Necropolis: Difference between revisions

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(→‎Structures: , reason to include water magic (oh, the love))
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*[[Necromancy Amplifier]] ('''unique''' [[Necropolis]] building, works like [[Vampire's Cowl]], stacks with each city)
*[[Necromancy Amplifier]] ('''unique''' [[Necropolis]] building, works like [[Vampire's Cowl]], stacks with each city)
*[[Skeleton Transformer]] ('''unique''' [[Necropolis]] building, enhance values of [[Peasant]]s to [[Skeleton]]s (+4 [[attack]], +3 [[attack]], +5 hp, +0-2 damage +1 speed) or life span of other non undead creatures to those of [[Skeleton]]s, or, in case of [[Dragon]]s and [[Hydra]]s [[Bone Dragon]]s)
*[[Skeleton Transformer]] ('''unique''' [[Necropolis]] building, enhance values of [[Peasant]]s to [[Skeleton]]s (+4 [[attack]], +3 [[attack]], +5 hp, +0-2 damage +1 speed) or life span of other non undead creatures to those of [[Skeleton]]s, or, in case of [[Dragon]]s and [[Hydra]]s [[Bone Dragon]]s)
*[[Shipyard]] (1000 gold, 10 wood, like [[Summon Boat]] but more reliable when not on expert [[Water Magic]] and loosing [[adventure map]] movement points when boarding/deboarding ships instead of [[Water Walk]] or [[Fly]])
*[[Shipyard]] (1000 gold, 10 wood, like [[Summon Boat]] but more reliable when not on expert [[Water Magic]] with a freely gotten [[Summon Boat]] and loosing [[adventure map]] movement points when boarding/deboarding ships instead of [[Water Walk]] or [[Fly]])
*[[Soul Prison]] ([[Grail]] building, +20 [[Necromancy]] for allied heroes, the usual 5000 gold each day and +50 creature growth in the [[Grail]] town)
*[[Soul Prison]] ([[Grail]] building, +20 [[Necromancy]] for allied heroes, the usual 5000 gold each day and +50 creature growth in the [[Grail]] town)
*[[Unearthed Graves]] (+6 [[Skeleton]]s per week [[horde building]])
*[[Unearthed Graves]] (+6 [[Skeleton]]s per week [[horde building]])

Revision as of 10:32, 29 July 2014

Towns
Castle Castle
Rampart Rampart
Tower Tower
Inferno Inferno
Necropolis Necropolis
Dungeon Dungeon
Stronghold Stronghold
Fortress Fortress
Conflux Conflux Armageddon's Blade
Cove Cove Horn of the Abyss
Factory Factory Horn of the Abyss

Necropolis is an evil alignment town type, that is overrun and ruled by undead creatures. They are the natural bases for the Necromancer and Death Knight hero types. Necropolis armies have many units with abilities to weaken their opponents. This may give them an advantage over an equal or even a stronger opponent.

Native terrain for Necropolis's troops is dirt.

Town Costs

["Basic" includes Citadel, Castle & any prerequisites;
"Upgrades" also includes prerequisites]
Resource Basic Upgrades All
Gold 33400 25500 96400
Wood 45 25 135
Ore 65 25 135
Crystal 5 12 45
Gem 5 12 45
Mercury 5 27 60
Sulfur 15 7 40
Troop cost/week: 26920 Gold 2 Mercury


Overview

Structures

Incomplete Necropolis town seen from inside

Template:StandardBuildings

Necropolis Specific Buildings

Creature Dwellings

Heroes

Necropolis
Death Knights
StrakerStraker Straker
VokialVokial Vokial
MoandorMoandor Moandor
CharnaCharna Charna
TamikaTamika Tamika
IsraIsra Isra
ClaviusClavius Clavius
GalthranGalthran Galthran
RanlooRanloo Ranloo Horn of the Abyss
Haart LichHaart Lich Haart Lich Horn of the Abyss (Campaign/Custom)Lord HaartLord Haart Lord Haart Armageddon's Blade
Necromancers
SeptiennaSeptienna Septienna
AislinnAislinn Aislinn
SandroSandro Sandro
NimbusNimbus Nimbus
ThantThant Thant
XsiXsi Xsi
VidominaVidomina Vidomina
NagashNagash Nagash
Towns
Castle Rampart Tower
Inferno Necropolis Dungeon
Stronghold Fortress Conflux
Cove Factory

Template:Herotable Template:Herotablerow Necropolis |} List of all heroes

Creatures

Necropolis creatures
Level 1
Skeleton Skeleton
Skeleton Warrior Skeleton Warrior
Level 2
Walking Dead Walking Dead
Zombie Zombie
Level 3
Wight Wight
Wraith Wraith
Level 4
Vampire Vampire
Vampire Lord Vampire Lord
Level 5
Lich Lich
Power Lich Power Lich
Level 6
Black Knight Black Knight
Dread Knight Dread Knight
Level 7
Bone Dragon Bone Dragon
Ghost Dragon Ghost Dragon
Towns
Castle Rampart Tower
Inferno Necropolis Dungeon
Stronghold Fortress Conflux
Cove Factory
Neutral

All Necropolis' creatres are undead, which means that they are unaffected by morale. They are also immune to all mind spells as well as Curse, Bless, Resurrection and Death Ripple.

