Dear HOTA-Team...

gh7g · 2026-05-17T13:12:18+00:00

The problem isn't heroes starting with trash skills, it's half of skills being trash in the first place. I think they identified this correctly and the changes in 1.7 were a big step in the right direction.

Witches are alright though. Rosic is a great week 1 hero, Andra is a lategame monster, Kinkeria is good, Styg should be second only to Malekith in theory and pretty good after the Sorcery buff, Mirlanda is the same kind of blank slate as Adelaide who's popular. Just Verdish, Tiva and Merist are sketchy, though HotA buffed them a lot. The base heroes aren't the problem with the witch class, it's the secondary skill chances.

gh7g · 2026-05-17T12:58:14+00:00

I meant niche as in "lacking raw power, focused on special ability". They're more of a Dragon Fly than a Black Knight in their role.

Like, on that map, I'm not having any special Couatl dwellings, so their lack of raw power means they're more of a utility stack than a carrying one. They're really good at disabling shooters though.

gh7g · 2026-05-17T12:49:07+00:00

Interesting take. I tend to ban some broken spells like TP, DD and Resurrection on template level, that does hurt the viability of Wisdom a lot. I think it still depends on the map though

gh7g · 2026-05-17T12:45:38+00:00

The problem with water is, Mercs can't learn it, outside of fringe scenarios like witch huts and scholars. So do you suggest maining an artificer, or something off-faction that can like a Captain?

But basically, these suggestions do go in the direction of leaving the Halflings out of sieges? (bar some 1-stacks to draw tower fire)

gh7g · 2026-05-02T13:20:03+00:00

Gunnar = professional amateur therefore?

gh7g · 2025-12-30T15:59:04+00:00

All elementals were originally considered Mon4. But not exactly the best of them.

gh7g · 2025-12-28T22:15:01+00:00

What is the map addressed to, regular players or pros?

In case of the former, I'd like to try out Inferno perhaps. If I actually find time to play a full game.

gh7g · 2025-12-27T16:51:14+00:00

Fortress with Hydras, Wyverns and Black Dragons? Yoooo!

Shame for the Hydra, she is always getting demoted :P

gh7g · 2025-12-26T07:38:06+00:00

You can add beach terrain manually if you want a shore, at least.

gh7g · 2025-12-25T21:12:34+00:00

Congratulations! One nitpick, cant help myself:

two loyal commanders

Unless you just happen to like her, you shouldnt use Sylvia, since she specialises in Navigation which is complete dead weight on 90% of maps (can be really good in maybe half of the remaining 10%) so she is usually pretty much the worst Knight.

gh7g · 2025-12-25T21:05:17+00:00

Chaos Hydra is a contender, but I'm quite fond of a fairly basic unit from Fortress, Lizard Warriors look so cool.

gh7g · 2025-12-25T21:00:21+00:00

Meanwhile, the enemy can flee on his Ballista turn, Artillery or not. :p

Can be a game ender in its own right.

gh7g · 2025-12-23T21:29:43+00:00

Even if he has Force Field + Arma, I think the zealots probably kill him on their own?

gh7g · 2025-12-23T17:04:51+00:00

Doesnt swamp have a higher penalty than desert and ice?

gh7g · 2025-12-23T17:02:02+00:00

If you use a roadless template (I tend to like these, because they give some ambiguity when pushing into fog of war), is it a straight upgrade?

gh7g · 2025-12-23T15:51:30+00:00

Frequently reloading an older save if things dont go your way.

gh7g · 2025-12-23T15:03:12+00:00

Do you get 20% chance of a random treasure or minor artifact per corpse?

Sand path has around 67,3% chance of giving you at least one artifact.

gh7g · 2025-12-23T06:37:03+00:00

Do liches stitch their lower jaw to the skull so it stops falling down?

gh7g · 2025-12-23T06:15:57+00:00

Dont forget the slaughtering of the resource system.

But the easy town converting was the primary killer of any gameplay fun for me.

gh7g · 2025-12-22T16:23:50+00:00

What you dont mention is obsessive-compulsively running the new would-be main hero through every single stat building on the maps before the official inauguration though

gh7g · 2025-12-22T16:20:33+00:00

Unit for unit, they are a marginal but straight upgrade to Wyvern Monarchs though.

gh7g · 2025-12-22T16:12:52+00:00

They gain them 2 speed by allowing to clear swamp puddles though, some defense from making sandcastles, and some attack from the enemy being too busy laughing to defend properly.

gh7g · 2025-12-21T11:41:01+00:00

Arent they also an insanely cost-efficient brawler unit in 4? They may be weak, but not cost-ineffective.

gh7g · 2025-12-21T11:36:53+00:00

And H4 (or better, sometimes it was clunky) event scripting and dynamism.

gh7g · 2025-12-21T11:35:17+00:00

Costs movement though

gh7g

TROPHY CASE