Speed
is about speed, the creature characteristics. For speed of a hero, see movement.
Speed (also movement) is a characteristic of creatures. It decides how many hexes the creature can move in combat field, and at the same times, it decides the order (intiative) different creatures move. The speed of the slowest creature determines the hero's movement on the adventure map.
Fastest creature in the Restoration of Erathia, the original serie, is archangel with the speed of 18. When Armageddon's Blade and Shadow of Death were introduced, the title of fastest creature went to phoenixes, with a speed of 21. The slowest creatures with a speed of 3 are dendroid guard, dwarf, stone golem and Walking Dead. Additionally, after Armageddon's Blade also peasants have poor speed of three. War machines have a speed of 0 and are not taken into account for combat movement.
Intiative
The initiative means, that the fastest creature will move first, and the slowest troop will 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.
At the beginnig of the battle, the attacker will have the initiative. Within each army, the unit that started (before tactics phase) nearest to the top of the screen moves first.
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 |