Template:Creaturetable Template:Creaturetablerow Necropolis |}

Strategy

Strategies

If you can upgrade your Estate early, you should do so. The Vampire Lords are one of the best 4th-level creatures in the game. Since they draw life from their enemy, and resurrect themselves, they can be used to solely take out large numbers of low-level creatures. Combine with "counterstrike" to get even better effect.

"The month of the Hobgoblin" and the like are Necromancers' wet dream. Just take your strongest hero and stockpile Skeletons. Necromancy adds a little bit of motivation on clearing maps - who needs experience and levelups, when there's Skeletons aplenty?

The Necropolis has only a few units they can rely on, the others can wait with being bought and, in time, even be ignored. The reliable units are: Skeleton Warriors, Vampire Lords, Power Liches and Dread Knights.

You get Skeleton Warriors only if your ranks are full at the *end* of combat and if you have a stack of Skeleton Warriors and no stack of Skeletons. The downpart is that you get less than if you'd get normal Skeletons (2/3rds as many). Therefore, if it is logistically managable, it would be better to try and get a horde of normal Skeletons first, and then upgrade them at a Necropolis or Hill Fort for the last battle.

If there are any Level 1 dwellings nearby, recruit them and take them to the Necropolis. If you have a Skeleton Transformer, you're practically getting free skeletons, and even free Skeleton warriors if there is a Hill Fort close by too.

Be on the lookout for Hovels. Peasants come free and, though extremely slow and non-lethal, once inside a Skeleton Transformer they gain a 600% increase in health, up to 300% increase in damage, among other bonuses. Since Hovels spawn 25 peasants each each week and there are usually 4 or more Hovels close to each other one can gain an extra 100 or so Skeletons each week. Have a hero be a collector of these benefits.

In tough combat, devide your Ghost Dragons. Keep a big stack, and two 1-stack. Thus you can greatly increase your chance for the Aging, which can turn the tides of a battle.


Discussion

Necropolis is one of the most powerful towns in Heroes of Might and Magic III, mainly because of the Necromancers' ability to raise dead enemies as skeletons, quickly making a host of them. In addition, Necropolis has strong magic, a very nice complement to the hordes of undead.

Creatures native to Necropolis are all undead, which has a number of advantages and disadvantages.

The Necropolis has generally weaker lower level units, mainly the walking dead, wights, wraiths, and vampires.

This isn't that important as skeletons are available in large numbers, and Necropolis is a powerhouse in middle-upper level units.

Vampire lords, liches, power liches, black knights, and dread knights are all extremely powerful for their respective levels.

Bone dragons and ghost dragons are not the best final level unit but are still quite effective.

Necropolis creatures have many abilities that weaken their opponents.


Pros

  • A variety of good heroes to choose from
  • A variety of strategies available
  • Unaffected by negative Morale
  • Unaffected by Mind spells
  • Necromancy is a powerful secondary skill that only Necropolis heroes can utilize effectively
  • Vampire Lords are by far the most cost-efficient level 4 unit (and arguably the most cost-efficient unit in the game), as they can beat armies of much greater size as long as they are not (like Undeads or Constructs) immune to the Vampire Lords' Life drain ability and as long as the Vampire Lords are used properly.
  • The level 3 spell Animate Dead (which the necromancer hero Thant has inbuilt) can ressurect units in combat, and they stay ressurected after combat (the 4th level Earth Spell Resurrection and Angels or the 5th level Fire spell Sacrifice can ressurect units, but so treated units are removed after combat quite like Summon Air Elemental created creature stacks).
    So given a good balance of Thants undead and repairable units compared to the opponent, enough mana for the ressurects and having Shackles of War for unlimited turns he would not lose any units in combat but also often get additional Necromancy created skeletons (which would hamper movement on the adventure map a little, as Skeletons are slow creatures (and even with Town Portal and Dimension Door there's a adventure map movement penalty to consider).
  • There are number of artifacts that are only useful to Necropolis (artefacts enhancing the created creature number of the unique secondary skill Necromancy like Cloak of the Undead King, but also Pendant of Death which counters the mini, undead-only version of Armageddon, damaging all undead on the battlefield, even those recruited in no Necropolis but on the adventure map).
  • Both Necropolis hero types begin with a spell book

Cons

  • Walking Dead and Zombies slow armies down
  • Only one ranged attacker Lich/Power Lich
  • Unaffected by positive Morale (creatures of other towns might still have less morale when doing combat with creatures of other towns, and the Skeleton Transformer mostly creates skeletons and not Necropolis type creatures of the same level (except for perhaps transmuting hydras and dragons to bone dragons)) - Spirit of Oppression is a nice thing to have for any Necropolis hero with no non Necropolis units.
  • Difficulties in the early game, where your slow level 1 and level 2 creatures are not the best to conquer mines and explore the map (and in the endgame a host of in-combat ressurectable skeletons might hamper adventure map transfers (to reflag buildings for instance))
  • Bone and Ghost Dragons are near the bottom of the Level 7's in strength and usefulness

WARNING! This town is often considered too strong and thus is banned in many multiplayer games/tournaments.