	Rune of Resurrection. Requires faction skill level 7 The stack that activates this rune will recover 40% of its perished creatures. In other words, the number of resurrected creatures equals 0.4 * (initial number of the creatures in stack minus current number of the creatures in stack). The result is rounded down. For example, there were 100 creatures in the stack at the beginning of combat. By the time the rune is activated their numbers were reduced to 10. With this rune's activation, (100-10)*0.4=36 creatures will be resurrected. After applying the rune, the stack will count 10+36=46 creatures. Keep in mind that this rune recovers 40% of the number of creatures, not 40% of their total HP. So for example, the stack that initially had 10 creatures and had 2 of them perished, cannot have any resurrected with activation of this rune (40% of 2 is 0.8 which is rounded down to 0), regardless of the amount of the last creature’s HP left in that stack.
	Rune of Stunning Might. Requires faction skill level 8 Whenever the stack under effect of this rune attacks or retaliates, there's a chance that the target loses all accumulated initiative, i.e. is thrown back to the end of the initiative bar. The probability of this triggering depends on the total relative HP of the target and the stack that has this rune activated. The effect of this rune is removed only in case of its successful trigger (when the target eventually is thrown back to the end of the initiative bar).
	Rune of Retribution. Requires faction skill level 9 When the stack with this rune's effect attacks, it will hit all creatures adjacent to the tile its original target stands on. This attack is not retaliated. This effect is removed right after the attack (or a number of attacks if the creature that has this rune activated attacks multiple targets). Ranged attacks by stacks with this rune's effect will have it wasted. If the creature under this rune's effect retaliates, the effect does not trigger and is not removed.
	Rune of Dwarven Divinity. Requires faction skill level 10 For one full turn (duration between two consecutive turns of a creature with initiative 10) the creature that activates this rune gains +100% to its basic Attack and Defense parameters and takes 50% less elemental damage. This effect is removed upon/before the next turn of that creature. The +100% Attack and Defense bonus is calculated from the creature’s original stats, so hero's stats and faction skill level bonus is not taken to account. For example, a lord with 20 Attack and 20 Defense and faction skill 10 has a stack of berserkers for which original Attack and Defense are 7. Those berserkers will have 35 Attack and 35 Defense in combat. When this stack activates the Rune of Dwarven Divinity its Attack and Defense parameters are increased by +7 each, so after activating this rune, its final parameters will be 42 Attack and 42 Defense. The bonus of -50% elemental damage taken stacks with all other similar effects in the usual (commutative) manner. This rune cannot be applied to Lava and Magma dragons.

Sorcery
Instead of having rune magic, the Fire Dwarf’s racial ability increases their Spell Power by the value of their faction skill level.

A basic-level Fireball spell is always available.

Shining of Moon and Sun
Since ancient times, the pharaohs respected the holiness of the continuous cycle of Sun and Moon. After spending many years studying this phenomenon, they learned to use the same principle to enhance their own magic, naming their unique racial ability in honor of their source of inspiration. Due to their racial ability, during battle the pharaohs constantly feel the action of one of the effects of the cycle: the Sun phase or the Moon phase. The phase changes after the Lord’s each turn. The Sun phase - empowers all Holy magic spells, the Moon phase - empowers all Darkness magic spells: an empowered spell has it’s mana cost reduced by 30% and boosts the effective spell power of magic.

The faction skill level has an effect on the increase in spell power when calculating the strengthening of Holy and Darkness spells in the corresponding phases. Calculation formula: [1 + faction skill / 2] - thus, at the 10th faction skill, 6 spell power will be added at the moment of casting the spell.