War Machine
War machine is a common term used for referring to either an Ammo Cart, Ballista, Cannon 
, First Aid Tent or Catapult. Basically they are all special combat units which are available in most of the battles. The only exceptions are creature banks and shipwrecks, where none of the war machines are used. Furthermore, Catapults are only used in siege combats. All war machines have a special slot reserved just for that particular war machine.
Typically, war machines except the Catapult are bought from Blacksmiths, which sell different war machine depending on the town. Additionally, war machines can be bought from an Adventure Map location called the War Machine Factory, which sell all war machines (except Catapults and Cannons ). Cannons can be purchased from a Cannon Yard . Stronghold has the special building Ballista Yard, where a visiting hero can buy a Ballista. All heroes have the Catapult with them, and if one is destroyed in the combat, a new one is automatically added to hero's catapult slot.
All war machines are immobile and unaffected by morale (Ballista and Cannon can have a lucky strike, and in the Horn of the Abyss, they both can have bad luck). Additionally, war machines do not affect the hero's movement. On the battlefield AI considers Catapult, Ballista and Cannon as ranged units, ignoring the moment they can not be blocked.
War machines can be traded between heroes, but can not be dismissed or put in the hero's backpack. In Horn of the Abyss , war machines (except the catapult) can be dismissed.
War machines are immune to:
Spells
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Abilities
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War machines are affected by these spells:
Note that damage dealing related buffs are effective for Ballista and Cannon only:
Cure
Anti-Magic and 
Dispel
Fortune and 
Misfortune
Bless and 
Curse
Slayer, 
Prayer and 
Precision
Shield and 
Stone Skin
Air Shield and 
Magic Mirror
Protection from Air, {Sn|Protection from Earth}}, {Sn|Protection from Fire}} and {Sn|Protection from Water}}
Fire Shield
Ammo Cart[edit | hide | hide all]
1000
Ammo Сart provides unlimited shots for creatures and War Machines with ranged attacks. The shots start to decrease right after the Ammo Cart is destroyed. Despite the fact that the Ammo Cart is not used during a creature bank or shipwreck battle, it still provides unlimited ammo. In damage calculations, Ammo Cart goes as level 1 unit, its AI Value is 400. For the Map-Editor, it is an artifact equipped in the War Machine 2 slot.
| Ammo Cart can be purchased at: |
First Aid Tent[edit | hide]
750
First Aid Tent heals 1-25 
(20-25 ) hit points of the top creature in target allied stack. The amount of health restored is affected by First Aid secondary skill, which also gives the player control over the tent rather than being chosen by computer. First Aid Tents act last at the combat round. In damage calculations, First Aid Tent goes as level 1 unit, its AI Value is 300. For the Map-Editor, it is an artifact equipped in the War Machine 3 slot. Oddly enough, Necropolis' heroes cannot learn First Aid, even though their blacksmith produces First Aid Tents.
| First Aid Tent can be purchased at: | Heroes with First Aid specialty(88% (100% ) chance to start with a First Aid Tent):
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Catapult[edit | hide]
N/A
The Catapult only appears on the battlefield when siege attacking enemy towns with walls, which requires the town to have a fort, citadel, or castle. Its main use is to attack and destroy the walls in order to enable ground troops to attack the defenders. The Catapult can also attack and destroy the arrow towers of citadels and castles. The ballistics secondary skill enhances the performance of the Catapult. Basic ballistics gives the player control over the Catapult making it possible to aim at particular parts of the siege structures. During a siege, the Catapult shoots after the arrow towers, but before any other troop. In damage calculations, Catapult goes as level 1 unit, its AI Value is 500.
Ballista[edit | hide]
1500
A ballista is a missile weapon that, like ranged units, shoots projectiles toward enemy troops, but is unable to retaliate against attacks. It can shoot even if one or several enemy stacks are adjacent to it. The ballista acts at the end of every combat round, followed only by the First Aid Tent, and can be controlled when a hero has learned any level of Artillery. Contrary to what its in-game statistics indicate, a ballista has unlimited shots (fixed in Horn of the Abyss ). In damage calculations, Ballista goes as level 5 unit, its AI Value is 600. For the Map-Editor, it is an artifact equipped in the War Machine 1 slot.
*Ballista Damage: Although the Ballista has a basic damage range (of 2–3) like creatures, its damage range scales with the controlling hero's attack value according to the formula: (2–3)*(hero's attack + 5) . This modified damage range is then used in the damage calculation as normal. Both the Artillery and Archery secondary skills increase the damage of the Ballista.
| Ballista can be purchased at: | Heroes with Ballista specialty(88% (100% ) chance to start with a Ballista):
|
Horn of the Abyss[edit | hide]
Cannon[edit | hide]
3000
A cannon is a missile weapon that, like ranged units, shoots projectiles toward enemy troops, but is unable to retaliate against attacks. It can shoot even if one or several enemy stacks are adjacent to it. The cannon acts at the end of every combat round (at the same time as the ballista), followed only by the First Aid Tent, and can be controlled when a hero has learned any level of Artillery.
