Speed
Speed decides how many hexes the unit can move in combat, and the order units move.
Fastest units move first, slowest units move last. When tied, the one that didn't move last within the tie gets to move. Attacker goes first in a tie during first round, defender in all following rounds. Within each army, the unit that started(before Tactics Phase) nearest to the top of the screen moves first.
The speed of the slowest unit determines the hero's movement on the adventure map.
War Machines have a speed of 0 and are not taken into account for movement. Among normal units, the slowest are the Dendroid Guard, Dwarf, Peasant, Stone Golem, and Walking Dead (3) and the fastest is the Phoenix (21).
The hex grid of the battlefield is made of 11 rows of 15 hexes. Without obstacles, a speed of 10 or more is required to traverse from top to bottom, 14 or more to traverse from left to right, and 19 or more to traverse diagonally from one corner to its opposite.
Speed modifiers
- Terrain: Units fighting on their native terrain get +1 speed.
- Artifacts: Necklace of Swiftness (+1), Cape of Velocity (+2), and Ring of the Wayfarer (+1).
- Heroes: Sir Mullich gives a +2 speed bonus to the units under its command.
- Spells: Haste gives a +3 bonus (+5 with Advanced or Expert Air Magic), Prayer gives a +2 bonus (+4 with Advanced or Expert Water Magic; Slow reduces it by 25% (50% with Advanced or Expert Earth Magic).
In the best case, the maximum speed bonus from all these modifiers is +16, or +7 in the first round of combat before the spells can be cast. A stack of Phoenixes led by Sir Mullich on their native terrain and with the best magical help available would therefore get a speed of 37. In similarly favorable conditions, the slow Dendroid Guards would get a speed of 19, making them tied with Azure Dragons or Archangels (which have the same native terrain).
Fast unit chart
Listing only units allowing maximum movement (Speed of 11+):
| Speed | Units |
|---|---|
| 11 | Devil, Master Genie, Red Dragon, Scorpicore, Thunderbird, Titan, Wyvern Monarch |
| 12 | Angel, Silver Pegasus |
| 13 | Dragon Fly, Efreet Sultan |
| 14 | Ghost Dragon |
| 15 | Black Dragon, Faerie Dragon, Firebird |
| 16 | Crystal Dragon, Gold Dragon |
| 17 | Arch Devil, Rust Dragon |
| 18 | Archangel |
| 19 | Azure Dragon |
| 20 | — |
| 21 | Phoenix |