War Machine

War machine is common term used for when referring either to ammo cart, ballista, 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. They all have a special slot reserved just for a particular war machine.

Typically war machines except catapults are bought from blacksmiths, which sell different war machine depending on the town type. Additionally, war machines can be bought from an adventure map location called war machine factory, which sell all war machines except catapults. Stronghold has also special building ballista yard, where a visiting hero can buy ballistas. All heroes have 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 luck and morale with the exception of ballista, which can have a lucky strike. Also, war machines do not affect the hero's movement.

Usage

Ammo Cart

File:Mini Portrait Ammo cart.png   Ammo cart
Attack
Defense	5
Damage
Health	100
Cost	1000
Shots

Ammo cart provides unlimited ammuntion for creatures with ranged attacks.

Ballista
Attack	10
Defense	10
Damage	2–3
Health	250
Cost	2500
Shots	24

Ballista

A ballista is a missile weapon that, like ranged units, shoots projectiles toward enemy troops, but is unable to retaliate against attacks. It has basic damage range (of 2–3) like creatures, but the damage calculation is different. The formula for the calculation of damage is (2–3)*(hero's attack + 1). The Artillery and Archery secondary skills increase this damage. 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.

Ballistas can be bought from Blacksmiths in Castle, Dungeon and Conflux towns, and from Ballista Yards in Stronghold towns. They can also be purchased from war machine factories on the adventure map. Heroes who specialize in ballistas typically bring one with them when hired.

Heroes with specialty ballista:

• Christian the Knight
• Torosar the Alchemist
• Pyre the Demoniac
• Arlach the Overlord
• Gurnisson the Barbarian
• Gerwulf the Beastmaster

File:Mini Portrait First aid tent.png   First aid tent
Attack
Defense
Damage
Health	75
Cost	750
Shots

First Aid Tent

First aid tent heals up to 25 points of 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 tent acts last at the combat round. Tents can be bought from blacksmiths of rampart, fortress and necropolis towns, or from a war machine factory, an adventure map location. Typically heroes with first aid specialty start with a first aid tent.

Heroes with first aid specialty:

• Rion the Cleric
• Gem the Druid
• Verdish the Witch

Catapult
Attack	10
Defense	10
Damage
Health	1000
Cost	N/A
Shots	24

Catapult

Catapult only appears on the battlefield when attacking enemy towns with walls, which requires the town to have either fort, citadel of castle. Its main use is to attack walls and destroying them in order to enable ground troops to attack defenders. Catapult can also attack and destroy arrow towers of citadels and castles. The ballistics secondary skill enhances the performance of the catapult. Basic ballistics gives the player over the catapult making it possible to aim particual parts of the siege structures. In siege, catapult shoots after the arrow towers, but before any other troop.

Comments & debate

First aid tent as well as ballista are quite useless war machines. Even with a hero specializing them like Christian or Gem, neither one has much influence during battles. The damage of the ballista even with high level Christian or Orrin is typically measured in hundreds. As for first aid tent, it is mainly useful on 6th or 7th level creatures with lot of hit points. And even on them, it only manages to save one occasionally. The problem with ballista and first aid tent as well as with artillery and first aid secondary skill is, that there is always better options available. Rather than buying war machines, you could buy troops. Offense and armorer on the other hand are superior to artillery or first aid.

Ballista and first aid tent can be used to absorb damage from chain lightning, and the wandering creatures tend to attack war machines. However, war machines are also a (small) liability against dragons' breath attack, magogs' fireball attack or liches' death cloud. Specially against dragons they provide "free attacks".

Besides catapult, the only usable war machine is ammo cart. It is specially useful with master gremlins and/or medusas in the army, because they only have eight shots otherwise.