- Is put in the Ballista (War Machine 1) slot of a hero. It cannot be put in a backpack.
- Can attack enemy troops and fortifications. One does not need to destroy the cannon to win the battle. No experience is given for its destruction.
- Is put in place of Ballista during battle. Does not participate in the battle on the side of the defender during the siege, as well as the battles in vaults and banks.
- In damage calculations, Cannon goes as level 6 unit, its AI Value is 825.
*Cannon Damage: Although the Cannon has a basic damage range (of 4-7) like creatures, its damage range scales with the controlling hero's attack value according to the formula: (4–7)*(hero's attack + 1). This modified damage range is then used in the damage calculation as normal. Both the Artillery and Archery secondary skills increase the damage of the Cannon.
| Cannon can be purchased at: | Heroes with Cannon specialty(always starts with a Cannon): |
Ballista vs. Cannon[edit | hide]
Here a table showing the average damage of a Ballista and Cannon with and without the Artillery skill.
Notes:
- The Cannon has 20 Attack and 8 shots while the Ballista has only 10 Attack but 24 shots.
- The Archery skill will increase this damage further.
- Damage multipliers and multiple shots from the Artillery skill are factored into the table.
Takeaway:
- Without Artillery, the Ballista only does more damage than the Cannon when the Hero's attack is 0.
- With Expert Artillery, the Ballista does more damage than the Cannon until the Hero's attack is 3 or less.
- Even Ballista specialists (e.g. Christian) do more damage with the Cannon most of the time (unless they are at a high level AND have low attack).
- Example: At level 25, Ballista specialist adds +15 to the Ballista's attack. This allows the Ballista to do more damage than the Cannon until the hero's attack reaches 10. If their attack is 11+, even a level 25 Ballista specialist does more damage with a Cannon.
| Hero Attack |
Average damage against creature with 10 defense | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballista (10 Attack) | Cannon (20 Attack) | |||||||
| Base | Artillery | Base | Artillery | |||||
| Basic | Advanced | Expert | Basic | Advanced | Expert | |||
| 0 | 12.5 | 18.75 | 43.75 | 50 | 8.25 | 8.25 | 13.75 | 19.25 |
| 1 | 15.75 | 23.25 | 54 | 61.5 | 17.05 | 17.05 | 28.05 | 39.05 |
| 2 | 19.25 | 28 | 64.75 | 73.5 | 26.4 | 26.4 | 42.9 | 59.4 |
| 3 | 23 | 33 | 76 | 86 | 36.3 | 36.3 | 58.3 | 80.3 |
| 4 | 27 | 38.25 | 87.75 | 99 | 46.75 | 46.75 | 74.25 | 101.75 |
| 5 | 31.25 | 43.75 | 100 | 112.5 | 57.75 | 57.75 | 90.75 | 123.75 |
| 10 | 56.25 | 75 | 168.75 | 187.5 | 121 | 121 | 181.5 | 242 |
| 15 | 87.5 | 112.5 | 250 | 275 | 198 | 198 | 286 | 374 |
| 20 | 125 | 156.25 | 343.75 | 375 | 288.75 | 288.75 | 404.25 | 519.75 |
| 25 | 168.75 | 206.25 | 450 | 487.5 | 393.25 | 393.25 | 536.25 | 679.25 |
| 30 | 218.75 | 262.5 | 568.75 | 612.5 | 511.5 | 511.5 | 682 | 852.5 |
| 35 | 275 | 325 | 700 | 750 | 643.5 | 643.5 | 841.5 | 1039.5 |
| 40 | 337.5 | 393.75 | 843.75 | 900 | 789.25 | 789.25 | 1014.75 | 1240.25 |
| 50 | 481.25 | 550 | 1168.75 | 1237.5 | 1122 | 1122 | 1402.5 | 1683 |
| 60 | 650 | 731.25 | 1543.75 | 1625 | 1342 | 1342 | 1677.5 | 2013 |
| 70 | 750 | 843.75 | 1781.25 | 1875 | 1562 | 1562 | 1952.5 | 2343 |
| 80 | 850 | 956.25 | 2018.75 | 2125 | 1782 | 1782 | 2227.5 | 2673 |
| 90 | 950 | 1068.75 | 2256.25 | 2375 | 2002 | 2002 | 2502.5 | 3003 |
| 99 | 1040 | 1170 | 2470 | 2600 | 2200 | 2200 | 2750 | 3300 |
