Editing Earth Magic

{{About|This article refers to the [[secondary skill]]. For the school of magic, see {{l|School of Earth Magic}}.}}

{{Secondary skills}}
{{Secondary skill
| B_effect = allows your hero to cast earth spells at reduced cost.
| A_effect = allows your hero to cast earth spells at reduced cost and {{gt|increased effectiveness}}.
| E_effect = allows your hero to cast earth spells at reduced cost and {{gt|maximum}} effectiveness.
}}

There is a special rule in place that offers schools of magic more often as a choice when leveling up than the secondary skill learning percentages suggest: a new school of magic will be offered at least every 4 levels for Might heroes and every 3 levels for Magic heroes. For example: a Might hero was not offered a school of magic when reaching levels 2 and 3; the hero will then be guaranteed to be offered a magic school at level 4; at level 8, the hero will again be offered a new magic school if none were offered at levels 5, 6, or 7.

'''Heroes with Earth Magic as a starting skill:'''
* {{H2|Labetha|Elementalist}}
* {{H2|Grindan|Elementalist}}

== Chance to get ==
{{Secondary skill chance explanation}}

{{ZET SEC SKILL CHANCE TABLE| 2 (lowest)| 3| 3| 4| 3| 3| 3| 4| 4| 8 (highest)| 3| 5| 3| 3| 3| 3| 3| 6| 4| 5| 3| 4}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="150px">
Brian-kemper-earth.jpg| Art by [[Brian Kemper]]
</gallery>

{{user commentary|
Earth Magic is one of the most important secondary skills, as some of spells from the School of Earth Magic are really crucial. Expert [[Slow]] can make enemy's troops fully incompetitive (or disallow someone extremely fast, like [[Archangel|Archangels]] or [[Phoenix|Phoenixes]], to rush through the battlefield), [[Implosion]] may destroy a strong stack completely (even with Spell Power 10, Expert Implosion will do 1050 damage, which would kill e.g 10 [[Champion|Champions]]), troops risen by [[Resurrection]] cannot remain after the battle without Earth Magic skill, and [[Town Portal]] will get the hero without the skill only to the nearest town (while sometimes it's very important to visit a particular one, e.g. to defend it when a strong enemy comes close, to get troops, to learn spells, or to improve skills in buildings like [[Hall of Valhalla]] or [[Wall of Knowledge]]. Town Portal can allow a hero to travel between all his towns). Moreover, [[Animate Dead]] is also an Earth spell. These spells can make a game really easier. Other magic schools are useful, but Earth Magic rocks.

There are several reasons to select Earth Magic, but one of the strongest motive is [[Town Portal]] spell, which is among the most powerful adventure map spells along with [[Fly]] and [[Dimension Door]]. Another excellent reason is the [[Resurrection]] spell (and [[Animate Dead]] for [[Undead]]), which permanently resurrects creatures at Advanced and Expert level (while on Basic level only for the duration of the battle). A hero with a lot of spell points, high [[power]] skill and Expert or Advanced Resurrection can win almost any battle without suffering losses (for example, by [[Blind|Blinding]] the last enemy stack and then resurrecting all of their own troops).

Furthermore, with Expert Earth Magic, [[Shield]], [[Stone Skin]] and [[Slow]] become powerful [[mass spell|mass spells]] at Expert level. Slow as a mass [[hindering spell]] has especially devastating effects among enemy troops, as it reduces all enemy creatures' [[speed]] by 50%, which may change the outcome of battles against overpowering opponents.
Earth magic also contains [[Meteor Shower]] which is a great multi hex damaging spell and [[Implosion]] which is the strongest [[single target spell]] in the game, capable of destroying or crippling a power stack at the beginning of the fight.

To correctly assess the outlook for a hero obtaining Earth Magic, one also has to take into account that heroes are guaranteed to be offered a magic school (unless they already have one) when reaching levels 4,8,12,... (might heroes) or levels 3,6,9,... for magic heroes. In this situation the chance for being offered Earth Magic has to be weighed only against the probabilities for the other magic schools. Hence the chance of being offered Earth Magic as the first magic school are:

{{ZET SEC SKILL CHANCE TABLE
| 20%| 23%| 43%| 36%| 30%| 21%| 30%| 29%| 40%| 50%| 50%| 36%| 38%| 21%| 50%| 25%| 30%| 25%| 36%| 23%| 33%| 29% }}

If the player is not offered Earth Magic and declines the offered magic school, the same probabilities apply until one is chosen or the secondary skill slots are full.

}}{{end of user commentary}}

{{secondary skill 'see also'}}

[[Category: Secondary skills]]
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